More handpicked essays just for you.
The effects of body image on adolescents
The effects of body image on adolescents
The effects of body image on adolescents
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
In the film, “Real Women Have Curves,” directed by Patricia Cardoso, it shows the audience the connections between one’s gender, class, culture, and education can enable one to reach their American Dream. The film follows a Mexican-American girl, Ana’s, journey on to liberate herself from her mother’s superficial thoughts on how traditional women should not go to college, yet they have to stay home and take care of their husbands. Ana wants to go to college to further her knowledge, but is stopped when her mother does not bless her. Eventually, as she tries to accept her body and her life, she decides to apply and go to a college in New York, where the movie ends with Ana walking in Times Square. There are many aspects that can stop or make …show more content…
someone chase after their American Dream, like- their race and their culture, depending on where they are from. Being a Mexican- American like Ana, meant that she either could be Hispanic or a Latina.
Latinas are very diverse- their income and their religious traditions. “Yet, the gap between Latino families (13.6 percent) and white families (34 percent) earning $80,000 or more is substantial, as is the home ownership rate, which for whites is 74 percent and for Latinos is only 44 percent…” (Lui, 139). This meant that even if Latinos work harder than white families, they still would not be able to surpass how much the white families made. This related back to “Real Women Have Curves,” because the reason why the mother did not want Ana to go to college is because first, she wants her to marry and live a comfortable life as a wife, and second, they might not be able to support Ana in college, hence of their low income. Her mother desperately wanted Ana to work at the sweat shop is because Latinos take great pride in …show more content…
“togetherness.” In the reading, “Unequal Childhoods: Class, Race, and Family Life,” Annette Lareau, the author, mentions that people will acquire skills to be used in the future, depending on how they were raised and of their ethnicity.
To test her hypothesis out, Lareau set up an experiment which included eighty-eight different families and seeing how afterschool activities impacted them when they were kids. She mentioned that after wrapping up her novel, she went back to check on the subjects and see if anything differed from the conclusions that she drew before, and it was accurate. Even if Ana had potential to get a better job to support her family, Lareau concluded that if a member was in the working class, they would not have sources and financial support as the middle class. She also stated that most of them only get by, by finding jobs that does not require a degree. The term “American Dream” is when someone finds themselves liberated or freed after a hard work filled with success. Ana found her American Dream when she finally felt freed of her family’s responsibilities and fled to New York to go get her college degree. Ana faced obstacles to achieve her success. One of them was how her mother keeps telling her to lose weight. Ana spitefully remarks that her weight does not define who she really is. Ana finally let everything go when she and her co-workers at the sweatshop took all their clothes off and they found their true
self. Hence, “Real Women Have Curves,” is a feminist film because of how the protagonist, Ana, strived to be liberated from the future her mother inspired her to be in. Ana is Mexican-American and her family is in the working class. This was usual back in the old times because, according to Lui, they never made more than white families. Ana is an aspiring student in one of the best high schools and have to give up her dream of going to college to pursue a better occupation with higher income because of her mother, the antagonist, needs Ana to have a traditional female role- which consisted of doing chores around the house. This influenced Ana to pursuit the American Dream because she finally realizes that this is her life and she has the right to do whatever she wants to be happy and live her life to the fullest, without feeling different and outcasted from others. I feel like this film really spreads a message to teenagers who are at the coming-of-age but it is not as realistic or relevant in this century because everyone feels like going to college is an obligation and luxury- separating the middle to the working class.
While most movies of the 2000s somehow spoke about sex among young adults, for the first time the emphasis is on the virginity of a Mexican American female. In part this topic is not discussed openly, it is only discussed awkwardly in a mother to daughter conversation. This movie opens the eye to many families conservative other this matter, Ana’s mother openly shames her daughter to losing her virginity to a random person which was not the case. In this scene, rather than have a heartwarming conversation with her daughter she is angry possibly at her daughter but possibly at herself for not knowing what her daughter was doing. Ana is prepared to lose her virginity and is responsible to purchase contraceptives something also talked about but mostly whispered in the chicano community. Ana states that women get pregnant not because they are having sex but because they are having it unprotected or don’t know how to use different methods of contraceptive. The talk among Mexican American families is not how to use contraceptives rather it is do not get pregnant or “ELSE”. Real Women Have Curves shows that the real problem is not getting pregnant it is the lack of communication Mexican American women have with their
Class, gender, race, and ethnicity play important roles in the film “Real Women Have Curves” by Patricia Cardoso. Ana is the main character and is portrayed as a Hispanic/Latino teenager finishing her senior year of high school. Having grown up in a Roman Catholic house hold, her family expects her to stay home and take care of the family and eventually get married and start a family of her own soon. However, Ana has different plans for herself and does not want to follow traditions and beliefs that her mother tries to force against her.
Relating to Alvarez and her struggle is very easy and well known in every generation. Society puts a ridiculous high standard on outer appearances, especially for girls and women. Women grasp the perspective of the standards that are set and put them into drive. Women become stressed, emotional, and nutcases because they want to please others instead of pleasing themselves. In some cases, women have died trying to live up to these customaries, if not becoming dangerously ill. As a young lady, knowing what could happen, frightens but doesn’t phase me. Wi...
There is an abundant amount of movies that are inspiring to people, and throughout the years there have been empowering messages for some women. In Real Women Have Curves produced by Effie Lavoo and George brown, there is an empowering message for women of all types. The film is about a Spanish 18-year-old girl who struggles with a life of a regular Spanish woman. While this movie applies more towards Spanish woman it can also empower women of all types. Ana the main character wants to attend college, and she is a bright girl. The problem is she cannot attend college ,because, of the nature of the Spanish community she comes from. The mother constantly puts her down for her weight and not being marriage material. Ana is also expected to help the family with earning money, which is one of the reasons she is not being allowed to go to college. As the mother says, “I have worked since I was 13 years old now it is her turn” (). Ana’s mother believes Ana need to work for the family since she has become of age, and that she needs to get married because that is what women are supposed to do.
