Culture often defines our sense of identity and dictates how we think about ourselves and how others think about us. Society in America most values physical appearance; thus, women feel the brunt of unrealistic pressures regarding body image. Andre Dubus in his short story "The Fat Girl" explores this theme through the life of Louise, a young woman whose mother, friends, and finally husband make her believe that she is only as good as her body. Ever since her childhood, Louise has socialized to perceive her body as something that needed modification; hence, her life becomes a pattern of shame, secrecy, and self-doubt. In "The Fat Girl," Andre Dubus imagines the ways in which cultural pressures regarding body image warp a woman's sense of identity …show more content…
In college, Louise's roommate Carrie encourages her to slim down, as if it were a necessary step toward happiness and acceptance. As unbelievable as these intentions of Carrie may sound, they nonetheless manage to underpin the paradigm on which societal judgment on thinness versus self-worth is based. This culminates at the point of Louise's marriage to Richard, where the emphasis on keeping a slim figure becomes even more pronounced. The subtleness and constancy of Richard's reminders about Louise's weight further deteriorate her self-esteem, epitomizing precisely how cultural expectations around body image can begin to inflect into the most intimate relationships in ways that leave a person like Louise trapped in a cycle of shame and self-loathing. Louise's marriage, especially after the pregnancy and subsequent weight gain, demonstrates a strong divide between the conditional love of her husband and the unconditional love she finds from her child. Richard constantly harasses her for gaining weight, which in turn makes her feel so unlovable and unloved. His brutal words, "You're gaining …show more content…
It'll be summertime." "It's time for you to wear your bathing suit" (Dubus 245) he says, revealing his superficial concern for her physical appearance and not for her well-being or happiness. As Louise's body changes with pregnancy, Richard becomes emotionally and physically distant; his actions demonstrate how far the societal pressure upon women to maintain a certain "Barbie doll" standard of beauty has eroded Louise's self-esteem. The husband's constant judgment represents the societal preoccupation with weight and beauty that Louise has been trying to prove herself against her whole life. But in response to the cruel criticism, Louise is touched by a source of unconditional love: the baby. She shares a bond with her child that allows her to understand that true love really does not have much to do with appearance. Whereas Richard says, "I don't want to touch you." Why should I be a shopper? Have you looked at yourself? Dubus 245), her baby provides a love that is much more than skin deep. Here, Louise starts to realize that she is indeed much more than her body size or the societal ideal of
create relatable characters for the reader. This story is talking about a girl who dont know English very well. She liveś in america ,and she is in high school . She is 13 years old. Another story is about a preacher and a boy. The have an argument in the church about questioning. The last story is talking about a girl who eats food everyday, every minute, every hours. Her friend are skinny. She is the only one who is fat because she eats food a lot and everyday. Her friends wants her to be skinny
society. In the “Fat Girl” by andre dubus the main charcter Louise is pressured by her family members espically her mother to lose weight so that she can fit into societies portrayal of women.In the poem “the barbie doll” by margie piercy the female charcter is forced to correct her body images in order to fit with that of which society
Thinking that you are stared and judged by all these people is a very difficult experience. Physical appearance, just like emotional feeling is subject to social influence coming from our peers. " The Birthmark" by Hawthorne Nathaniel and "The Fat Girl" by Dubus Andre are two short stories about the defective result of other impacts on our self-image. In "The Birthmark" we witness the evolution of Georgiana, Aylmer's wife, opinion impacted by his husband's action.
This story “The Fat Girl” by author Andre Dubus, is a heart wrenching story about the all too familiar subjects of obesity, eating disorders, self-consciousness, and the negative impact in which society and even family and friends can have on people suffering from these issues. It seems the young girl at the center of the story, Louise, was doomed to live a tortured existence from nine years old and forward. Her own mother fortified this fate by stating “In five years you’ll be in high school and
Identity is a core part of our lives, our actions shape our identity and in return it defines us. “Rose” by André Dubus, showcases a woman’s struggles with spousal abuse and losing her children as a consequence of her actions. “The Fat Girl” also written by André Dubus depicts a young A woman, Louise, torn between conflicting desires and complex issues of body image and identity. Lastly “The Man Called Horse” by Dorothea Johnson, portrays a privileged white man’s struggle to gain respect
In the short story “The Fat Girl” by Andre Dubis, the main character Louise is followed from the time she is nine years old up until she has her own child. Her mother ruins her self-confidence at a young age saying to her “you must start watching what you eat” (Dubus 320) when she was only nine years old. Her father is just about the only character in the story who accepts Louise for herself. “She’s a growing girl” (Dubus 321) he would say to her mother when she would limit Louise on what she could
throughout the stories “The Fat Girl” by Andre Dubus and “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid. Do this do that, never disobey in the introduction to “The Fat Girl” Louise’s mother explains to her nine year old daughter how she must act or else boys won’t like her; in comparison to how in the story “Girl” her mother gives exact instruction how she should live in order to prevent her from becoming a “slut.” Playing games, running around or arts and crafts are all things that nine year old girls tend to do. In the introduction
dramatically changed. The number of people who are thin is starting to be the minority, while the people who are overweight/obese is going to other way and is the majority. Andre Dubus, the author of the short story "The Fat Girl," demonstrates each of these traditional behaviors towards the overweight main character, Louise. In “The Fat Girl,” Louise is overweight/obese in which she experiences indirect rejection, from her friends and family. Everywhere Louise was, she saw someone who was either skinny or
In Andre Dubus’ The Fat Girl, Louise is a young adolescent with detrimental eating habits and broken self-esteem. Her lack of self-confidence stems from her atrocious emotional habitat. Louise receives constant criticism from her mother regarding her weight. Her mother states “If you are fat the boys won’t like you.” That kind of ridicule being said by a mother to her 9 year old daughter creates an atmosphere of self-hatred and self-loathing. It is not only her familial environment that contributes