Teenagers and Tattoos Essay Example for Free

Teenagers and Tattoos Essay In Andre’ Martin’s (2012) article, â€Å"On Teenagers and Tattoos†, he discusses the different reasons as to why adolescents would choose self expression by obtaining a tattoo or a piercing and how society views them, as well as how they view themselves. Martin deliberates many diverse reasons as to why teenagers choose to utilize their body as a canvas for art forms, or whether or not they are in a state of ignorance due to rebellion and self-acceptance. Martin conveys many innumerable reasons in this article concentrating on an individual’s right to express them as they see fit. Some teens tattoo or pierce themselves simply due to acceptance from acquaintances, others just to rebel against society. Some juveniles feel that in order to be socially accepted, one must prove to society that tattoos are merely a way of expression. Some teens struggle with different pressures amongst their peers. Martin channels in this article of a teenagers role in society and what part a tattoo plays and how one would deem themselves. He conveys the struggles of our youth at attempting to show individualism, not thinking of the consequences of their actions. Not only are peer pressure and social acceptance an important factor, but being able to choose and interpret ones character lies to be an esteemed part of a teenagers journey though life. The endeavors of these young adults, as conveyed by Martin, prove to be a healthy decision or an ignorant one. Many of these adolescents yearn for acceptance, but do not think of the consequences that follow, for what seems to be an ample conviction at the time. I knew from my own experiences that  obtaining a tattoo as a teenager weren’t for social acceptance; it was succumbed by peer pressure and the value of expression. Being a teen with strict parents, there really wasn’t room for individuality, so once I was old enough to make my own decisions, I, along with some of my acquaintances, seized the opportunity to create my character. Tattoos do become addictive because as aging takes over, one would find more and more ways to make a statement. Commemorations, beauty, and art take over a blank canvas. Starting this wondrous migration from a reserved teenager to a polished individual, the possibilities are endless. It wasn’t for social acceptance; it was all abo ut individualism and creativity. The different markings were simply distinctiveness and an extenuation of one self. Martin plainly speculates the reasons that teenagers chose to tattoo and pierce their bodies. Whether it’s for social acceptance, a form of art, individualism, or ignorance, each one has their own way of executing one’s identity. Although teenage angst can be redundant and tend to overrule, expressionism and individuality are more important than any trait when finding ones personality. If it takes marking parts of the body, for any reason, simply because your mind is intelligent enough for a decision of this magnitude, then it should be completely admissible in society; therefore, socially accepted. As for making a horrendous judgment at an early age, the youth of today have chosen to accept the terms at that particular moment in time. Frankly, just to show that they are in control of their own bodies and minds and are fully capable of making rash decisions, without fear of judgment. References Martin, A. (2012). On teenagers and tattoos. In M. Kennedy et. al. Baker College Composition: A Custom Approach (pp. 320-323). Boston, MA: Pearson Learning Solutions

Charles Manson Essay -- essays research papers fc

"Mr. Scott, Ms. Maddox? Here's your baby boy!" These were the first words that Kathleen Maddox heard when she gave birth to a healthy baby boy, to whom she would later give her maiden name. Charles Milles Manson, born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on November 11, 1934 (FAQ's 1), seemed to be a normal child, when, in fact, he was trouble from the start. The two had not planned to have a child, and certainly did not expect him to end up being the most notorious killer of the 20th century. In the summer of 1969, Manson made the residents of California afraid to leave their homes (Fillmer 2). Charlie Manson committed grotesque crimes, controlled his trials, and now resides in the California State Prison (FAQ's 1). Manson had a rocky childhood and family life. Some experts say that he was a bad seed because of the fact that he did not know his father (Bugliosi 28). Kathleen Maddox was considered by some to be a teenage whore. About his mother, Manson says, "For Mom, life was filled with a never-ending list of denials†¦In her search for acceptance she may have fallen in love too easily and too often, but a whore at that time? No!