A Review of Bathing Beauties Essay Example for Free

A Review of Bathing Beauties Essay Anna Schnur-Fishman presents a compelling argument for teaching healthy body image and self esteem in her article â€Å"Bathing Beauties†. Set in the communal shower of a summer camp, Schnur-Fishman described how she and her friends developed their positive body image. Through group support and open conversations, the girls who showered in the communal shower and learned that beauty was not what they saw on TV or on a billboard. In fact, they learned that no one really looked like those images. And through this communal showering the girls learned to love their bodies and all their imperfections. These experiences and lessons were such that Schnur-Fishman and her friends have carried then throughout their lives. Anna Schnur-Fishman makes several interesting and valid points in favor of the communal showering in the BIK. First she discussed the idea of community support. According to Schnur-Fishman, everyone had to shower together, so no one was judgmental of another’s bodies. In fact, Schnur-Fishman, discussed one conversation where all the girls said out loud one thing they did not like about themselves. As a friend of the author’s stated, she never noticed the flaws the other girls. The realization showed her that if she was not paying attention to others flaws, others were not paying attention to hers. This exercise instilled in them that girls can feel beautiful no matter what they may think is wrong with their bodies. This is a beautiful idea because, as Schnur-Fishman notes, outside American culture often does not provide young girls this type of support. Instead, our culture, more than any other, pushes an unrealistic image of female beauty. Schnur-Fishman continued to discuss the idea of multigenerational exposure. At peak shower times, the age range in the shower could be from 8-25 years old. This allowed for the older girls to really be role models for the younger girls. In today’s culture, young girls look up to actresses and models, these images do nothing but further warp a girl’s sense of self and body image. Following in line with this idea, the author stated that the BIK was â€Å"a reality check†. Again, no one is perfect. The only way for a young girl to learn this is to see that others have flaws and no one really pays them any attention. Schnur-Fishman also stated that she believed the communal shower was a way to â€Å"push back against American culture†. By feeling good about oneself and not being ashamed, a girl has power over what the mainstream culture is trying to teach her. She mentioned that how good they felt should have been criminal. Schnur-Fishman made a valid point here because it often does seem very unacceptable for a female to feel good about herself. Find a group of females and listen to their conversation. Chances are you will hear them complain about how bad they look or how fat they feel. You can almost guarantee that if one of the females said something positive about themselves, she would get the cold shoulder or some negative response from the others (eyes rolling, fake, shallow agreement, talking behind her back when she goes to the bathroom, etc). The last point the author discussed was the joy she felt in the BIK. She stated that it was liberating, being free and remembering what is was like before she cared about her body. It gave her and the other girls the chance to relax and let loose. They did not have to try to up hold any type of image. I think the Schnur-Fishman made some very good points. It is unfortunate that even in today’s culture, were we say we promote healthy living and encourage self esteem, so many girls suffer. The images we show our young girls and the words we say contradict each other, only confusing ours girls into personally insecurities. We tell them to love them selves no matter what they look like. Then we show them that beauty is comes in tall and skinny package, with clear skin. This unrealistic body image is causing more emotional and health related problems among our young girls than sometimes we care to realize. Giving our young girls opportunities to feel good about them self is only the first step to reclaiming their own personal power.

