Beauty When the other Dancer is the Self Response

READING RESPONSE

Reading Response

“How to Tame a Wild Tongue” by Gloria Anzaldua’s is a story that depicts how differences in ‘tongues’ can create violence. While the title paths the way for the story, the author indicates that the tongue cannot be tamed. Rather, the tongue can only be cut if silence is to be achieved. The author provides various reasons as to why the tongue cannot be tamed. For instance, one interesting reason that the author gives is the fact that people who do not acculturate suffer economically. For this reason, there should be a language for every occasion if people were to have an identity of who they are or survive economically.

Alice Walker’s “Beauty: When the other Dancer is the Self” is a story of how beauty changes ones identity. In the said story, Walker describes how beauty, which was her self-identity, suddenly changes. Her right eye is blown by her brothers, which changes how she sees herself. Walker’s identity changes later on and she becomes happy after the ‘glob’ in her eye is removed. One interesting thing about the story is how the author dreams of herself dancing. As she is dancing, she sees herself as a free, whole and beautiful dancer. This makes her feel happier than she had ever felt before.

In Rutu Modan’s “Queen of the Scottish Fairies”, the author explains the story of a toddler (Max) who wants to wear skirts and refuses to remove them even when his father commands him to do so. Max identifies himself with the female gender by proffering dress colors that are meant for girls. His mother supports his feminist nature by saying that he can identify with the said clothing. For instance, Modan explains an instance whereby Max asks his mother whether he can wear a blonde skirt for a party and she agrees - indicating that dresses are just like costumes. With the said costume, Max refers himself as the “Queen of the Scottish Fairies”.