Where Do YOU Stand?

Do you remember the first time you realized that there was indeed a world outside your own that you did not have the perfect lifestyle?
As children, many times we are oblivious to social rankings, and we simply regard people as people. No one is above or below us... except that one girl who won't bring her dolls to the tea party- almost everyone is equal in a child's eye.
However as we grow up, we become accustomed to the ways of the world. We see differences between the rich and the poor. The poor and the middle class. The middle class and the rich. And you try to find where you belong.

This can be exemplified through the status division in the novel The Great Gatsby. There is a stark difference in the way the Valley of Ashes and the East Egg are described. To begin, Valley of Ashes is repeatedly described with the color gray which symbolizes dreariness and starkness. Lifestyle there is slow and the people are lethargic. On the other hand, the East Egg is the pinnacle of a perfect society. For example, Nick lives in West Egg, " the least fashionable of the two, though this is a most superficial tag to express the bizarre and not a little sinister contrast between them" (Fitzgerald 14). Although he lives on the tip of the egg, his status is considered lower than that of someone who lives in East Egg.

Being defined by your status is detrimental for each generation's youth. You become stereotyped and limited in how successful you can be just because of how much money you can spend and where you live. Status, if anything, should be based on who you can be, not what you used to be. 

The Bluest Eye

Sexual assault, menstruation, and racism are all topics that are avoided as topics of disucussion. Society gets uncomfortable talking about these rather important topics so avoids them all together.
Toni Morrison, however, adeptly tackles these overbearing topics and displays the important events of understanding them.

According to me, one of the most beautifully crafted pieces in the memoir The Bluest Eye is closer to the middle when Junior and his actions are described. Junior's character in itself is very ironic and conflicting. Although he is a snobbish white boy, he associates himself with the black boys and wishes to learn their ways. Though his mother had deeply engrained in him "the difference between colored people and niggers" (87). He himself could never clearly distinguish the two groups. Junior was very alone and broken apart inside, yet he released his frustration by bullying others and making them feel the same way. In this excerpt, Morrison provides the whites a different perspective that shows them as the victims who still antagonize others to be the villains. This dual personality is one not always addressed, but one that Morrison openly approached.

Additionally, the juxtaposition between the description of Junior's home and the actions Junior commits while there is truly admirable. Morrison starts by praising the intricate, perfect, white details of the home: "little lace doilies everywhere... a color picture of Jesus Christ hung on a wall with the prettiest paper flowers"(90). This drawn-out description highlights the emptiness in the artificial beauty that is sought after, which is still highly esteemed in society. In immediate contrast to the delicate, pristine nature of the home, Junior is found abusing Pecola and frightening her. He abuses the cat while Pecola attempts to save him. After all her efforts, Junior finally stops his abuse but in the end the cat dies anyway. This emphasizes that those that are the least fortunate still find ways to help those less fortunate than them, which in this case is Pecola helping the cat. Sadly enough, Junior blamed this entire episode on helpless Pecola when his mother came home. Although the mom had witnessed Pecola's life of misery, she like many other ignorant, blind-following whites blamed the poor black girl.

This excerpt beautifully touches on topics of racism, beauty standards, and the cycle of abuse, leaving the reader awestruck of Morrison's excellence. 

Rape Culture

Some topics in our society have been deemed taboo. And sadly enough, they're the topics that we need to talk about the most. Topics that are critical to society, yet people are afraid to speak up about them.
Honestly, since I'm a female who has been brought up in a more conservative Asian society, rape has always been an overhanging, yet distant fear. Traveling to India multiple times in my life has brought me face to to face with the harsh reality of how prevalent rape occurs in our society. I remember how apprehensive my mother was to send me out with my cousins and how she wouldn't let me wear shorts or a skirt because she was just too afraid. And rape is not only a problem in India but the United States as well. The thing that upsets me the most is how rape culture is handled.

Part of the problem is that people don't full understand what rape means.
Rape can be done by a man on a woman, man can rape man, woman can rape man, woman can rape woman, can be between a husband and wife.....
Rape isn't just man against woman.
Yet, in most traditional rape cases, even if the female is the victim, she is treated like the offender. She's asked what she was wearing to seduce the man and if was she alone or drunk.
Let me make one thing very clear. Whether a woman is intoxicated or is dressed provocatively or is married to you or dating you, rape is never justifiable. Because trust me, she was never asking for it.

A perfect example of this is seen in the memoir The Bluest Eye. When Cholly and Darlene are having sex, suddenly they are caught my two white men who force Cholly to continue with Darlene. This was absolutely against Cholly's will and was without his consent, therefore this was rape. Forcing someone to have sexual intercourse with another person does indeed qualify as rape. Ironically enough, although it was the white men's fault, Cholly was upset with Darlene: "He hated her" (148).  Just because she was a girl, the blame was placed on her. Also, many times even today male rape victims are apprehensive to speak of the horrid act, as they feel it will take away from their masculinity. Similarly, even in the memoir, Cholly did not want to tell Old Blue as he felt he wouldn't understand.

It's 2016 and we still aren't comfortable discussing rape culture. This concerns me as so much still needs to be done regarding this saddening problem. However, having a president who believes he can just "grab them (women) by the pussy," isn't doing this country any favors.
But as individuals, we can each take the first step towards combatting this rape culture by becoming more aware and open regarding this topic.
We can do it together :)

Ignoring Your Beauty

In today's society, whether it be through media or simply through standards ingrained in society, the imposition of beauty standards is increasing by the day.
There are just too many girls who watch the Victoria Secret Fashion Show while eating ice cream, and then suddenly vow to never eat it again and hit the gym the next day.
Or buy the 'one size fits all' garment just to find out that only a girl with a cookie-cutter body shape will ever be able to fit in it.
And of course the classic "nude" look that's only nude for those with pale skin.

I myself have witnessed the effects of these unfair beauty standards. Just recently an Indian friend of mine claimed that her grandmother doesn't accept her still (she's 16 years old)  just because she has a darker complexion. That is completely unfathomable to me. Skin color is totally out of control and everyone shade and hue should be appreciated. It broke my heart to know that my friend who is the sweetest girl I know well "she would never know her beauty" (46-47).

Similarly, in The Bluest Eye, Pecola never saw herself as beautiful. She always compared herself to beautiful white girls like Maureen Peal and longed to have blue eyes. Unfortunately, she let her physical appearance define her; Pecola considered herself fit for her dysfunctional just because she felt that she belonged there due to her appearance. Later on, the girls lust after Shirley Temple's and Mary Jane's appearance: the typical blonde hair, blue eyes. However, they fail to remember that beauty lies in the eye of the beholder.

more importantly the day our society looks past physical beauty to instead critique people by their nature and attitude, girls like my friend will never deem themselves ugly again.