Analysis Of Homage To My Hips

There are many companies in the world today that put an idea of this perfect female body into the heads of women. These images lead to a faulty standard men hold of women and their bodies and that women strive to become. Margaret Atwood addresses the issue of the way men view the female body by writing her essay in the viewpoints of a male so the reader can better understand how the expectation men have of the female body is unrealistic. First, she uses an allusive comparison to show the male expectation of the female body and how it is objectified as if it were a doll that comes with accessories. Next, she uses an anecdote with defamiliarization to show how the way the father views a Barbie doll and the way it portrays the female body to young girls is hypocritical. Lastly, Margaret Atwood uses insidious diction to talk about how men not only view the female body as a product but how they also use the female body as a product which can be sold amongst businessmen. In The Female Body, Margaret Atwood uses many rhetorical devices to convey how the female body is viewed through the eyes of men.

Gavin Smith 11/18/15 Professor Danner EngWr300 Brainwashed Throughout their lives, women of all ages are constantly being bombarded with

In both poems “Barbie Doll’ and “homage to my hips” the speakers focused on the same idea but had different ways of expressing those ideas. In the poem “Barbie Doll” written by Marge Piercy shows how a young girl is affected by the idea of a “perfect” body that society thinks a girl should have. A Barbie doll is a toy that young girls play with. Barbie is an unrealistic way of how a young girl should look and can ultimately lower one’s self-esteem. The company that makes Barbie decided that it would be beneficial for young girls to see the different body images one can have. On the other hand, in the poem “homage to my hips” the speaker Lucille Clifton is proud and appreciative of her hips. She is able to go against the standard norm of how society wants girls to look and gives her hips the importance that they are actual people themselves. Although “Barbie Doll” and “homage to my hips” have a similar theme while the poets used a different structure and literary devices to portray how society sees a young girls’ body image.

The Power of Hips Hips are used as a symbol to reveal the power of a women body’s. Hips are mighty, free, and seductive. Hips are used for childbearing, only a female power. Lucille Clifton’s, a supporter of African Americans and feminism, believes that women have the same power as men. Anything men can do women can do the same, even better. Lucille Clifton’s “Homage to My Hips” rebuts the division of labor mechanism instilled in our society that isn’t politically correct; thereby taking a powerful stance in her confident belief that woman can do the same as men.

In her personal essay, “Carnal Acts,” Nancy Mairs narrates her undertaking of giving a lecture on her coping with multiple sclerosis and discovering her voice as a writer. Mairs makes a point about how the question, “if you could talk on how you cope with your MS disability, and also

Society has created the stereotype that women are petite and dainty. “No Name Woman” emphasizes this expectation by elaborating on the extremes that women go to look beautiful. The author comments on the techniques used to pluck eyebrows saying “It especially hurt at the temples, but my mother said that we were lucky we didn’t have to have our feet bound” (Kingston 196). The expectations that society has for women to look beautiful are unfair because men put little effort into their appearance. In general, a woman with flawless appearance is favored over a woman that shows her natural

The theme of “Homage to My Hips” is first expressed to the reader through the poem’s speaker. The author made a smart decision in choosing a speaker who was confident and matter-a-fact about her opinion. From the beginning of the poem the speaker tells the readers, “these hips are big hips”(779). It is clear that the speaker is aware of how she looks, but she does not care what people think about her image. The speaker is taking a stand by explaining that “these hips” do not “fit into little/ pretty places” contrary to what society states(780). The speaker directly advocates the author’s theme while discussing her hips. The interesting choice made by the author is to not give any description of the woman’s physical appliance other than what her hips look like and how they act. Clifton is hinting at a deeper meaning. The speaker is not interested in how her hips look as much as how her hips act. The reader knows what kind of woman the speaker is based solely off of the actions of her hips, not by image. The speaker uses powerful words such

In Lucille Clifton’s, “Homage to My Hips”, she sings the melody of the power of her hips. Proclaiming all that they can do and how her hips cannot be oppressed. Clifton uses formal elements such as repetition, shape, and enjambment in “Homage to My Hips” to push through the speaker’s feminist declaration of reclaiming her body and exploring body love.

