WS 101-22249
Many thanks to Dr. Genevieve Carminati, WS Director, for this assignment
DUE DATE: See Syllabus
THE BODY PAPER
ASSIGNMENT:
Write an essay in which you examine your relationship with your body. (Easier said than done, you might think!) This essay will be based on your personal experiences and readings in your textbooks, especially those in WRWC. One of the major points the writers make is that our sense of self is often determined and always influenced by the way others perceive us. This idea of fashioning our self-image based on other’s perceptions is called meso-level identity. Also, the writers recognize that our own image of our bodies, whether accurate or distorted, can affect who we think we are and how we behave. (This is identity on a micro level.) Furthermore, we cannot ignore the macro-level influences on our sense of our bodies and our selves. Images of “the ideal woman,” a societal construct of a practically impossible female body, permeate our culture, in advertising, television, movies, and so on. (Don’t worry, we won’t ignore the “ideal man,” whose image is beginning to turn up as well.) Present culture might give lip service to feminist ideas about realistic body images for women and the glorification and acceptance of the great variety of those images. However, the pictures of women’s bodies used in our culture to sell and entertain speak louder to us all than any words–and those pictures tend toward seeming perfection.
Globally, in most regions of our world, women’s bodies are seen as Other, meaning of course other-than-male, or not men’s bodies. This creates a sense of difference, which in itself is not negative, but becomes negative when difference translates into “unacceptable.” So, here is the dichotomy: women’s bodies that are considered ideal are valuable; women’s bodies that are seen as different and not ideal (most of us) are considered less valuable. Of course, there are individual exceptions such as the woman who loves her wide, “imperfect” body and flaunts it; or the woman who has lost a breast but is accepted as whole by a loving partner. (Please note: Men often have similar concerns about being “inadequate” or “unacceptable,” related to issues of size, strength, “virility,” athletic ability, and so on. Consider whether these concerns parallel those of women, or if they are different, how are they different?)
Now, returning to the paper assignment, I want you to think about the aspects of your body that most influence your sense of self, either how you identify yourself or how others seem to identify you. These aspects can be perceived either as positive, negative, or some combination of both. Also, you might choose something that you just accept as part of yourself, without assigning any particular value to it. In each case, you should consider and discuss how that aspect of your body has a particular meaning (or lack of meaning) for you. (I remember once reading an article about the actor Elizabeth Taylor. When she was much younger and seen as one of the Earth’s most beautiful women, she said that to her, her face was just something she saw every morning and had to clean.)
You could divide your paper into four or so large areas that each talk about an aspect of the body. However, you can also choose one area that you want to focus on and divide it into four or so aspects. For instance, you might want to write your whole paper on the area of race and talk about four aspects of your body that define you as a woman (or man) of your race. Another example could be that you talk about what it means to be a virgin (or sexually active) and write about four body-related aspects of that sexual status. Health problems or health-consciousness might be large areas others want to explore.
Lastly, be sure to refer to two of any of the readings that discuss the body or physicality or related issues. You could include points and details form other writers that support your own ideas, or you could use this as an opportunity to present an alternate views form those in the readings, referencing carefully the source material you are discussing. (Please give page numbers and cite carefully. Put all quotations from others in quotation marks.)
In a past class, students generated a lot of ideas about possible topic areas. I’ll list some of those to help you get started. I’m sure you can think of more, so don’t let this list limit you. For more ideas, you should also consider other examples in the textbook, The Vagina Monologues, the Dove ads, and “The Fattest Ballerina” that discuss or exemplify issues about identity, women’s bodies, gender and the body, and sexuality.
Sex: joys, fears, issues of power and control
Breasts, breastfeeding
Fat and muscles
Exercise, athleticism, dancing, strength
Being/ feeling sexy or beautiful – vanity (not necessarily bad)
Issues of health
Surgery or treatments
Cosmetics, plastic surgery
Hair and its issues and pleasures
Skin and its issues and pleasures
Clothing: hiding or accentuating the body
Vagina, clitoris, uterus, ovaries, penis, testicles
Pregnancy, birth
Menstruation, puberty, menopause, hormones, birth control, contraceptives
Looking like your family/Not looking like your family
Family perceptions of the body/your body
Race, ethnicity
Feeling unattractive
Feeling disconnected or unconcerned about your body and its appearance
Gender issues: femininity, masculinity, transgender, LGBTQ
Grooming and care of the body
A body’s history/A body’s memory
Violence, injuries, scars, accidents, pain
Tattoos, piercings
Eating/not eating
INSTRUCTIONS:
Your essay should be at least 1000 words in length. This amounts to about 5-6 pages.
Please use traditional typefaces (Times New Roman, Garamond Courier, or Lucida) in ALL PARTS OF YOUR PAPER.
Please include the following information in your heading on your paper: Your name, course number, date, word count.
Please include page numbers and your name in the upper right-hand corner of each page.
You must reference at least two class readings/links (from WRWC, The Vagina Monologues, Dove Ads, The Fattest Ballerina) that discuss or exemplify issues concerning the body, body image, health issues, physicality, sexuality, and/or identity.
Cite your sources (the readings) carefully and correctly and include a Works Cited or Bibliography page.
Name your file: YourLastName_YourFirstInitial_Paper1BodyPaper
Save in RTF OR DOCX Format and submit as an attachment to the assignment drop box.
I will expect your essay to demonstrate clear thoughts, have a clear thesis (or main point), present and discuss specific supportive examples to illustrate your ideas, and use correct grammar and spelling.
***Please note: Only write about topics that you are comfortable exploring in a class paper. Only be as personal as you are able or want to be, since this paper will be shared with the class for discussion.