Comparison Of The Fat Girl By Andre Dubus

To be frank, I also once had a view that only people who are skinny can be considered as beautiful. However, there is one incidence that changes my perception on the idea of what is the meaning of beauty and ‘perfect’ body. When I was in high school, I had a best friend named Alice—she was chubby and curvy. She was so obsessed with the America’s next top model shows. One day she expressed her desire to lose weight to me and I supported her. She also said that her boyfriend asked her to lose some weight to be more beautiful. She said that she really wants to look like the models and also to fulfill her boyfriend’s wish. After three months, she was hospitalized and I was so shocked with that news. She was hospitalized because there was something wrong with her intestines caused by her unhealthy diet. When I went to visit her, she looked very different—she looked sunken and sick. Begin on that day; I realized that it is really impossible to be like the models that we see everyday in the media and I also afraid on how good media is in order to distort society’s idea of beauty.

Isn’t it so easy to look at someone and consider them a certain way? If someone is underweight, people consider them anorexic, and if someone is overweight, people consider them obese. Making assumptions such as "she is too skinny, she probably starves herself", or "he is fat, he must be eating McDonald's all day" are some examples of ignorant comments. Instead of judging someone for being obese or underweight, people should consider the reasons the problem. Individuals who suffer from obesity might suffer from hormonal problems, thyroid, or have a slow metabolism. Same goes for individuals who are underweight, they might suffer from hyperthyroidism, excessive stress, or anorexia. Instead of judging individuals on their weight, people should consider them to be just like themselves. Therefore, people should not judge others based on body shapes, because they might not know about some of the serious illnesses that can result in the

In school I felt like everyone knew I was fat. There was no doubt in my mind they watched me with the same disgust I found I had for myself. I couldn’t tell anyone my concerns about my health. Of course these were not the same concerns one with crippling insecurity about weight and appearance but more of how could I last the day without getting too dizzy. How could I stop from falling asleep in class or sleeping as soon as I got home. Hiding became a way of life. The distorted view of myself was due to what would later be diagnosed as anorexia nervosa.

Many people are so obsessed with fitting into social, beauty, or physical standards, that they do not think to accept themselves, or others, just the way they are. Humans have a tendency to reject or isolate those who are not perceived as perfect in their eyes, while in reality, not one person is absolutely flawless. Those who have more prominent or noticeable flaws tend to be pushed away, and that behavior is not fair at all. In the story “The

She herself even says “although some models may not live the healthy lifestyle, all models have the healthy body and skinny body shape that every girl wants” (Sterbenz), which blatantly implies that it is fine to expose yourself to an unhealthy living style, like models do, just so you can attain that “ideal” body. It is estimated that “around 31.2% of models have or have had an eating disorder, and around 48.7% do “fasts”, cleanses or otherwise restrict their food intake over short periods to lose weight” (The Model Alliance). So, if these so called “ideals” when it comes to body image go to such extremes in order to attain, or maintain, their slim bodies, what kind of message does it send to women to say they should emulate them? In defense of her stance, Sterbenz asks, in a sort of sarcastic way, if skinny models are “really damaging our society,” to which the response is clearly yes, as represented by the fact that in just “three years’ exposure to Western imagery, the island of Becker’s percentage of teens who made themselves throw up to control their weight had risen from zero to more than 11 percent” (Barclay). This is an astonishing, and frankly disturbing feat, which truly shows the power these images have over people.

Carrie hugged her and Louise said “The candy are in the top drawer, help yourself whenever you want”(Dubus 163). Louise finally felt free and accepted. Later, Carrie encouraged Louise to lose weight. Louise agreed. During her weight-loss diet, Louise felt miserable and wished she could be herself again as she was happier then. Louise lost weight and is treated differently because of her weight loss. When Louise returned home after her weight loss, she is received much more positively. Her father no longer looked at her with pity and her mother and relatives reacted approvingly towards her.:...at the airport her mother cried and hugged her and said again and again: You're so beautiful...For days her relatives and acquaintances congratulated her, and the applause in their eyes lasted the entire summer...(DuBus166-169). Louise started to see a young man named Richard who worked in her father’s firm. Eventually they got married and Louise became pregnant and started to gain weight during her pregnancy; and continued to gain weight after she gives birth. Her mother and husband begin to disapprove of her. Louise's husband, Richard, begins to draw away from her emotionally and argued with her about her weight gain. He would say things like “You’re gaining weight, it’s not all water either is fat”(Dubas 170).Louis, begins to remember the satisfaction she got while eating in secret. She felt in her heart that her husband only loved her for her appearance but she didn’t care

Andre Dubus was a very creative writer. His parents, Andre Dubus and Katherine Dubus, took a very big role in his life. They took care of him and helped him get through college, and college is where his writing career had begun. He had two sisters growing up as well that supported him. He had a lot of great works in his life, and “The Fat Girl” was one of his most famous works he had ever written. He had a lot of awards throughout his writing career and had many influences on a lot of different people. Andre’s early life affected how he became a famous writer.

