The unnerving ad's called real women

I never really looked into the meaning of the doves cellulite cream. The company tries to advertise "real women" with "real bodies" as opposed to thin models. There modo is try to and show that women should accept and love their bodies for what they are, and not try to become something your not (model/ stick thin). However, the dove company is selling a product to "perfect" womens bodies by removing cellulite that has formed on their "natural bodies that they are supposed to love". I never really thought how contradicting the company was being. If they really wanted women to embrace their natural bodies, they wouldnt be using cellulite remove cream.

In the Combat zone

After reading the piece, In the Combat Zone by Marmon Silko I was very shaken up. She is very descriptive of how women are targets of crimes such as: robberies, rapes, and murders. She talkes about how women are raised to be delecate, elequent pieces of art. However, she feels that women should learn to protect themselves, and not depend on men. Silko believes that becuase women are forced to go out alone at certain times of the night they should be prepared for an attack at all times. When Silko grew up she was taught by her father how to shoot a gun, and killed her first deer at the age of 14. She stongly believes that all women should have a gun to carry around with them just incase ! Her father told her as a child that she never had to be afraid of anything because she had the power of a gun. However, I personally would be too afriad to take the risk of an accident occuring. I feel women should take different percutions in protecting themselves such as: self defense classes, carrying around peper spray, staying out of un-safe neighborhoods, and avoide walking alone at night.

How It Feels to Be Colored Me

After reading the passage How It Feels to Be Colored me I felt a stream of emotions running through me. I found it very interesting that Zora felt white people interpreted things such as music so much differently than colored people. Zora's emotions towards the jazz music related past tribal gatherings. She described being in a jungle, living the jungle way, and having her face painted. She began to feel her heart pounding when the thought of hunting spears got involved. The white man sitting next to her claimed to enjoy the music, but did not feel any emotions like Zora. Zora seems to find her self unsure about her color at times. When she is with a group of white people she feels she stands out more as colored, and feels in a way like an outcast (but continues to act the same, and believe as she always did). I think Zora is a courageous women to allow herself to leave her "comfort zone" and go to further her education. (even if it means people would be watching her closely)

A few words about breasts....

After reading Nora Ephron's "A few words about breasts" I was able to feel a connection. No girl is every happy with how they look. If they have stright hair, they want curly... If their tall they want to be short. She was very open with her stories, and it made it easy to read being able to relate with the struggles girls have growing up. Its not easy to talk about your insecurities but she makes you realize that noone is perfect.

John Updike- At War With My Skin

After reading At War With My Skin I felt a certain type of sorrow for John Updike. I could not imagine feeling so uncomfortable in my own body. However, for John to be so open about his 'disease' was heart warming. He made alot of spur of the moment decisions in his life because of his psoriasis. He married the first woman who came into his life because he was too afriad to risk losing her. He had children at a very young age beacuse he wanted to surround himself with people who did not have psoriasis. He became a writer becuase he knew it would enable him to hide from the public eye. He did not want to be exposed to judgemental people who may stair or make comments about his psoriasis. I am very sympathetic towars John Updikes's life. Eventhough he was not mocked by many students in school; he was still constantly thinking how different he looked. Also, John found any way to avoid being around people i.e. not going swimming with the other children in the summer. He was ashamed of his body, and no one should have to feel that way about his/her self.

Free Union by Andre' Breton

After I finished the reading Free Union by Andre' Brenton I was not fully sure what I thought of it. The in depth description of his "wifes" body seemed was too much for me. I feel that when a man was writing about his superior other he should wright in a more: relaxed, loving, and romatic way; as opposed to someone being obssed with the female body. However, there were parts of the reading that I felt were unique and striking. For example: 'Whose thoughts are summer lightening'. From the authors use of words I was able to form an image of a rain storm in the warm sunny weather. It's powerful, but beautiful at the same time.

Alice Walker: Beauty: When the other dancer is the self..

The theme that I felt most powerful in this essay was Beauty. Alice grew up always being complemented on how cute she was and enjoyed hearing so from her many neighbors. However, one day while Alice was sitting on top of her garage she is accidently got shot in the eye by her brothers BB gun. Alice waited a week to visit her doctor and by that time her face was damaged. Her face no longer looked the same ,and she was no longer a cute little girl. She refused to raise her head in public in fear of what others will think of her. After the accident Alice claimed to feel as if she was a different person. She didnt think she was the same anymore after she got shot in the eye. Later on in life Alice received surgery to fix the damaged area around her eye. It didnt come out perfect, but Alice was no longer afraid to raise her head in public. Eventually, Alice was asked to be on the cover of a magazine in recognition of her wonderful writing skills. However, Alice was very fearful about having her face on the cover of a magazine. After having a child Alice fears for the day her child will notice her mom has a different eye than everyone else. But, one day when putting her child to sleep Alice's child looks her in the eye and says "Mommy, there's a world in your eye." Alice claims that her pain disappeared as soon as she heard those words come from her child. All children are harsh with facil differences, but to hear such loving words out of a childs mouth really changed Alice's persepective on true beauty.