I have never read a more disturbing and upsetting article then Thomson’s “Theorizing Disability.” Period. End of story. For one thing, she herself is a woman, so why would someone want to bash themselves let alone their entire gender who has been striving for equality for years?
She starts off her insulting article with Aristotle, who has been admired by me until this point in time. “[A]nyone who does not take after his parents is really in a way a monstrosity, since in these cases Nature has in a way strayed form the generic type. The first beginning of this deviation is when a female is formed instead of a male” (19). Now, I might be reading into this a little more than I should be, but I’m getting the impression that women are a “monstrosity” or a “mutilated male.” Well, if that is certain, then Sojourner Truth, Alice Paul and women alike, are turning over in their graves. For decades, women have been saying that we need to join together as one gender and fight towards a common goal of equality, but it seems to me that we have a traitor on our hands, for lack of a better term.
Oh, but wait, it gets better…
By using the example of a women who is wheelchair bound, she [Thomson] goes on to say that “disabled women often encounter what Harlan Hahn as called ‘asexual objectification,’ the assumption that sexuality is inappropriate in disabled people.” Meaning that this woman shouldn’t really be considered a woman, because she is disabled. Is Thomson nuts? Not only is this discriminatory towards women, but all disabled individuals: men, women, white, African American, wealthy, homeless. It’s absurd! To say that one person shouldn’t be identified as a certain sex just because they are disabled, in my eyes, shows the ignorance of the author. She wouldn’t be purposing these theories if she were in the shoes of someone less fortunate.
This goes beyond the fight for women’s equality. This is for the fight for everybody’s equality. Why should certain people have privileges that others don’t receive? Why should Christmas candy be out in stores months before the actual holiday when Hanukkah candy or Eid candy isn’t put on the shelves… ever? Why can’t mentally disabled children sit in the same classroom as other students? Why can't low class families receive adequate health care? Why is it that it’s natural for humans to put themselves above others, when in reality, we’re all the same? It doesn’t make sense.
And it’s people like Thomson that make this fight for equality so damn hard.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
Longest Blog Post Ever. Sorry! :)
When the idea of “graphic memoir as a form of autobiography” was mentioned in class, I didn’t pay much mind to it. “Graphic memoir” didn’t even hit me. But as soon as I pulled Persepolis off of the shelf and cracked it open, I realized that the book was literally a comic. (I know, a little delayed on the reaction). And my mind was racing because I had never read a comic until that point. Prior to reading the novel, however, we were assigned to read an excerpt from Scott McCloud’s reading called Understanding Comics. I was going to read Persepolis first but ya know… I didn’t want to be in the dark. One of the opening frames displayed a statement that has stuck with me ever since; “The idea that a picture can evoke an emotional or sensual response in the viewer is vital to the art of comics” (121). How? How can a comic create an emotional response, first off? But I decided to start my homework a little late on this evening, like a typical college student, so I dove right into Persepolis without much thought to that idea.
I definitely came to terms with the fact that a comic is not as easy as it looks. Sure there’s less words and more pictures, which is what all students want but it’s not that simple. Having never read a graphic novel before, I first had to get used to the new style. And I noticed that sometimes I wasn’t able to take it seriously, just because it was a comic and they have the reputation for being humorous. I even found myself “reading between the lines” to find humor. I felt bad about it but it happens, I guess. Graphic novels also don’t provide readers the ability to use their imagination as much as they would with a textual work because the pictures are there for you. And because those pictures are there, sometimes, especially with Persepolis, it was hard to distinguish which characters were which. But those we’re only minor bumps in the road for me, nothing that rereading a couple of sections couldn’t fix. On the other hand, there are many advantages to reading a graphic memoir.
First off, it’s new to most readers. The style of narrative allows readers to hold interest in the story. The pictures allow the story to flow more easily instead of reading two dry pages of text that is only describing the setting. Comics also have the ability to attract a large variety of ages and are more accessible to large audiences. And naturally, most comics are interesting, which is what any reader wants when they crack open a new book. But sure, there are advantages and disadvantages to every style of writing, including comics but sometimes one certain style is better to use, depending on the author and the context of the story line.