What happens one is constantly reminded about the way they look, from families, friends, and professionals by “good intentions”? It is going to take “a lot of stones”(Geissler 331). Wood-Barcalow, in her paper “‘But I Like My Body’: Positive body image characteristics and a holistic model for young-adult women” provides a more through analysis on fat acceptance. Not only should individuals love and accept their bodies, they also need acceptance from others (114); For example, support from friends and families, reassurance through religious beliefs, and healthy communications with their own body via diet and exercise, for they will confirm if one’s body is at its best

Beauty standards in the media are one of many reasons feeding and eating disorders are a rising problem. The unrealistic body types of being extremely thin, in pop culture, are influential factors for many teens, especially teen girls. According to the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5), anorexia nervosa is a “restriction of energy intake, intense fear of gaining weight, and a disturbance in the perception of one’s body size” (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Individuals diagnosed with anorexia tend to place a high value on their shape and weight, which can interfere with their daily lives. Individuals diagnosed tend to view of their body shape in a distorted representation. The motivation to become

In the article “Don’t Ban Photos of Skinny Models”, by Vanessa Friedman; who is the chief fashion critic for the New York Times. In Friedman’s article she is talking about how she doesn’t want to ban certain photos or ads of skinny models because she thinks it is wrong to say or think a skinny or thin women’s body is unhealthy by upright looking at her appearance. The purpose is that how she doesn’t want to ban certain photos or ads of skinny models because she thinks it’s unnecessary to just create a nonsense situation and also because people are just judging a skinny or slim body that may be healthy or unhealthy. In this case the audience, most likely women disagree with Friedman because they think they should ban photos or ads because they are unrealistic to them.

The pressure to lose weight in today’s society inhibits the personality and health of overweight people while essentially increasing the weight of the people who experience these pressures (Worley 163-167). So reasons Mary Ray Worley in her article, “Fat and Happy: In Defense of Fat Acceptance.” Worley uses her personal experience as well as a small number of facts to dispute why overweight people struggle as they attempt to contribute to society (163-167). In the beginning of her article she references an association of which she is a member, the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, to convey the possibilities to advance society when judgement based on size is abandoned (163-164). The association holds a conference every year, and Worley continually refers to the atmosphere at the convention as “another planet,” suggesting that the scarcity of judgment during the convention differed significantly from her everyday experiences (163-164, 167). Applying her encounters to all people of her weight category, she declares that even doctors blame the majority of sicknesses on weight (165). She also proclaims that people should not diet and exercise in order to lose weight, as this triggers loss of motivation without results, but to improve their attitude and mood (166). Referencing Dr. Diane Budd from the convention, she states that attempts to lose weight cause “lasting harmful effects on one’s appetite, metabolism, and self-esteem” (164). While Worley’s unjustifiable

There are many components involved when analyzing a short story such as, main characters, point of view, plot, theme, and setting. Sometimes the answer is in black and white and other times it takes critical thinking to come up with a response. Some short stories have an important real life lesson while others are simply easy to relate to. Symbolism also plays a role in short stories by giving an event, object, or words being said a deeper meaning than the surface that brings importance to the story. “The Fat Girl” by Andre Dubus, “The Red Convertible” by Louise Erdrich, and “An Ounce of Cure” by Alice Munro are stories that contain most of the components of analyzing short stories.

People now a days have a problem with the way they appear. For hundreds of years, people, especially females, have been concerned with their weight, the way they look, and the way people perceive them. In the article, Do You Have a Body Image Problem? author Dr. Katharine A. Phillips discusses the concerns with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). Dr. Phillips uses her knowledge or ethics to discuss the effects that BDD has on people today. She also uses emotion to show the reader how people are seriously affected by this disorder. In Dr. Phillips article, she discusses how people are emotionally and socially affected by the body dysmorphic disorder, and how society is also affected by it.

Issues of dieting, fat, and slenderness are hot topics in our culture. Bordo addresses them from a postmodern, but historical, feminist perspective. In this essay, she attempts to explain the appeal of slenderness in our society; and also, how the ideology of normal our society holds can be mentally and physically damaging for many people.

“To be happy and successful, you must be thin,” is a message women are given at a very young age (Society and Eating Disorders). In fact, eating disorders are still continuously growing because of the value society places on being thin. There are many influences in society that pressures females to strive for the “ideal” figure. According to Sheldon’s research on, “Pressure to be Perfect: Influences on College Students’ Body Esteem,” the ideal figure of an average female portrayed in the media is 5’11” and 120 pounds. In reality, the average American woman weighs 140 pounds at 5’4”. The societal pressures come from television shows, diet commercials, social media, peers, magazines and models. However, most females do not take into account of the beauty photo-shop and airbrushing. This ongoing issue is to always be a concern because of the increase in eating disorders.