†¦In later years, because of some hard knocks and tough times, she may have sold her body some†¦" Charlie lived with his mother until the age of 5, when she was arrested for armed robbery (FAQ's 1). She was released from prison in 1942. Manson, after living with various relatives, such as a religious aunt and a sadistic uncle who called him a sissy and made him wear girl's clothes on the first day of school ("Charles"), moved back in with his mother for five more years. At that time, she placed him at the Gibault School for Boys in Indiana. After escaping from the School, he committed several burglaries and was placed into the famous Boys Town in Nebraska (FAQ's 1). After being arrested several more times, one of which he was caught in a stolen car at a roadblock (Fillmer 2), he was married to Rosalie Willis in 1955. Lamb 2 Charles' marriage was only the beginning of his "family." Charlie tended to lure in young women, by saying he could "make them feel like they were on top of the world, like they were floating (Fillmer 3)." Manson used sleep deprivation, sex, food control, and drugs to gain complete control of his followers ("Charles"). The Family tended to ... ...ne, when asked what he would do if he ever got out of jail, he said, "I'm already out" (FAQ's 2). WORKS CITED Bardsley, Marilyn. "Charles Manson." http://www.crimelibrary.com/manson.htm (24 Jan. 2000). Bugliosi, Vincent, and C. Gentry. Helter Skelter. 16th ed. New York: Bantam Books, 1974. "Charles Milles Manson." <http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Corridor/5321/manson.html> (13 Feb. 2000). "Charlie." <http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Dreamworld/1681/charles.htm> (13 Feb. 2000). Fillmer, Deborah K. "Forensic Science and the Charles Manson Murders." < http://www.cris.com/ ~dfillmer/manson.htm > (20 Jan. 2000). "Frequently Asked Questions about Charles Manson." < http://www.atwa.com/faq.htm > (20 Jan. 2000). Gilmore, John, and Ron Kenner. The Garbage People. Los Angeles: Omega Press, 1971. Klinghoffer, David. "True Crime." National Review 5 April 1999: 56-57. Nelson, Bill. Manson Behind the Scenes. California: Pen Power Publications, 1997. Sanders, Edwin. The Family. 1st ed. Toronto: Clarke, Irwin, and Company, 1971. Terry, Marcus. The Ultimate Evil. 2nd ed. New York: Bantam Books, 1989.

The Color Purple: Consolation in Female Bonding

Copyright: Martina Diehl June 2012 The Color Purple: Consolation in Female Bonding Celie’s road to trusting and loving herself Abstract This essay is about the love affair in The Color Purple, a novel by Alice Walker in which, thoughts on racism, incest, rape, love and family affairs are provoked. The reader learns about these subjects through the letters that Celie, an uneducated black woman, writes to God and through the letters that her sister Nettie and Celie write to each other.I would like to discuss how Walker raises the issue of love between females, which involves trust and understanding, two aspects that the men in the novel don’t possess. The reader witnesses how the women are being oppressed and abused in this men’s world, Celie and Shug find comfort and security in each other and then become less afraid to stand up for themselves. I will touch on the comparisons of the awareness hierarchy in Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison and The Color Purple.Furth ermore, Walker guides us through the rise of this sisterhood and female love affair, which helps them find the otherness in God, the colour purple. This novel tells us of sexual racism, incest, oppression and abuse which leads to what walker refers to as womanist, which is to feminism what the colour purple is to lavender (Abbandato 1113). The text implies that Celie and Shug find their love for each other through traumatic events where African-American females are lowest in rank, causing sexual racism, rape and abuse by the dominating male. The Beginning of Celie and Shug Nature said, you two folks, hook up, cause you a good example of how it sposed to go. †(105) Celie has been abused by men all her life and still she does what they tell her to out of fear until she meets Shug, who stands up for Celie and shows her many beautiful things life carries with her. ‘Pa’ has abused Celie and she has become pregnant, twice. Incest and abuse seems to be the life she knows and therefore she is afraid of all men including God because she fears getting beaten and doing something wrong. She is not afraid to write to God because she thinks that He, â€Å"as a white male istener, is ill-equipped to hear what she has to say† (Tucker 82), and because her stepfather has made her afraid to tell anybody else, as is shown in the first line of the novel: â€Å"You better not tell nobody but God. It’d kill your mammy. † (3) She has always feared men, and when she sees Shug Avery for the first time she is amazed to see that a female has power over Mr. ____. At first Shug treats Celie as a servant because Shug is supposed to be with Mr. ____ and not Celie. She finally accepts this is reality and finds out that the man she used to know as Albert is not the same anymore.Celie’s traumatic sexual events and incest may have caused Celie to dive into this female love affair with Shug. Shug hears Celie’s stories about the raping, and how Celie lets Albert take advantage of