summer flower :: essays research papers

As we walked among the flowers we began to tremble. He said to her what a wonderful world. Oh my she explained to her husband of fifteen thousand years. And from there on they became universally involved. After reading Mervyn Peake’s short story â€Å"Same Time, Same Place,† it is apparent that the author intended to create a story based around fantasy. Customarily, fantasy is mistaken for stories that include abstract creatures and inconceivable story lines. Under these circumstances one would then conclude that Peake’s short story may not in fact be categorized to such an extent. However, when the formal definition of fantasy is applied to this story it becomes evident that Peake does more than hint at a story based around make believe. Fantasy can be better understood as one of two types of non-realistic fiction, the other being science fiction. In this case fantasy resembles the psychological state of fantasy in that it provides the reader with an experience of liberation similar to that provided by a daydream. Fantasy typically contains 1) a magical world in which liberating events can plausibly take place and 2) main characters with whom the reader closely identifies and through whom he or she enters the magical world. Now, in order to relate this formal definition to Peake’s short story, it is more applicable to break down the definition of fantasy and apply necessary parts from the short story.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Of the many characters mentioned in the story, only one proved identifiable. From the opening lines, the narrator and main character is the first character the reader is able to identify. The young man we first come across seems responsible for the curious and sympathetic feelings the reader obtains. The narrator proclaims that his life of twenty three years has been nothing more than a bore to him, and perhaps he is having trouble with his own personal identification among his family. His time spent at home has left him to deal with hatred that has accumulated from being around his parents and not knowing his role in the family. Specifically, he deals with a father who is constantly consumed with cigarette smoke and a moustache that drives him crazy. He hates his mother who wears â€Å"tasteless and fussy† clothes and he even hates â€Å"the way the heels of her shoes were worn away on their outside edges.† The way in which he describes his hatred p rovides more reasoning as to why the reader is apt to feeling sorrow and sympathy.

Both Dr Faustus and the pardoner share an obsessive greed Essay

Both Dr Faustus and the pardoner share an obsessive greed. For Faustus we are fascinated by his greed to rival God in terms of power and knowledge, but repelled by his methods in which to pursue this, which leads him to sell his soul to the devil. Why would one go to such lengths to have his â€Å"most desires[†¦ ]of power, of honour, of omnipotence†, it is this fact that repels us from Faustus as his methods are immoral. But we are fascinated by the disastrous effects it has upon Faustus, inevitably leading him to Hell, moreover, within the 24 years that he had to fulfil his desires, he doesn’t do the extravagant things he claimed he was going to do such as to â€Å"fill the public schools with silk† or â€Å"ransack the ocean for orient pearl†, highlighting that pursuing greed inevitably leads to a person’s demise. The same can be said in the Pardoner’s tale, in which three peasants find an old man who they mistake for death in which he leads them to a true where they find gold. There obsession can be easily connected to human nature which undermines our fascination to their situation, because it could happen to anyone. It’s common to want to be superior in wealth to others, competition drives advancements, so in that respect, we are not fascinated by the Pardoner’s tale. Another viewpoint would be that we are fascinated by the Pardoner’s tale because we can easily connect to it, the same being for Faustus. Furthermore, the Pardoner himself is a fascinating character because of his blatant contradiction. He openly tells the pilgrims that he sells â€Å"relikes† made