Difference between revisions of "328 2010--Week 14 Questions/Comments"
From McClurken Wiki
(→The Voice of the an Anorexic, Abra Fortune Chernik, 1995) |
|||
| Line 74: | Line 74: | ||
This was a ridiculously moving account of an extremely common issue. The help that she got was exceptional as well and, sadly, most girls don't get this kind of treatment. I worked in emotional and behavioral facilities for close to two years and saw girls like this all the time. A couple of the women i met didn't make it. Chernik articulates a lot of the pathology behind this disease powerfully. "I had reduced my world to a plate of steamed carrots, and over this tiny kingdom I proudly crowned myself queen." [322] This passage illustrated her desire to shrink (and ultimately disappear) not just in size, but in character, in personality and strength. The writer uses the word "impotence" to describe the effects of the disease, which struck me as a powerful characterization. The social significance of the prevalence of this disorder can't be understated. I'm sure I can't speak for all women, but I'd guess that a lot of the females who read this can identify (or could in the past) with some of the mentality associated with an unhealthy body image. The praise that she received was the scariest part. -Erin B. | This was a ridiculously moving account of an extremely common issue. The help that she got was exceptional as well and, sadly, most girls don't get this kind of treatment. I worked in emotional and behavioral facilities for close to two years and saw girls like this all the time. A couple of the women i met didn't make it. Chernik articulates a lot of the pathology behind this disease powerfully. "I had reduced my world to a plate of steamed carrots, and over this tiny kingdom I proudly crowned myself queen." [322] This passage illustrated her desire to shrink (and ultimately disappear) not just in size, but in character, in personality and strength. The writer uses the word "impotence" to describe the effects of the disease, which struck me as a powerful characterization. The social significance of the prevalence of this disorder can't be understated. I'm sure I can't speak for all women, but I'd guess that a lot of the females who read this can identify (or could in the past) with some of the mentality associated with an unhealthy body image. The praise that she received was the scariest part. -Erin B. | ||
| + | |||
| + | I agree that the praise is the scariest part--it's what keeps fueling Chernik's delusions--and it comes from all sides (not only the random strangers, but also her friends and family). The most chilling part of her essay, for me, is when she has her body fat tested, is found to be severely underweight, and is outright congratulated, and even rewarded, for her unhealthiness. That's the turning point in her story, when she realizes that anorexia is not really about controlling her body/life, but really society controlling her. I think the pathology here is very very interesting, and that more women and girls need to read this essay, to see what it's really like to be a full-fledged anorexic, that it is an out-of-control disease and not glamorous at all. --Sarah Smethurst | ||
==Organizing the Farm Workers, Jessie Lopez De La Cruz== | ==Organizing the Farm Workers, Jessie Lopez De La Cruz== | ||