I believe that certain people use comics for a specific reason. Marji Satrapi might have used it to completely express her story; to show her audience what really happened. Women in general could use autobiography to literally show others what oppression looks like and how is really makes us, as women, feel. Marji, specifically showed the effects of oppression when her mother was approached at the grocery store. “They insulted me. They say that women like me should be pushed up against the wall and thrown into the garbage… And if I didn’t want that to happen then I should wear the veil” (74). The emotion on her mother’s face is filled with grief, but without that image… that message couldn’t have been received the way Marji had intended. Alison Bechdel does the same thing, multiple times in her graphic novel Fun Home, especially when she describes her reaction to her father’s death. She’s indifferent about the situation but if that scene was purely text, I’m not too sure that the message would have been received that way.
But this use of graphic details could be used to tell anybody’s story. A little Iranian girl managed to enlighten the world. So could an African American man. So could a homeless woman. People from all over the world, with different races, ethnicities, and cultures from different class ranks and genders, can bring their story to the surface. Maybe all autobiographers should consider using graphics. They can force people to see the world through their eyes. They force their audience into their own personal experience. And now that I have been exposed to the genre, I will read many more, no questions asked. Because everyone wants their story heard. Everyone wants to put the raw details of their life on display. Isn’t that the point of autobiography, anyways?
;)
I definitely came to terms with the fact that a comic is not as easy as it looks. Sure there’s less words and more pictures, which is what all students want but it’s not that simple. Having never read a graphic novel before, I first had to get used to the new style. And I noticed that sometimes I wasn’t able to take it seriously, just because it was a comic and they have the reputation for being humorous. I even found myself “reading between the lines” to find humor. I felt bad about it but it happens, I guess. Graphic novels also don’t provide readers the ability to use their imagination as much as they would with a textual work because the pictures are there for you. And because those pictures are there, sometimes, especially with Persepolis, it was hard to distinguish which characters were which. But those we’re only minor bumps in the road for me, nothing that rereading a couple of sections couldn’t fix. On the other hand, there are many advantages to reading a graphic memoir.
First off, it’s new to most readers. The style of narrative allows readers to hold interest in the story. The pictures allow the story to flow more easily instead of reading two dry pages of text that is only describing the setting. Comics also have the ability to attract a large variety of ages and are more accessible to large audiences. And naturally, most comics are interesting, which is what any reader wants when they crack open a new book. But sure, there are advantages and disadvantages to every style of writing, including comics but sometimes one certain style is better to use, depending on the author and the context of the story line.
I believe that certain people use comics for a specific reason. Marji Satrapi might have used it to completely express her story; to show her audience what really happened. Women in general could use autobiography to literally show others what oppression looks like and how is really makes us, as women, feel. Marji, specifically showed the effects of oppression when her mother was approached at the grocery store. “They insulted me. They say that women like me should be pushed up against the wall and thrown into the garbage… And if I didn’t want that to happen then I should wear the veil” (74). The emotion on her mother’s face is filled with grief, but without that image… that message couldn’t have been received the way Marji had intended. Alison Bechdel does the same thing, multiple times in her graphic novel Fun Home, especially when she describes her reaction to her father’s death. She’s indifferent about the situation but if that scene was purely text, I’m not too sure that the message would have been received that way.
But this use of graphic details could be used to tell anybody’s story. A little Iranian girl managed to enlighten the world. So could an African American man. So could a homeless woman. People from all over the world, with different races, ethnicities, and cultures from different class ranks and genders, can bring their story to the surface. Maybe all autobiographers should consider using graphics. They can force people to see the world through their eyes. They force their audience into their own personal experience. And now that I have been exposed to the genre, I will read many more, no questions asked. Because everyone wants their story heard. Everyone wants to put the raw details of their life on display. Isn’t that the point of autobiography, anyways?
;)
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