You’re Ugly Too In the Lorrie Moore short story “You’re Ugly Too” the main character, Zoe Hendricks struggles with a cynical attitude about life. Zoe Hendricks, lives in the mid-west, teaches at a small liberal arts college and is misunderstood by both her students and fellow faculty. Zoe’s eccentric behavior such as singing aloud to her students or skipping down the hallway leads to loneliness and depression. The only happiness in Zoe life is the occasional visits to her sister in New York. Zoe employs sarcasm, humor, and irony as a defense in handling the emotional havoc in her life. This emotional defense has contributed to Zoe’s attitude toward love and death. Sarcasm becomes a necessary function in Zoe’s everyday life to …show more content…
In which Zoe responds “I’m not married?’ “Oh, my God… I forgot to get married (655).” Zoe uses sarcasm to conceal her feeling of fear that her sister may marry first and that she may never find love. Zoe never confides in Evan about the ultrasound but only hints about dying. Arriving at the ultrasound Zoe jokes with the technician and says “Does that sound like a really great stereo system or what (659)?” The joke eases Zoe’s fears as the technician prepares her for the ultrasound by putting cold gel on her bare stomach. As the Technician continues his work, Zoe realizes that no one has touched or fretted over her stomach since her boyfriend in graduate school. He would press down on her stomach and wave his arms around whenever she was ill and say “Heal! Heal for thy Baby Jesus’ sake (659)!” They were so in love and were secretly hoping they would have a child together. He would put his cheek against her stomach hoping that Zoe was pregnant, but after two years of quarreling, no pregnancy they drifted away. As Zoe enters the tube she chatters away at the technician about “…that rise in infertility among so many couples in the country is due to completely different species trying to produce?” Zoe uses the sarcastic jokes as a shield to protect her from feeling the hurt of a lost love and the loss of a child she was not able to conceive. Driving home after the ultrasound Zoe, looks in the rear mirror and observes a sickly looking person and thinks of her favorite patient, doctor joke “Well I’m sorry to say, you’ve got six weeks to live.” “You want a second opinion? O.K.,” says the doctor “You’re ugly too (660).” In the mirror Zoe observes her reflection and sees the pain and loneliness that has left her feeling ugly and unloved due to her illness, Evan’s pending marriage, and past loves. These events have affected Zoe’s attitudes toward both love and death while using sarcasm as her
Maria Boyd’s novel “Will” clearly demonstrates and showcases multiple existing values, beliefs and ideologies. One such theme which we constantly see is that of depression. Throughout the novel, this theme is challenged and developed on. One such example Will, the protagonist, and his one sided conversations with his deceased father. This constant reminiscence of his father are only present in the latter half of the book when the theme of depression is much more prevalent.
Rhetorical Analisis of “Why Funny Animal Videos Are Good for You” In “Why Funny Animal Videos Are Good for You” author Elizabeth Heath argues that funny animal videos help our society with problems such as negativity and mental health issues. Heath examines how funny videos exhibit positive emotions, and allows a better flow in societies day to day life. As the article continues Heath shows how negative feelings such as anger, fear, and disappointment may also benefit us in our daily lives. Heath's primary purpose for this article is to inform the audience of the positives about funny videos and show that finding ways to bring out positive emotions may be the thing we need in order to help our society improve overall.
One must choose wisely and continually combat the world’s messages because self-image can set the stage for one’s entire life. Grealy’s struggles with self-esteem reveal the fluidity of one’s self-image. A confident young girl can evolve into an insecure teenager or adult because of a new circumstance or the damaging words of others. Grealy does not disclose extensive details about her life or sense of self-image before cancer, but a few brief scenes paint a picture of Grealy that only accentuates the deterioration of her self-esteem.
The disease redrew her personal sketch, becoming something though physically lacking, yet resilient beyond comparison. By combining rhetorical strategies with rhetorical appeals, Mairs presents herself in a way that invokes an emotional response from the reader. After losing the ability to operate her legs properly, Mairs begins to declare herself a “cripple”. She proclaims this knowing people cringe whenever someone is called a cripple.
They didn’t know what to do when they found out that she was pregnant; they were young, they didn’t have any money, they were scared, they didn’t want to tell anybody, they didn’t know what to do, and the only option that they could see was to terminate the pregnancy. So that’s what they decided to do… they went to a clinic, they had the procedure done, and at first they felt relieved that all their problems had gone away. But then something happened that they did not expect… and that’s over the next few weeks, which turned into a few months, they began to feel an intense sadness… and a pain and an agony and a guilt that wouldn’t go away. They didn’t know what to do, so they finally went to see a counselor; they said look — tell us what to do, we just don’t know, and the counselor made a suggestion. The counselor said here’s what you need to do — stop acting like you had a procedure, and act like you had a death in the family.”
Thank goodness, she turned out alright. But I’ll never risk it again. Never! The strain is simply too - too hellish,” (36). Larsen uses words provoking anxiety and horror to give the reader insight into Clare’s mind when she thinks about pregnancy and motherhood.
At first Sal didn’t like the idea of her mom having another child. She wondered what was wrong with just having her. Later, she starts to like the idea of having a little sibling and she’s excited. When her mom has the baby, the doctors carry the baby out of the room and Sal sees her dead baby sister.
Through the short story, she shows the message that If a person doesn’t see their true value they may constantly try to change themselves. It is shown through the literary elements of Imagery, Simile, and Verbal Irony. “Our skin was diagnosed by the department of beauty as ‘shallow’ we definitely needed some strong foundation to tone down that olive”[pg.39] Alaverse’s use of imagery is spread throughout the story, she uses this tone most when she is describing how much distaste she had for herself, or how she needed to change herself to be like the models seen on the television, magazines or her classmates. Throughout the story, she has an internal urge to be something she’s not. “We complained about how short we were, about how our hair frizzed and how our figures didn’t curve like those on T.V” [pg.39]
Brooke Jakins Mrs. Huval English II-H 6th 18 September 2015 The Wittiest Woman in America Poetry is an escape from emotion. It doesn’t show someone’s character, but how they escape it. Only people who have emotions and character would know what it feels like to want to escape them.
This is an example of changing the situation. B. Based on Critchley’s article humor functions as anti-depressant by allowing the cognitive relation to, oneself and the world. “Humor has the same formal structure as depression but it’s an anti-depressant”. It’s a way to suppress depression by being able to find positive functions for the superego.
To try to forget and move on from being raped, she needed to avoid looking at herself and seeing the person she has become. Ever since Melinda was raped, she has been frustrated with herself and has not been able to face her reflection. This shows that she could not face her feelings. Melinda’s coping strategy was to avoid others and avoid herself. The mirror is a symbol for her emotional struggles and that she cannot deal with them.
The song “Pretty Hurts” was written by Beyonce Knowles. Known for her empowering anthems, she effectively connects with an audience of women with her gut wrenching ballads and unifying messages. She began her career in the girl group, Destiny’s Child, and embarked on a solo career in 2003. Since then, she has proved to be one of most famous and influential female singers of all time. In the song “Pretty Hurts” by Beyonce Knowles the speaker, a young woman who is dealing with body image issues, illustrates the idea that societal beauty standards are unattainable and harmful for young women.
Depending upon what society says is pretty is what everyone believes is beautiful, therefore, Ms. Tyler believes that she was not beautiful enough. (“The Eye of the
Humor and irony play very important roles in Everyday Use. The humor found
You know how I get when I worry” (213). The unborn child is a burden on him but he does not admit it. He shows it by telling the girl he loves her and afterwards, they could be like they were before and how he does not want anybody but