her because abuse is the life she has always lead, the life she is used to. Shug helps Celie see the beautiful things that God has given them. Walker uses the letters Celie writes as a political statement, reminding the reader that Celie can only write her feelings about herself and objective information in writing. She continues to do this in the novel even though she can tell her feelings to Shug.She still feels the need to write to God or Nettie (Christian 424). When talking to Shug, Celie finds â€Å"lesbian continuum† (Abbandato: 1108): the concept of love, friendship and sisterly solidarity, in a world where heterosexuality is compulsory and women are supposed to be no more than objects to men, they are â€Å"the second sex† (Chaber 213), women with no rights or power. A fight against society Walker shows the reader how black woman are trying to rise above the conditions of their society. Sofia and Shug are the two characters that fight against masculine domination.In Song of Solomon, Morrison focuses on the oppression of women and ridicules the men, showing the reader what men consider to be right while emphasizing the abuse of women. These two novels are set in the same time period and both take place in the South of the United States, both novels show the sexual and racial abuse of women as a second sex between 1910 and 1963. Women in white society were gaining power while black women still had none. During the twentieth century black women began to travel more and saw more of the world and therefore this change in dominance in society.They would no longer tolerate the power that men had over them. The oppression that Celie was part of. Celie does not write of her husband by name, he is part of the system joining God and her father in â€Å"an unholy trinity of power than displaces her identity. † (Abbandato 1111) Fear of standing up to the dominant sex Celie is afraid to stand up to her husban d. She does not want to get a beating and is traumatised by the events she went through before she left home to be with Mr. ____. Her mother passed away and she is left with a stepfather who raped her and whom she thought dumped her babies in the woods.Celie is continually silenced by her stepfather and Mr. ____ and has no choice in the marriage. She is only an object to the men and is required work around the house and care for them. She does not like to write down or talk about the names of the men who she knows, she prefers to call them Mr. ___ or ‘Pa’ and refers to them as ‘Him’, like God, these men have more power over her than she has over herself. (Tucker 84) She does not know the man who she calls ‘Pa’ is not her real father until much later when she hears the story from Nettie.Her children whom she thought were gone are with Nettie and Celie learns that white people hanged her father. Comparing Walker to Morrison Walker addresses the i ntersectionality of black women in a white society. As she guides the reader through the novel, the reader discovers the class differences in South America. Not only are white women less powerful than white men, beneath that are the African Americans, in which the African American female seems to be the lowest class. Toni Morrison presents the reader with a similar view where the ‘coloured’ people are in search of the self, trying to fight for a better future.Both novels show the oppression within society that bellows for the African Americans. Walker seems to concentrate on showing the reader all aspects of oppression by highlighting Celie’s sexual preference, and the sexism and racism which is present not only between a white and black society but also within the African American society. Walker lets the reader find the different levels of discrimination within classes of society. In The Color Purple as well as in Song of Solomon, these different levels of disc rimination arise. Macon Dead and the arrator in Song of Solomon show the reader these different levels of discrimination in the following excerpt: â€Å"â€Å"Why can’t you dress like a woman? † He was standing by the stove. What’s that sailor’s cap doing on your head? Don’t you have stockings? What are you trying to make me look like in this town? † He trembled with the thought of the white men in the bank – the men who helped him buy mortgage houses – discovering that this raggedy bootlegger was his sister. † (20) Macon Dead dreads what the white men might think of his family, as they are impressed with this ‘Negro’ who handles business so well.Besides that, Ruth dresses in a masculine manner, which could be argued is a way of proving that she is not lower in class than the men around her. Here in this excerpt, she might be compared to Shug Avery in some respect; she provokes the men around her to show her meaning in society. Throughout both texts a lot of similarities can be found in regard to womanism. The women in the texts tend to be either dependent on their husbands on independent women with principles and an ideal to grow, and be accepted as equals in society.Walker critiques the black