Survivor's Ink Summary

The gang she was in made her get beaten in, and regularly made her perform criminal acts. What Cup believed, as the quote says, was that she finally had people in her life that cared about her. They were giving her that sense of family that she had had taken from her at a young age. Along with the violence, by the time she got out of the gang she has stolen, car jacked, and performed shooting drive bys. All of this was done simply because the leaders of the gang told her that it was what she had to do. During the time that she was in the gang, she spent all of her time with fellow gang members either performing illegal crimes, or drinking and doing drugs. The final straw the got her out of the gang was being shot and nearly paralyzed. While she was in it, she was a strong member that would do whatever she was told to do in order to help “the family”.

Throughout the piece people approach Jamison inquiring about the tattoo and each time giving a response that she doesn’t want. Whenever she explains the translation of the tattoo, the inquirer immediately questions the motives behind it and gets offended by her claim to understand humanity and understand everything that is wrong in the world (Jamison 459). Except, they don’t know what Jamison has been through and don’t understand the personal meaning it holds. Although it wasn’t her initial intention, Jamison learns to accept the attention she receives from it. She explains that the purpose of her tattoo is to attract attention, be aspirational, and cause admiration. But, she also claims that it also serves the purpose of the opposite of all of those things (Jamison 460). Jamison tells this story to demonstrate the significance and symbolism of a tattoo and how a simple phrase can mean so much more about a person’s identity and how it represents people.

Tattoos can often hold a very significant meaning to different people depending on what they are. Molly’s Indian culture associates the turtle with power and determination, so one day, she got a turtle tattoo on her hip. Throughout the novel, she enjoys to learn about her background and is very interested in different aspects of it. Her culture is a very large part of who she is because it is one thing that she can still hold onto and carry with her since she is a foster child. She explains the meaning behind her tattoo to Jack and says that “turtles mean something very specific in [her] culture… Turtles carry their homes on their backs… They’re exposed and hidden at the same time. They’re a symbol of strength and perseverance” (Baker Kline 88). It is

She got a tattoo that said “Bella Vita”, which means “beautiful life” in Italian. Someone had also

It is this sort of strictly prescribed, highly ritualistic decoration that Beckwith and Fisher depict in African ceremonies. “ We have tried to show how body art is relevant to every stage of development, from birth to death”, says Fisher. But while the traditional, often spiritually based versions of bod mod are quickly disappearing among indigenous peoples, the impulses behind personal adornment remain unchanged: attracting a mate, signaling status, declaring allegiance to a group( Lemonick 75). For men, the tattoo is a public identity symbol, and their first is usually on their arm. Women reserve their tattoo for a more intimate audience, and they usually choose their breast. For most, the tattoo is symbolic of their individuality and having withstood a painful and exciting event. Tattooees enjoy being noticed, although they reveal their tattoos selectively ( Davis 471). Anthropologists describe body art or modification as a way of identifying oneself as being a part of a group, a tribe, or a gang: of denoting one’s financial status or marital status: or even as a way of beautifying the body (Grief, Hewitt 368).

I think the painter viewed her as a heroin because in the painting she looks strong. There is also a sword and armor to make her look tough.

Along with that victims need to be shown that there is a way out of this terrible life the have become accustom to. Emily Fitchpatrick has decided to devote her life to just that. Her nonprofit “On Eagles Wings Ministries,” is designed to help trafficking victims find worth and through that escape from their horrible circumstances (Orlando). Women involved with human trafficking feel worthless and because of this they will stay where they have relative stability. In the darkest parts of the American women are forced to use their bodies to pay for mundane needs like the rent. With human trafficking still being a hidden and rather unknown crime, Capt, Joel Shores, a police officer in Cleveland county, North Carolina stated that “It’s easier

From a very young age, Taylor (Missy at the time) was met with support and care from her mother and certain people in her community. In Kentucky, education was subpar, with few

wealthy white families until she got a job waitressing at The Old Chauffeur's Club when

Businesswoman, Susan McGalla was born and raised in Ohio. Daughter of a local high school football coach, she was one of three children and the only girl. She graduated from Mount Union College with a bachelor's degree in marketing and business.

There are multiple reasons for individuals to tattoo their bodies and the reasons are usually individualistic and subjective. The experience of being tattooed is intricately bound up with one’s character,

She was raised by her father who was described as a very respected man. In the 1920s, she took a job teaching in Mississippi. In the 1930s, while working as an emergency relief worker, Hedgeman witnessed the effects of the Great Depression on African-American families, who lived in conditions that reminded her of the squalid environments endured in South.

In other words, Dolgoff chose to get her tattoos to remember something important to her. Jane’s reason was rather shallow, immature, and a typical teen trend, while Dolgoff had a deep experience that she wanted to remember and her tattoo represents that part of her life. My experience with my tattoos makes it easy for me to relate to both Janes and Dolgoff and their tattoos. Much like Janes, when I was a teen I chose to get a tattoo on a whim, my boyfriend’s initials. I thought that I had considered the decision to get this tattoo over thoroughly. I even got a small tattoo in an easily hidden place on my body, and still no bells and whistles went off telling me to maybe reconsider. I went through with it and, when the relationship ended, the tattoo stayed as a constant reminder. It worked out in the end. Getting a smaller tat was a good idea because it was easily covered by another tattoo which held a lot more meaning for me.

The tattooing of criminals sustained through the Middle Ages and spread across Europe, making the social practice of marking bodies go hand-in-hand with delinquency, deviance and social outcasts. The practice of marking bodies was later used during the colonization projects in Africa and Asia, and like the branding of criminals, it was used as a means to exert ownership and power over the locals (Fisher, 2002). With such a dark history, how then did the act of tattooing become intended and commoditized?

Tattoos used to be a trend among the ancient Egyptians as a type of “ritual” marking. Many women were tattooed among their body with lines and dots. Sharp bone and clay is believed to be the tools used to engrave the woman with these tattoos. During this time period many slaves were also tattooed as a symbol of who they were. "Tattoos of the Egyptian World."