Every individual cares about how they appear to others; their shape and in this informal, narrative essay titled Chicken-Hips, Canadian journalist and producer Catherine Pigott tells her story on her trip to Gambia and her body appearance. In this compelling essay the thesis is implicit and the implied thesis is about how women are judged differently on their appearance in different parts of the world, as various cultures and individuals have a different perception on what ideal beauty is. In this essay Pigott writes about her trip to Africa specifically Gambia and how upon arriving there she was judged to be too slim for a woman. She goes to write about how differently she would be judged back home by mentioning “in my county we deny ourselves …show more content…
food in our pursuit of a perfect slenderness” (Pigott 79) and “I was home where fat is feared and despised” (81). Pigott is very competent in using diction effectively. One example of an effective use of diction is in the sentence “My freedom had been temporary” (Pigott 81). This sentence has an effect of bring out sympathy from the readers as she is trying to say that in her time in Gambia she was judged but in a way that let her be free because she could consume food and wear what she wanted to whereas back home she is more restricted as she doesn’t has as much freedom in what she eats and wears because its frowned upon (will be harshly judged). Furthermore, another example of effective use of diction is imagery in the sentence “women swivelled their broad hips and used their hands to emphasize the roundness of their bodies” (Pigott 80). This helps a reader visualize how beauty in Africa (Gambia) looks like. It also has the effect of creating joy amongst the readers as it is supposed to be a cheerful sentence because they are celebrating and this indirectly show the reader the women are free and enjoying their bodies. Moreover, a third example of impressive use of diction is a metaphor in the sentence “they nicknamed me chicken-hips” (Pigott 79). In this sentence they are comparing Pigott to a chicken because she has no mass on her hips. In significance in this sentence is the word chicken hips, this word is used to show the reader that in Africa you would be called a chicken hips while at home you wouldn’t. The creative use of syntax can be found throughout this essay. The first example of effective use of syntax by Pigott is her use of dashes. In the sentences ÈI had dressed up for a very special occasion- the baptism of a son” (Pigott 80) and “There it is beautiful-not shameful-to carry weight…breasts” (Pigott 80). Pigott used dashes to create a dramatic pause to build an effect of emphasis on the next thought. When Pigott says the way they tone their bodies is beautiful, she put the dashes to put emphasis on her thought that indeed is beautiful and not shameful at all. Another effective example of syntax is the use of ellipsis in the sentence “plaid makes you look fat…you’re too short for that style… vertical stripes are more slimming…wear black” (Pigott 82). In that sentence ellipsis has the effect of allowing Pigott to create a list of the voices she was starting to hear when she came back home. The ellipsis also create an emphasis on her next thought, an emphasis which put more and more significance on the next thought the more consecutively it was used by Pigott. The third example of profound use of syntax is the use of short and long sentences. The shorter sentences allowed her to make a statement and clearly communicate it to the readers whereas the longer sentences allowed her to make a statement and include a greater amount of detail to communicate her though to the readers. For example Pigott uses short sentences such as “that night everyone danced to welcome the baby” (Pigott 80) and longer sentences include “They pressed the rice into balls in their fists, squeezing until the bright-red palm oil ran down their forearms and dripped off their elbows” (Pigott 79) in this sentence she gave a detailed explanation to what was happening. Syntax was used very effectively and enhanced the overall read of the essay. Rhetorical devices are used to create a special effect, Pigott effectively uses various rhetorical devices to create different literary effects in the essay.
For instance, the first use of rhetorical devices was in the very first sentence; Pigott uses onomatopoeia in the sentence “The women of the household clucked disapprovingly when they saw me” (Pigott 79). In this sentence Pigott describes the women by saying they were making noises that represent a chicken-a cluck. This effectively communicates the theme that Pigott was being judged to look like a chicken because her body supported a different ideal beauty. This also shows how the Gambian women didn’t think Pigott’s beauty was ideal and that they have an alternative perspective on what an ideal women looks like. In addition, a hyperbole is also utilized by Pigott when she stated that ‘they had no hips” (Pigott 80) referring to the European women she saw on the beach. In this sentence the women don’t literally have no hips it is just an aid to show the readers that ideal beauty for a European woman is much slimmer than the Gambian women’s ideal beauty as they believe in being more curved and constraint free (constraints being food consumption, etc.). Dresses can resembling symbols and that is exactly how they are used in this essay. In this essay Pigott uses symbolism as she symbolized the lappa. She first used lappa in the following sentence “they adjusted my head-tie and pulled my lappa, the ankle-length fabric I had …show more content…
wrapped around myself, even tighter” (Pigott 79). The word lappa was used many times throughout the essay which shows that it does carry some significance. Lappa symbolizes a dress would be considered beautiful in modern countries (e.g. Canada, England) while in Gambia and other places a lappa is beautiful. The use of symbolism also effectively communicates the theme of how depending on location your appearance will be judged differently as every culture/individual has a different perception of beauty. The insightful use of rhetorical devices in this essay entices the reader to continue reading. Pigott carried a very interesting tone all the way through this essay; it changed at numerous times.