community here by insinuating that women have the right to take responsibility for themselves (Christian 424). Celie’s trust and distrust Celie, as apposed to Shug, begins hardly any particular views of her own, and only does what she thinks is right: caring for her husband. She holds onto the morals she has learnt from her stepfather, although she realises that her life could be less abusive, she does not seem to feel that she has the power to change that. She thinks that her stepfather, who raped her, has killed her children and therefore she does not trust him.The incest that happens allows distrust towards her family, and so she turns to God is not allowed to tell anybody about the rap e and abuse. Celie struggles through life as an uneducated young woman who seems to have a great responsibility of looking after an entire household, she is at the bottom of the chain in her family. When Celie meets Shug Avery she seems fascinated by this black woman who is able to stand up to Mr. ____, she even calls him by his first name. Shug is surprised with the way in which Celie lets herself be treated, and the way Albert has changed.Shug finds herself interested in Celie’s life, and Celie finally finds somebody whom she will trust to tell her stories to. By putting her trust in Shug, does not Celie again depend on somebody, as she has done all along? She depends on her sister to write about what life is like, she depends on the ways she is treated and the consolation she finds in writing to God. She does not seem to be able to survive without a husband for who would care for her? Now Shug is willing to care for her, by letting Celie becoming dependent yet again.Nevert heless, due to the influence of Shug, Celie is able to trust herself again (Christian 424). A love affair: Celie and Shug The love between Celie and Shug is found through the traumatic events that especially Celie suffers from, and her previous inability to stand up for herself and to speak, as she would only write to God. African-American females in The Color Purple suffer from their dependence on a husband and being low in the hierarchical setting of the southern states. Celie finds trust and consolation in being able to speak to Shug, who does not abuse her, but merely touches her.This trust turns into a love affair, a lesbian continuum. They find a connection in being on this low hierarchical scale and both find love, which they had been missing. Celie learns to love herself, to trust her own thoughts gains trust in herself and in Shug, she learns to love herself because Shug loves her. Arguably, because she trusts herself she is able to speak up for herself and know when she do es not want something; Albert no longer abuses her because of Shug’s resentment towards Albert’s change.Celie earns a place in society by leaving her place as the uneducated woman who is part of ‘the second sex’ and becoming less dependent on the dominant male force within the African-American society. Walker shows that through trusting and loving the self, barriers can be broken and any type of love is possible. Primary Literature Walker, Alice. The Color Purple. Great Britain: The Women’s Press, 1983. Print. Morrison, Toni. Song of Solomon. USA: Plume Fiction. 1987. reprint. On racism in the African-American society.Secondary Literature Abbandonato, Linda. â€Å"A view from ‘Elsewhere’: Subversive Sexuality and the rewriting of the heroine’s story in The Color Purple†. PMLA vol. 106. (1991): P. 1106-1115 Christian, Barbara T. â€Å"We are the ones that we have been waiting for†: Political content in Alice’s Walker’s novels. Women’s studies International Forum vol. 9. (1986): P. 421-426 Idem Tucker, Lindsey. â€Å"Alice Walker’s The Color Purple†: Emergent Woman, Emergent Text. Black American literature forum. (1988): Vol. 22. P. 81-95

Slavery and Dehumanization in Toni Morrison’s Beloved Essay

The atrocities of slavery know no bounds. Its devices leave lives ruined families pulled apart and countless people dead. Yet many looked away or accepted it as a necessary part of society, even claiming it was beneficial to all. The only way this logic works is if the slaves are seen as less than human, people who cannot be trusted to take care of themselves. In Toni Morrison’s Beloved the consequences of a lifetime of slavery are examined. Paul D and seethe, two former slaves have experienced the worst slavery has to offer. Under their original master, Mr. Garner the slaves were treated like humans. They were encouraged to think for themselves and make their own decisions. However, upon the death of Mr. Garner all of that changes. Under†¦show more content†¦In his eyes the rooster is better than him, stronger. He reflects on how an animal that could not even hatch on its own could become something greater than himself. He has been degraded so low that he considers this rooster to be a â€Å"king†. Slavery has reduced him to something that is weaker than an animal. Paul D is no longer allowed go or do what he pleases. He has been completely striped of his free will. Paul D says, â€Å"Mister was allowed to be and stay what he was. But I wasn’t allowed to be and stay what I was.