The Female Body
Period 4
21 Oct 2013
The Female Body
In “The Female Body,” Margaret Atwood is discussing how both women and men perceive the female body, through their own eyes. She starts off by describing how her own body looks and feels, but does this in an indirect way by referring to her body as her topic. Also uses that type of wording to enforce the judgment that people give toward the female body. Atwood describes what type of accessories can come along with the female body. This shows that women are expected to look feminine and act as sex objects. In the third paragraph she refers to the female body as a toy which includes a variety of parts that are color coded. Some reproductive parts are optional; to make sure no one is offended. Atwood goes on to illustrate that female dolls have a negative influence on children. Dolls bodies are portrayed as an ideal image for every woman. These dolls with large plastic breasts and tiny waists are far from the real norm of female body shapes. Young children are of course ignorant to the meaning attached to their dolls body shape. Some children want to look like the toys they play with and some do not, it is an ongoing controversy.
The purpose of the essay is to make people realize how they view the female body and what it actually represents to them. She achieves the purpose by using examples from many different points of view. Atwood uses a family in the essay, which has a daughter and we hear the opinions of the mother and father in regards to their daughter learning about the female body. The husband states the uses of the female body, “It does not merely sell, it is sold.” This is a strong example showing the perception of women in the male 's eye. The example is also showing how the female figure helps to sell products, as well as is sold as a product alone. She creates a bias point enforcing that women have a natural profession at luring people in with their charm. Atwood says “Each Female Body contains a female brain.
21 Oct 2013
The Female Body
In “The Female Body,” Margaret Atwood is discussing how both women and men perceive the female body, through their own eyes. She starts off by describing how her own body looks and feels, but does this in an indirect way by referring to her body as her topic. Also uses that type of wording to enforce the judgment that people give toward the female body. Atwood describes what type of accessories can come along with the female body. This shows that women are expected to look feminine and act as sex objects. In the third paragraph she refers to the female body as a toy which includes a variety of parts that are color coded. Some reproductive parts are optional; to make sure no one is offended. Atwood goes on to illustrate that female dolls have a negative influence on children. Dolls bodies are portrayed as an ideal image for every woman. These dolls with large plastic breasts and tiny waists are far from the real norm of female body shapes. Young children are of course ignorant to the meaning attached to their dolls body shape. Some children want to look like the toys they play with and some do not, it is an ongoing controversy.
The purpose of the essay is to make people realize how they view the female body and what it actually represents to them. She achieves the purpose by using examples from many different points of view. Atwood uses a family in the essay, which has a daughter and we hear the opinions of the mother and father in regards to their daughter learning about the female body. The husband states the uses of the female body, “It does not merely sell, it is sold.” This is a strong example showing the perception of women in the male 's eye. The example is also showing how the female figure helps to sell products, as well as is sold as a product alone. She creates a bias point enforcing that women have a natural profession at luring people in with their charm. Atwood says “Each Female Body contains a female brain.
Cited: Atwood, Margaret. "The Female Body." New York: Gilbert H. Muller, 2003. 216-18. Print. Questions: Why do men feel the need to use women? What are some other different sources that influence girls to have that “perfectidealbody”?