of â€Å"cloutes and of bones†, rags and bones in which he deceives people to buy them. But the message of the tale is that the obsession of money leads to death, however the pardoner openly admits his obsession of money. Faustus is obsessed with knowledge. He would stop at nothing to gain all the knowledge in the world which is why he becomes depressed when Mephastophilis only presents him with one book which has the answers to his questions, â€Å"O thou art deceived†. Because Faustus is so fixated on acquiring all the knowledge there is to know, he doesn’t expect it to be all in one book. This repels us from Faustus because to acquire this knowledge he goes to extreme lengths, in this instance, selling his soul to the devil for 24 years. When the story was first published in 1604, the audience would of definiately been repelled by this because selling ones soul to the devil would be of been a serious sin. Modern interpretations would be more liberal to the fact that Faustus sells his soul, but in a country where around 80% are Christian, a modern day audience would still be repelled and deem it immoral to go to such extreme lengths. What fascinates us about Faustus is his greed to rival that of God, not the methods he does to acquire this, but the fact that he has this desire. He openly challenges God, yet openly praises God and heaven, â€Å"when I behold the heavens, then I repent[.. ]thou hast deprived me of those joys†. There is a constant battle with Faustus between his obsession with power and his religious beliefs. He wants to â€Å"go forward† in terms of knowledge but to an extent where he becomes isolated from God because he is so driven by his obsession. Christopher Marlowe highlights that following greed will inevitably lead to downfall and Faustus’s downfall was being too obsessed with power and knowledge which lead him to sell his soul in desperation for this. Also, for the 24 years that he had before his soul would be taken he could have fulfilled his desires, instead performing petty illusions for the emperor calling him â€Å"my gracious lord†, highlighting that even with immense power he still follows the social rules of life. Which in effect show the limits of man, as with so much power, Faustus is still limited to the restrictions of his mind. Also, being obsessed with greed will lead ultimately lead to failure, Faustus is blinded by short term gains, not taking into account long term implications, â€Å"do give both body and soul to Lucifer†, he sells his soul to the devil which is for eternity, not realising this, only to please himself for 24 years. The same can be said in the Pardoner’s tale, in which the peasants become obsessed with money when â€Å"they founde of florins fine of gold†. Earlier in the Pardoner’s tale, the Pardoner states that â€Å"Radix malorum est Cupiditas† – Love of money is the root of all evil. Foreshadowing grave consequences for the peasants who find the gold, in which their obsession for the gold leads them to kill eachother off, even forgetting their oath of becoming brother, â€Å"and ech of us bicomen others brother†. When blinded by greed, the three peasants only think about themselves, which highlights the damaging effects of an obsession for wealth. It’s our basic instinct to want to be better than others and the peasants are exhibiting this behaviour. Because it’s common for people to want to be wealthier than others, the message is not unique which undermines our fascination with the story. However the person telling the story is fascinating because he openly contradicts himself, he proudly tells of his schemes to exploit poor people’s fears for money which evidently works as he makes â€Å"an hundred mark†. Why he tells of his exploitative ways is fascinating, because he openly tells the other pilgrims without fear, but as seen, the bartender finds his methods bitter, â€Å"thou woldest make me kisse thyn olde breech, and swere it were a relik of a seint†, the host points out that the Pardoner would sell his old underpants and claim it to be a relic which is why we’re repelled by the Pardoner because his methods of acquiring such wealth is deemed wrong, even as a modern interpretation.