†(86) Paul D has truly lost the abilities that define him as human. Not only can he not do and say what he wants, but he can no longer be what he is. He uses the word was, implying that he has already become something else. The uses of â€Å"allowed† further illustrate the Whiteman’s role in this transformation. He is forced into submission and forbidden from being himself. The white men take an active role in breaking Paul D’s identity, much like they would tame a horse. They morph him into something most convenient for them, which is a labor machine devoid of complications like emotions or personality. He says, â€Å"Even if y ou cooked him you’d still be cooking a rooster named Mister. But wasn’t no way I’d ever be Paul d again, living or dead. Schoolteacher changed me. I was something else and that something was less than a chicken sitting in theShow MoreRelatedSlave Narratives: Beloved by Toni Morrison1644 Words   |  7 Pagesexperienced these hardships, and weren’t even born to witness it. Slave narratives are memoirs that were written while slavery was still legalized, for example Harriet Jacob’s â€Å"Incidents in the life of a Slave Girl†. However, Toni Morrison’s â€Å"Beloved† is considered a neo-slave narrative because it is a story that is written after the abolishment of slavery. These stories of slavery still haunt Americans, black and white. Slave narratives are significant because there are psychological scars that areRead MoreToni Morrison s Beloved : Dehumanization Of Slavery And Its Effects On African Americans And Their Basic Fo rms Of1268 Words   |  6 PagesToni Morrison’s Beloved shows the dehumanization of slavery and its effects on African-Americans and their basic forms of existence—specifically motherhood. Morrison depicts the strong maternal bond between Sethe and her children. Most importantly, her use of Sethe’s controversial act of infanticide shows the lengths that Sethe will take to protect her children from slavery. Morrison’s depiction of Sethe’s motherhood shows how slavery has deconstructed the Eurocentric expectations and traditionsRead MoreGender Roles In Slavery In Toni Morrisons Beloved756 Words   |  4 PagesDuring slavery, African American men and women were subject to cruel labor and punishment throughout the Americas. 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Slavery plays a very prominent role in Toni Morrison’s Beloved, the effects of slavery are examined through various characters. The idea of slavery is typically associated with this physical enslavement of a human being, but in Beloved, slavery transcends this typical association. Slavery has dehumanizedRead MoreAnalysis Of Ton i Morrison s Beloved1200 Words   |  5 Pageslight and dark inside of us. What matters is the part we choose to act on (Sirius Black) †. Toni Morrison’s novel Beloved dedicates her novel to the 60 million and more exposed to the darkness within the people set out to hurt them. The novel depicts how cruelty leads ex-slaves to make irrational decisions and shape the people they are at the end . The cruelty inflicted on one including but not limited to slavery causes a chain reaction of hatred, pain and suffering and the cycle continues to repeatRead MoreAlienation within Beloved Essay1209 Words   |  5 PagesAlienation within â€Å"Beloved† â€Å"Cultural trauma refers to a dramatic loss of identity and meaning, a tear in the social fabric, affecting a group of people that has achieved some degree of cohesion† (Day 2). This quote by Ron Eyerman in â€Å"Cultural Trauma† references a large theme within the novel â€Å"Beloved†; Alienation of the self with its own identity. As the cultural trauma of slavery took its toll on the populations of each and every state where it persisted, it culminated in the same outcome inRead MoreThe Father Of Modern Linguistics, Edward Sapir, Characterized1682 Words   |  7 Pagessuppress identity and later on, how language was used to reclaim identity in Toni Morrison’s 1987 novel, Beloved. I will then use such existential themes as an analytical basis for exploring the ethos of self-expression through language by contemporary Black Americans on social media – more specifically, Black Twitter; the cultural identity of the Twitter user base focused on i ssues and on-goings in the Black community. In Beloved, we see the weaponization of language both physically and verbally. PhysicallyRead MoreAnalysis Of Toni Morrison s Beloved1200 Words   |  5 Pageslight and dark inside of us. What matters is the part we choose to act on (Sirius Black) †. Toni Morrison’s novel Beloved dedicates her novel to the 60 million and more exposed to the darkness within the people set out to hurt them. The novel depicts how cruelty leads ex-slaves to make irrational decisions and shape the people they are at the end . The cruelty inflicted on one including but not limited to slavery causes a chain reaction of hatred, pain and suffering and the cycle continues to repeat