Being a curvaceous young woman is hard enough. Especially when you’re trying to find love, you’re seeking approval and anticipating a better future for yourself. The film Real Women Have Curves stresses how important higher education is to a Mexican-American teenager and the wrath she endures from her mother because of her weight and aspiration. Mark Twain stated that, “Keep away from those who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you believe that you too can become great” (http://thinkexist.com/quotation/keepaway_from_those_who_try_to_belittleyour/215215.html). I believe I can personally relate to Real Women Have Curves, the reason being is because I’m a daughter, I’m overweight, and I’m seeking a post-secondary education. This is a synopsis of Real Women Have Curves; I’ll reveal why the film is so inspiring to me, I’ll give feedback from movie reviews, and I’ll use documents from my course’s textbook, to fully develop my ideas.
What is the American Dream? Is it fame or fortune? Franklin Roosevelt explained the American Dream as freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. The American Dream is the idea of becoming successful through work, although, this is not always achievable because people in America are not always treated equally, and not everybody has an equal opportunity to reach the American Dream.
The Latino women and girls in the novel are extremely concerned about their appearances, because they feel that if they aren't attractive then they won't be noticed by men, and they are raised to believe that they need a man to fulfil their life, and that they need a husband to support them, and if they don't look attractive then they are not going to be noticed, and if they are not noticed, then they think they won't end up getting married. A good example of this is Marin. When Marin talks about a real job Marin says that the best place to work is downtown, not because of the work that is there, but because "you always get to look beautiful and were nice clothes." She also tells the girls that the only thing that matters is if your skirts are short, and your eyes are pretty, so that you are noticed by guys.
It may be hard to imagine a person dropping everything in his or her life, leaving behind many possessions, friends, and family, only to start again in a new country. Imagine a person coming to America with only the clothes on his or her back and whatever that person could carry. If one can overcome these hardships, like many immigrants to America had to experience, and make a name for himself or herself, that is experiencing the American Dream. The American Dream, a stereotypical viewpoint of one being able to move to America with nothing and become successful. This success is achieved through a gradual process of an adoption of the American culture by drowning the past and receiving an education for the future.
First, what is the American dream? According to David Wallechinsky, “the traditional American Dream is based on the belief that hardworking citizens can improve their lives, pay their monthly bills without worry, give their children a start to an even better life, and still save enough to live comfortably after they retire” (1). “The American Dream” states, “It has always represented the possibility for individuals to succeed and live a life of wealth and comfort, made possible by both the political and economic attitudes in the USA and the individual’s own hard work” (1). Daniella Nicole adds that “in years past, chasing the American Dream meant the sky was the limit. . .” (1).
The American Dream is an idea where a perfect freedom is given to all people, no matter social group or race. Many people have a definition of what is an American Dream. Americans are viewed as a person who can do the unlimited things. People's freedoms and discoveries have been recorded over time in the form of a poem or story.
Up until now, the term American Dream is still a popular concept on how Americans or people who come to America should live their lives and in a way it becomes a kind of life goal. However, the definitions of the term itself is somehow absurd and everyone has their own definition of it. The historian James Tuslow defines American Dream as written in his book titled “The Epic of America” in 1931 as “...dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.” The root of the term American Dream is actually can be traced from the Declaration of Independence in 1776 which stated “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that
The American Dream is an idea that anyone can live in the United States through hard work and live happy successful lives. There are many obstacles that would stand in the way from achieving the American Dream. Fear, money and education/training, families changing in size, disability, race and gender, are some of the hurdles that many Americans face as they try to achieve the typical American Dream.
"The American Dream" is that dream of a nation in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with options for each according to capacity or accomplishments. It is a dream of social stability in which each man and each woman shall be able to achieve to the fullest distinction of which they are essentially competent, and be distinguish by others for what they are, despite of the incidental conditions of birth or stance. The American Dream is often something that humanity wonders about. What is the American dream? Many people discover success in a range of things. There are many different definitions of the American Dream. However, the American Dream embraces prosperity, personal safety, and personal liberty. The American dream is a continually fluctuating set of ideals, reflecting the ideas of an era.
The American Dream was and always will be something that makes America great. It allows those with aspirations to make them come true. In America alone needs is a dream and the motivation to carry out that dream. Ambition is the driving force behind the American Dream. It allows any one that has an aspiration, a desire, a yearning, to carry out the individual dream. It knows no bounds of race, creed, gender or religion. It stands for something great, something that every one can strive towards. A dream can be a desire for something great. In America, the American Dream allows dreams to become realities. According to Webster's New World Dictionary, the American Dream is defined as "An American social ideal that' stresses egalitarianism and especially material prosperity". To live this dream is to succeed. It allows anyone, rich or poor to have the opportunity to succeed. It is the ability to come from nothing and become so me thing. To succeed at any thing you do, you must have patience and persistence. It requires hard work, persistence and a desire for something better. To have these qualities and the desire and ambition to carry the moutis part of the American Dream.
The American Dream is a circumstance for every people in America to believe what they can do for their own and take advantage of every opportunity that gave them the chance to live in the country. That advantage will lead to a fact that life only flows on how the world has gone on, and on how the citizens of America reacts to it. Every person in America has a different perspective on life, to the point when they will look for a solution on how they will approach for their dream to live comfortably. American Dream is a dream that makes people experience challenges in life due to diversified circumstances present in the country.