The Importance Of Tattoos

Whether it be a dragon, tribal marking, Asian character, or a simple phrase, thousands of people get tattoos daily. Tattoos play a significant role in self-expression and identity in the modern age as well as since ancient times. Tattoos can be just for fun, symbolic of heritage and ancestry, representative of accomplishments or life events, or can be just for style. For some people, it’s an expression of identity and personal beliefs. This is exactly the case for Leslie Jamison. She tells the story of her tattoo in “Mark My Words. Maybe.” On Jamison’s forearm, the Latin phrase “homo sum: humani nil a me alienum puto”. In English, this is translated to “I am human: nothing human is alien to me” (Jamison 458). Throughout her story, she

The symbolic meaning of the Incurable Wound is used to show the psychological impact of Georgiana’s insecurity about the birthmark because of Aylmer’s lack of acceptance of her natural beauty. “Research has primarily focused on the consequences of exposure to beauty advertising

“On Teenagers and Tattoos” is an informational article, written by Andres Martin, which discusses the reasons and psychology behind the rising popularity of tattoos amongst adolescents. Martin (2000) starts by identifying the simple reason of causation concerning the spike, stating that “tattoos and piercing can offer a concrete and readily available solution for many of the identity crises and conflicts normative to adolescent development” (p.143). Martin then details the strenuous nature of adolescence, and shows that tattoos have more of a symbolic meaning than just a skull, and provides 2 examples of such cases. Afterward, Martin explains in further detail,

Tattoos on the Heart encompasses many themes, but Fr. Boyle predominantly focuses on life and death. In one distinct instance, Fr. Boyle depicts the story of an unnamed sixteen-year-old homegirl who tells him, with such joy, that she is pregnant. Fr. Boyle is unable to hide his disappointment, which leads the homegirl to say “I just want to have a kid before I die.” (90) This narrative was unfamiliar to my own life experiences, which consequently made the story difficult to relate to. Growing up in a middle class neighborhood I was never fully exposed to death that occurs in young adults due to gang violence, as a result I never knew what it was like to genuinely fear for my life or believe that I was going to die before I turned eighteen.

Tattoos on the Heart is a novel by Gregory Boyle, a Jesuit priest and the founder of Homeboy Industries, a gang-intervention program. He invites the reader to gain insight into the need for solidarity in our world. With this quest for solidarity, Gregory Boyle invites the reader to develop compassion, to alter the margins, and to gain understanding of unconditional “no matter whatness,” love.

Traditionally, tattoos were meant for sailors, soldiers, bikers and gangs. Along with several changes in the industrialized and technological society of the twenty-first century, the standard for getting body modifications have altered as well. Everyday, people are willing to get permanently marked as an individual choice rather than the customarily perception of belonging to a certain group. Tattoo and piercing shops are not seen as “the backstreet” of the commercial civilization today, it is somewhat an expected sight in all public places. Josie Appleton in “The Body

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

uncertainty wherein the tattoo serves as both silent witness and lucky charm. Yet sailors and navel men have long applied symbols to their bodies, in an almost magical way, to guide their vessels and protect themselves, to

Life is not something simple as we often prefer. There are many different approaches and in most instances we will not find the desired fulfillment in any of them. In the short story “Parkers Back” written by Flannery O’Connor we have a multi-faceted view into the life of the primary character O.E. Parker. In addition we see into the life of Sarah Ruth, Parker’s wife and possibly into the life of author Flannery O’Connor, who died shortly after completing this short story. The characters in this story deal with Tattoos from totally different perspectives and get completely different results. Tattoos are the focal point of the story and prominent on many occasions. Without purpose in life people often make bad decisions which impact the

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,

In "Good Scars" Rhenna Murray makes sure you feel the pain she is going through about her dead sister Janis. Murray makes it clear that getting a tattoo on behalf the memory of her sister is not an easy decision for the pain she will be going through. Although she also explains that maybe the pain of the tattoo will fade away the pain in her heart. After she gets her tattoo done Murray explains that now she feels her sister is always with her by just looking at her tattoo even though she still has hopes to cross paths with her when she is out in the street. A tattoo is a permanent scar but at the end it is a good scar.

“Of course, everyone knows the saying "judging a book by its cover" is a reality so there will always be someone who disapproves. The one thing I try to do is be upfront about who I am, which includes my tattoo”. Even though not all tattoos have to have some deep meaning to them, people just want them so they can be different. Even though it’s a paradox since some people get them just to be like someone else, who is well respected in society.

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 tattoo is a very old form of body modification, but in spite of that there is still a certain rejection towards those who carry them in a visible area of the body, for some it disfigures what has been created in the image and likeness of God while for others associates this with convicts or gang members mainly because they were one of the first groups to use tattoos to differentiate themselves from the rest of society. But also it is true that there is a very limited understanding about this corporal modification that could be one of the reasons why it can not be appreciated as for how it should be. However, modern society reflects the current popularity of tattooing because it has acquired an entirely artistic meaning to a social expression and a way of identity.

A persons’ image is vital when meeting someone for the first time. Our peers, employers, family, superiors, even strangers that you walk past can automatically judge someone, and imagine how they present themselves to the world. Tattoos have been predominantly linked with a rebellious attitude and pictured on out of control stereotypes such as rock starts, bikers, sailors, and disobedient teenagers who want nothing more than to hack off their parents. With a new coming of age generation and a step into a more lenient and liberal society these types of patrons still participate in body art but so do doctors, lawyers, or just the run of the mill house mom. Tattoos signify religious beliefs, cultural influence, or each individual’s sole