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I Give My Baby The Middle Finger Analysis

Decent Essays

Rebecca Schuman, is not only an author, but is also mother to a beautiful 7 month old baby girl. Like many mothers, she loves her child unconditionally. Rebecca is also quite the realist. She is quick to showcase the uglies of being a parent. She often times does this through her literary works. One article in particular titled “I Give My Baby the Middle Finger all the Time in Facebook Photos ”, really showcases these truths. When a person first reads this title they might assume the piece was written as satire or a joke. A quick scroll through the article and one can unequivocally tell that this is not true! The article is plastered with several images, of Schuman, gloriously flipping her 7 month old sleeping daughter “the bird”. Many mothers …show more content…

At that moment it is obvious and easy to see, exactly where this title was derived from. This image leaves one feeling quite confused and a little angered. Why would an adult be driven to throw such gestures towards a child? After reading the first few lines of the article, her intentions become much more clear. Schuman eloquently expresses the love she has towards her child, and begins to explain the reasoning behind the photo. Shuman argues that effective parenting can be done, even when unorthodox elements are present. She even feels that these unorthodox measures help her, as a parent, cope with the child rearing. Throughout the entire article, Schuman tries to get the reader to understand her point of view . Schuman’s article proves effective due to her use of imagery and impeccable …show more content…

She does a magnificent job of being able to express the emotion she feels towards her child, and also the struggles she repeatedly endures, while trying to get her child to sleep. Emotion felt and descriptive accounts of Schuman’s everyday life enable the reader to better empathize with her. She allows them a look into her life and gives reasoning as to why she feels her actions are acceptable.“The limits of my world—and my sanity, and my life force, and my will to continue existing—are the limits of my child’s wakefulness. Sometimes, it takes longer to put the little tyrant to sleep then she’ll deign to remain asleep. It is on those days that I celebrate her hard-won unconsciousness by taking a nice little selfie in which she’s conked out, and I’m flipping her the bird.”(Schuman) Reflecting on her childhood gives a better foundation on which one can base their judgment. Schuman tells about how growing up, in her home, profanity was not seen as this monstrous thing. “I grew up in a relatively pro-swear environment, where my dad once sighed mournfully and said, “Can you please wait until you’re 12 to start saying ‘shit’ and ‘fuck’ all the time?” “Damn” and “hell” were fine.”(Schuman) Schuman was raised in a pro swear environment and has grown to be a successful writer and what most would consider, a “normal” adult. This strengthens Schuman’s argument. She is showcasing the fact

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