ENGL 200 Lecture Notes - Agoraphobia, Susan Bordo
Document Summary
If you want to read the history of society, read the body. The body by itself is neutral, but it is the culture and society that gives the body its power. Hysteria - the female body reflects the social aspects of the time. 1. century, there were stereotypes about women, delicacy and dreaminess, sexual prudity, etc. Women of this time period didn"t like that they were pigeon holed into these ideal so they rebelled against it and in the rebellion, they exaggerated those traits they were supposed to have. 2. exercise power over herself and work while also maintaining a feminine physique. So essentially, she rebels by being thin as desired, but controlling what is eaten and refusing help from friends and family. 3. for women to work, after, it became domesticised in popularity again. Women who have just gotten married seemed to be the ones who suffered the most. Anorexia/bulimia - conflicting message as the culture encourages them to.
