BergerDouglass Rich
Language and images are usually a way to express what someone is thinking, however, language and images can often restrict our thinking in various ways. Susan Douglas, in her essay ,"Narcissism As Liberation", writes about "the great myth...that superficial appearances can be equated with a person's deepest character strengths and weaknesses"(128). The image of what a "beautiful" and what is not is an image that is constantly restricted in our minds. These restrictions come from television, movies, or many other things that people encounter. John Berger in "Ways of Seeing", proclaims that "men survey woman before treating them. Consequently how a woman appears to a man can determine how she will be treated"(46). This further shows what these restrictions do in our everyday lives. Adrienne Rich in her essay "When We Awaken: Writing As Re-Vision" gives her theories on how to free people from these restrictions mainly through "re-vision". One image that is restricted in our minds is the concept of beauty, that is seen in advertising. These restriction are put on women. The image of what beauty is, in regard to women, is perpetuated though advertising. Through the advertising and on a larger scale the media, women are told
Adrienne Rich can relate to this feeling to wanted to treated like men. It is extremely difficult to break free from our limited thoughts. He believes that women are judged because of this image. This has made our female society "a narcissistic paradise, luxurious daydream, in which [women] focus[ed] on themselves and their appearances(121). "(46)Here, he is illustrating to the reader his feeling on the repression of women, right when they are born. However, this is a arduous process and can only work in an ideal society. If they look beautiful then they will be treated well and maybe just as well as the men are treated. They must see through the "I'm worth it" and "'You've come a long way, baby'" slogans that they are "drenched" with all of the time. Berger says that women are judged by their appearances. Berger agrees that women are often victims of these restriction when he says, "a women's presence. If they can do this than women may not have the to constantly feel that they must be attractive to measure up to men, however, she says that "as women, we have to work cut out for us"(561). Images and language are can often restrict people thinking. about "perfect faces and bodies, and the psychologically , politically, and economically punitive measures taken against women who fail to be young, thin, and beautiful"(133). For her, her writing she was writing to be treated like a man. Douglas believes that marketers "set up standards of perfection that were cast as unattainable yet somehow within reach if only the right product were purchased"(127).
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