Henry David Thoreau - 4404 Words

Henry David Thoreau INTRODUCTION Henry David Thoreau was an American author, poet, abolitionist, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor, historian , philosopher andtranscendentalist. Henry David Thoreau was a complex man of many talents who worked hard to shape his craft and his life. He is best known for his book Walden, a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings, and his essay, Civil Disobedience, an argument for individual resistance to civil government in moral opposition to an unjust state. Henrys books, articles, essays, journals, and poetry total over 20 volumes. Among his lasting contributions were his writings on natural history and philosophy, where he anticipated the methods and findings of†¦show more content†¦The school ended when John became fatally ill from tetanus in 1842[19] after cutting himself while shaving. He died in his brother Henrys arms.[20] Meanwhile, he was spending a good deal of time writing - he had begun a journal in 1837 which ran to 14 volumes of close-packed print when published after his death. He wanted to be a poet. But America starved its poets as a rule, and Thoreau spent much of his life attempting to do just what he wanted and at the same time to survive. For he wanted to live as a poet as well as to write poetry. He loved nature and could stay indoors only with effort. The beautiful woods, meadows, and waters of the Concord neighborhood attracted him like a drug. He wandered among them by day and by night, observing the world of nature closely and sympathetically. He named himself, half humorously, inspector of snow-storms and rainstorm Ralph Emersons Assessment Upon graduation Thoreau returned home to Concord, where he met Ralph Waldo Emerson. Thoreaus struggles were watched with compassion by an older Concord neighbor who was also one of Americas great men, Ralph WaldoShow MoreRelatedHenry David Thoreau1930 Words   |  8 PagesBiographical Summary Henry David Thoreau was born on July 12, 1817 in Concord, Massachusetts, and was the son of John Thoreau, a pencil maker, and Cynthia Dunbar (â€Å"Henry†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Ency. of World). Growing up in a â€Å"modest New England family,† Thoreau was one of four children and was accustomed to living practically (McElroy). As his family was â€Å"permanently poor,† he came to accept a moderate lifestyle, which may have later influenced his thoughts on the necessities of life (â€Å"Henry†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Ency. of World). As aRead MoreHenry David Thoreau and the Counterculture1357 Words   |  6 Pageswith Henry David Thoreau and the Counterculture, asserting the existence of an ideal spiritual reality that transcends the empirical and scientific and is knowable through intuition. Imagination and individuality are associated with the term. Henry David Thoreau who was a leading philosopher and poet was a leading transcendentalist. He compiled a novel titled Walden, a non-ficti on depicting his stay at Walden Pond where he truly explored nature and his transcendental quality. Similar to Thoreau, theRead MoreHenry David Thoreau : A Transcendentalist1438 Words   |  6 PagesHenry David Thoreau: A Transcendentalist Religion and politics are perhaps the most important topics of discussion, and paradoxically, the ones least discussed. Our differences cause us to shy away from such depth in our conversations with others and it is a remarkable human being who can share her opinion honestly on the subjects, and even more so, transcend the current popular opinions of the time. Henry David Thoreau was a man such as this. He spoke out against an unjust society and challengedRead MoreWalden By Henry David Thoreau843 Words   |  4 PagesEveryone sees the world through their own eyes. Not two people can see something in the exact same way or interpret it the same way. They can each have their own opinion about the subject. In â€Å"Walden† by Henry David Thoreau, he has a very individualistic view on nature. In â€Å"Walden†, Thoreau goes out into the woods to try and live his life deliberately. Schneider states, â€Å" In 1845, he received permission from Emerson to use a piece of l and that Emerson owned on the shore of Walden Pond.† He staysRead MoreComparing Sigourney And Thoreau, And Henry David Thoreau981 Words   |  4 PagesSigourney and Thoreau The authors Lydia Huntley Sigourney, and Henry David Thoreau, both demonstrate similarities and differences in their works. While comparing both essays, it is evident that both authors share similar views on environmental issues, and at the same time demonstrate great emotional journeys in their works. The extraordinary beauty of nature appears frequently in both pieces. Both authors focus their personal experiences, however, within different subject matters. The way in whichRead MoreThemes Of Henry David Thoreau925 Words   |  4 PagesHenry David Thoreau When people really take their time to look at the beautiful world around them and take it in, it is hard not to be amazed. Nature is the world around us such as plants, animals, ocean, and mounting. Centrally, he focuses on the relationship between nature and wildness, civilization, culture and the freedom in nature. Also, he thought deeply about nature and how can affects our self when we are alone. He extremely exaggeration, he trying to hang up and would attract us. The authorRead MoreThe Legacy Of Henry David Thoreau1991 Words   |  8 Pagessuccess against muscle and weapons. Yet, the enduring leadership and legacy of Henry David Thoreau, an early American author and abolitionist, has shaped the development and evolution of non-violent protest movements worldwide. This is the story of how the power of Thoreau’s words have shaped the arc of history for nearly 200 years: his pen was indeed mightier than the sword. Personal Background: Henry David Thoreau was born on July 12, 1817, in Concord, Massachusetts. He was also raised there forRead MoreHenry David Thoreau Essay3362 Words   |  14 PagesHenry David Thoreau Henry David Thoreau was a man who expressed his beliefs of society, government, and mankind while living under his own self-criticism. Thoreau believed he had many weaknesses which made him a failure. This strong disapproval of himself contrasted with his powerful words and strong actions. These contradictions led to some of Thoreaus greatest pieces of literature. Henry David Thoreau was born in Concord, Massachusetts on July 12, 1817, in his grandmothers house. ThoreauRead MoreThe Accomplishments Of Henry David Thoreau1472 Words   |  6 Pages Background Henry David Thoreau was born on July 12th, in Concord Massachusetts. Thoreau was many things, not simply just a writer; but he was one of the most influential writers America knows today. Early on in his life he grew up in a simple home with hard-working parents, and an abundance of siblings. His father and mother both had worked as teachers as well as investing in many other trades to get by. Henry started developing his talent for writing early on, by age ten he had written his firstRead MoreEssay on Henry David Thoreau474 Words   |  2 Pages Henry David Thoreau is a man of many facets; a man who refuses to conform to what the masses believe is acceptable. He calls for the rejection of complexity and for a change in mankind’s view of life. Thoreau, in his many writings, demands change in a stagnant society. He emphasizes respect for nature, even to the point of blatant disrespect for humanity. Thoreau’s connection to nature was a key ingredient in his lifestyle. He studied ants closely; hoping to understand them like one understands