In the beginning of this essay Pigott had a tone which made her sound ignorant as she was not accepting the Gambian culture/ideal beauty as seen in the following quotes “It was considered unattractive” (Pigott 79) and “It was even harder to explain that for me thin is beautiful”. But as the essay progressed Pigott began to have a tone which was more accepting and understanding. In quotes such as “I began to believe Africa’s image on the perfect female body is far more realistic…admire” (Pigott 80), Pigott shows she is becoming more understanding and accepting. Pigott also had a worried tone near the end of the essay for instance in the sentence “I dreaded the thought of people saying ‘she let herself go’” (Pigott 81). Even though she believed that the Africa ideal beauty was more realistic she was forced to retreat back to her normal shape when she went home because she worried what people might say if she doesn’t get back in shape to her normal self. Generally Pigott had a calm and collect tone during the essay because a calm tone allows her sentences to be easily
communicated. The intended purpose of this essay was to explain how beauty is judged differently in different places. This essay was successful at achieving its intended purpose and audience (women who feel they are being judged on beauty). Pigott’s choice of words and sentence structure was very good. Pigott showed numerous times that she used diction effectively by having metaphors and sentences that connected with the readers. Pigott sentence structure made the essay much easier to read and interpret. Some effective uses of sentence structure (syntax) include dashes and ellipsis. Pigott also used rhetorical devices very well numerous times in the essay. Overall the writing choices of Pigott made this essay easy to read and allowed the purpose to be communicated effectively to the readers.
Jimmy S.Baca use of metaphors, similes, imagery, diction, tone and mood are used in a very effective way in his essay Coming into Language. His use of metaphors and similes really give the reader a visual, helping develop imagery. Baca’s use of imagery paints pictures in the reader’s head but also develops a type of emotion by the use of diction. The word choice used provides the reader with an understanding of where the author is coming from leading us into tone and mood. The author’s tone starts off very low but by the end of the essay you will feel very satisfied.
Victor Martinez’s “Parrot in the Oven” is a novel that reflects the protagonist’s school days, his athletic activities, and family life. Victor Martinez experiences as a Mexican-American are the influences that induce him to produce such a literary work with figurative language that he receives naturally from his family. In his life, Martinez’s high school days and his teachers take important role as they motivate his to find opportunities that he can get as a son of a migrant worker. He presents his feeling and emotion for finding his identity and belongingness in his novel. As “Parrot in the Oven” is a coming-of-age story of a boy, the high school days and family life of the protagonist is explicitly presented. Everyone has unforgettable school days that made a great impact on the mind of the person. I can never forget about my school days and the sports activities I have participated, got victory, and met failures. I have learnt not only education, but also life, as does the protagonist of the novel. I would like to describe the high school days, athletic contests, and family matters of the protagonist, Manny Hernandez that is concentrated mostly on the chapters 7 and 8 of the “Parrot in the Oven.”
Common sense seems to dictate that we are all going to die one day. As we all get older we crave to keep our youth, and to stay young forever is the ultimate dream. The thought of a possible immortality is just an added benefit. Even though we have strived towards this goal for centuries, have we obtained advances in successfully staying young forever? In Bill Gifford’s book “Spring Chicken: Stay Young Forever (Or Die Trying)” he explores these ideas of life and aging further. In this novel, he goes on a journey to try and debunk the mysteries and questions behind the new science of aging. He gathers information from tests and scientists from around the country to discover what really works to prevent or delay aging and what is just a hopeful hoax. He helps us figure out why we age and why aging
The novel Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott is a book that was written in order to provide “Some instructions on writing and life.” Lamott published the book in 1994 in hopes to share the secrets of what it is truly like to be a writer, as both a warning and as encouragement. Bird by Bird shares with the reader the ironic truth of being a struggling writer through personal experience and humorous stories. Lamott uses memories from her past to help illustrate her points and to help the reader get to know who she is, not only as a writer, but as a person. The author focuses on the true struggles and benefits of being a writer while using metaphors and analogies to express her points, she also wraps her life stories around almost every writing tip.
When we look into the mirror, we are constantly picking at our insecurities; our stomach, thighs, face, and our body figure. Society has hammered into our brains that there is only one right way of looking. Society disregards that there are many different shapes, sizes, and colors. Then society makes us believe that corporations can shove detrimental products to fix our imperfection. As a consequence, we blame media for putting all the negative ideas into women’s brain. It is not wrong to say that they are in part responsible, but we can’t make this issue go away until we talk about patriarchy. In the article Am I Thin Enough Yet? Hesse-Biber argues that women are constantly concerned about their looks and if they are categorized as “beautiful” by society. These ideas are encouraged by corporations that sell things for us to achieve “beautiful” but the idea is a result of patriarchy. Hesse-Biber suggests that if we want to get rid of these ideas we need to tackle patriarchy before placing all the blame on capitalism.