This piece has a woman looking at her reflection in a shattered mirror, the bold text reads, ‘You Are Not Yourself.’ I chose to discuss this piece first because of its relevance to our most recent reading, The Last Time I Wore A Dress, by Daphne Scholinski. It encapsulates the stereotype that society has created for what is considered appropriate and inappropriate for someone to identify as a female. Throughout the book, Daphne struggles with her gender identity, she writes, “It was the doctors who came up with the idea that I was “an inappropriate female” – that my mouthy ways were a sign of deep unease in my female nature and that if I learned tips about eyeliner and foundation, I’d be a lot better off” (Scholinski 6). In our lecture about

The poem also gives insight into what the writer feels society does not think is beautiful. They don't fit into little petty places. these hips are free hips. they don't like to be held back. these hips have never been enslaved (Line4; Line5; Line6; Line 7; Line 8). Further in the poem the writer talks about how they are not confined to what everyone else considers the standard. they go where they want to go they do what they want to do (Line 9; Line 10). Meanwhile the poet Robert Frost talks about being okay with taking the road less traveled and through experience sharing how it feels to choose differently. “I shall be telling this with a sigh somewhere ages and ages hence: two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” (lines

Introduction: This report looks to demonstrate my capability in the area's of understanding personal and social issues in society. The research project deals directly with these capabilities as it begs the thoughts about women in society. It asks what women think about their own body but also, how society

In Lucille Clifton’s home to my hips, Clifton perspicuously uses her hips as a symbol of self love and radiates the message of body positivity. She uses this poem as an opportunity to expose one of the many flaws in modern society, fat shaming. The tone of the speaker as well as diction used adds sass and pride to the poem and gives the reader an insight into this unique personality. In addition to challenging the common views of society, sexuality is also a main topic in this poem. In more than just a physical sense, hips are used to symbolize the empowerment of women no matter the shape or size.

Without even realizing it people are pear pressured to maintain a certain image for acceptance in their everyday lives. The two readings that I found particularly interesting were, “Does an employer have the right to control body art of its employees?” by Alan Shanof and “The Birthmark” by Nathaniel Hawthorn. They both can relate in the sense of how the world perceives body image and especially in women. A lot of people are turned down for a job since they have body art or appear in a certain way, even if that person possibly could have been the perfect person for the job. This stops people from being able to express themselves and do what they want with their own bodies. Girls are expected to service this presentation from the media on ‘how we are supposed to look’. Judgement has been a problem from the beginning and still till this day.

In this article, author Suzannah Weiss begins with the idea that the objectification of women and girls is not separate from many other problems of sexism, but the basis of it. The rest of the article is about how women are taught to view themselves as objects by the media, societal expectations, double standards, and rape culture. She explains that victim blaming teaches women and girls that their bodies are to blame for anything bad that happens to them, and this sends the message that they are only objects of desire and must cover up if they want to be safe. Another way women and girls are taught that they are only objects is through society’s double standards when it comes to unnecessary beauty rituals. Women are told that they must wear

ID #4 they don’t fit into little petty places, these hips are free hips. Lucille Clifton’s “homage to my hips,” is all about women’s empowerment. Throughout the poem, we see this reoccurring symbol of “hips.” Clifton is talking about women’s hips in general, not just hers. The “hips” in this poem symbolize how strong and powerful women are. How women can accomplish anything if they set their mind to it. These three lines talk about how not every woman has a perfect body and how each of them are different. These hips do not fit into society’s standards for women. These hips are different, not perfect, but they are beautiful in their own way, “they don’t fit into little petty places.” In the poem it says, “these hips are free hips” which explains how women are free to make their own decisions. They are free to have whatever kind of body type they want, without being shamed for being different. Clifton uses the imagery of the hips to show how women are huge role models for