Figurative language is in most well written novels. It helps develop the overall theme the author is trying to portray. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, I noticed Harper Lee distinctively used two types of figurative language. The first is symbolism, Lee used this twice during the novel with the mockingbird representing beauty innocence and Boo Radley representing the good in people. The second is motifs, Lee used this to emphasize the small town life in Maycomb, Alabama and helps give a better understanding of the people in the town.
Art and literature work independently of each other, however, they can be linked together to help a reader or observer understand in new ways and create new possibilities. Within this context, the perspective of Jacob Lawrence and the authors address that it takes work to build the ideal society and family. However, the authors give the stark reality of both society and family demonstrating that our reality is nothing like the ideal.
The first type of figurative language Pat Mora used that I would like to touch on is metaphors. “The family story says your voice is the voice of an aunt in Mexico, spunky as a peacock.” Mora uses this metaphor of her mother’s voice being that “of an aunt in Mexico, spunky as a peacock” to illustrate how fearless her mother is when it comes to speaking up. Through
This theme is evident in the doubling of stockings with the girl’s natural black legs. The red stockings, which represent sexual, material desires, are contrasted with the natural, elegant beauty of the legs of the black girl. The stockings highlight only the legs, separating them from the girl as a whole and allowing for easier objectification, specifically by young white males. However, the girl knows this, as she has put the stockings on and is being told so by the narrator, who represents the black community. The narrator also clearly recognizes the girl’s beauty, and her beauty is further highlighted in the fact that she is clothed in silk, which relates to royalty and comfortability.
There are many obstacles in which Maya Angelou had to overcome throughout her life. However, she was not the only person affected throughout the story, but as well as her family. Among all the challenges in their lives the author still manages to tell the rough and dramatic story of the life of African Americans during a racism period in the town of Stamps. In Maya Angelou's book, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings she uses various types of language to illustrate the conflicts that arise in the novel. Among the different types of languages used throughout the book, she uses literary devices and various types of figurative language. In I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou the author uses literary devices and figurative language to illustrate to the reader how racism creates obstacles for her family and herself along with how they overcome them.
Women have been facing crisis of body image since the dawn of man, for competition in breeding purposes, however women came under great scrutiny because of this. Often through history, they have been at the same level of livestock, treated poorly. Creating a rise in the early 1900’s to create the movement about pushing for the equality of women in the United States; it was after then when media first started adopting an ideal image of women in American culture, when marketing research found the use of images of ideal women in their campaigns made for higher sales.
Everywhere one looks today, one will notice that our culture places a very high value on women being thin. Many will argue that today’s fashion models have “filled out” compared to the times past; however the evidence of this is really hard to see. Our society admires men for what they accomplish and what they achieve. Women are usually evaluated by and accepted for how they look, regardless of what they do. A woman can be incredibly successful and still find that her beauty or lack of it will have more to do with her acceptance than what she is able to accomplish. “From the time they are tiny children, most females are taught that beauty is the supreme objective in life” (Claude-Pierre, p18). The peer pressure for girls in school to be skinny is often far greater than for boys to make a team. When it is spring, young girls begin thinking “How am I going to look in my bathing suit? I better take off a few more pounds.”
In her novel “Beauty Myth”, Naomi Wolf argues that the beauty and fashion industry are to blame for using false images to portray what beautiful woman is. She believes the magazines are to blame for women hating their bodies. Wolf states, “When they discuss [their bodies], women lean forward, their voices lower. They tell their terrible secret. It’s my breast, they say. My hips. It’s my thighs. I hate my stomach.” (Wolf, 451) She is focusing on how w...
He uses satire as the tone for this essay, enabling him to point out the problems he sees with humankind without singling out or offending anyone in particular. He cites man’s values regarding war, slavery, and women’s rights as corrupted. He goes on to belittle these corrupt values and uses pathos to have his readers share in his disgust. By not directly insulting anyone, but calling out the ridiculousness of some of these values, he uses satire to convey his point.
To say the beauty ideal of Mauritania is “full figured” is a vast understatement, they take the Western love for an ultra slim figure and flip it upside down. The path toward Mauritania's definition of beauty is lined with what most of the world would consider child abuse. The women of Mauritania participate in the tradition of leblouh- intensive force-feeding. Parents send their young girls to remote “fat farms” in the desert where they are force fed up to 16,000 calories a day. These farms are run by “professional force-feeders” who beat and torture girls who don't comply with the strict eating schedules set out for them. One of these such professionals seemed confused as to how this could even be seen as child abuse saying, “"No, no, it's