Alice Walker is an African American writer, she describes herself as a ‘scandalous writer’ who often writes on self acceptance, romance and bildungsroman. In her novel “Beauty: When The Other Dancer Is The Self” she teaches her readers that self acceptance occurs both internally and externally. I agree with Walker’s lesson because she sends a message to her readers, men, women, children, teens and everything in between, that the idea of self-acceptance is much greater than trying to conform with the rest of the world’s standards of beauty. Instead, we should be able to learn to accept who we are, both mentally/ emotionally and physically.
In the story, young Alice Walker does not realize this lesson of full self acceptance till the end when she is dreaming of dancing with herself and she realizes that as a woman and a human being, she has come through alright. This dream symbolizes her old self binding with her new self as they both come to a true epiphany that being “beautiful” does not actually define a person. It also explains that the definition of beauty is not essential in order to feel genuinely happy in one’s life. The message she conveys in the ending also helps her readers understand her message of self acceptance and selfhood. Selfhood is defined as “the state of having an individual identity.” Throughout the story, Alice feels like she is having trouble finding this individual identity and accepting it, however, she does not realize that throughout the whole entire story, she is an individual. She just can’t accept that she is different and that she is still beautiful. But by the end of the story she comes to peace with her outer features, flaws included, and finds peace with her internal ones, such as confidence, self-worth, self-esteem and happiness.
Self-acceptance is an issue most people struggle with at some point in their lives or constantly struggle with throughout their entire life. As you stated, Alice Walker is an African American writer who teaches valuable lessons to her readers her writings. Alice Walker illustrates how her self-confidence was shot down when she was young girl by telling a story of her brothers shooting a BB gun into her eye, permanently scarring her eye for the rest of her life. She shows her reader that she was unable to lift her head up after the BB was shot into her eye. Her self-esteem was crushed into pieces and she started doing poorly in school because of it. When she finally comes to peace with herself at the end, she is much happier with her life and she is able to do the things she loves without worrying about being beautiful. She shows her reader that beauty comes from inside and is not just about what is on the outside. I agree with everything that she is presenting in her work, self-acceptance is important for everyone to have. Feeling self-conscious all the time and obsessing over little flaws that most people don’t even pay attention to on other people. Learning to accept who you are is a great way to live a happier life.
ReplyDeleteAlice Walker describes a beautiful picture of self-acceptance in, "Beauty: When the Other Dancer Is the Self." In this reading Alice Walker an African American writer that teaches people that beauty is how they see themselves. She teaches this telling us a story of how when she was a little girl her brothers accidentally shot her n the eye with a BB gun. After the accident she no longer feels pretty like she did when she was a little girl. She keeps her head down so she doesn't have to have people look at the scar that was on her eye. She later learns from her three year old daughter that in some people's eyes she is just as beautiful whether she can see out of one or both eyes. Alice Walker learns a beautiful lesson that I feel everyone should learn that no matter what we think is ugly about ourselves that part of is what makes us beautiful. I fully agree with everything Alice Walker is trying to get across in this essay. We obsess over everything that we think is wrong about ourselves but some where down the road we accept and learn to love that part that makes us unique.
ReplyDeleteSelf-acceptance is a very hard task to complete, because we all have things that we would like to change about ourselves. Like for example, when Alice was shot in the eye, permanently damaging her eye. She struggles with accepting the fact. Hopefully in my later years, i could fully accept the way i am, and be comfortable with my being. Like Alice did at the end. Also self-acceptance is a problem we have all over the world. Kids and even Adults are hurting themselves, because they dont accept the way they are. They're conflicted by outside forces, so this what makes them unacceptable to themselves, because we see how other are , and some of us are envious of those people. Humans are too overwhelmed by how they look , and obsess with changing themselves. I mean we all need change, but the change cant change the fact that we are our own selves, our own mind, and our own body.
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ReplyDeleteAlice Walker, an African American writer writes about self-acceptance in “Beauty: When the Other Dancer is the Self”. In the reading she walks us through her journey to self- acceptance. She goes through different stages. Being highly confident, insecure, some- what confident, insecure again, and finally loving herself. Her story telling method really made her message relatable. You can truly be on top of the world one day and it can all be gone the next. She describes the feeling of being extremely confident as a child giving speeches for Easter. Alice Walker introduces her insecurity by saying “It was great fun being cute. But then, one day, it ended”. This turning point in the story makes it so much more personal. It displays how quickly your life can transition. I agree that Alice walker sends a message to EVERYONE in this reading. Throughout the story she battles with her old self and new self. She has high moments like; when she was in High school she felt confident and was very successful. She than spirals back to being insecure when she has her daughter. Her daughter redefines her insecurity into something beautiful. At this moment Alice finds self – acceptance within her self.
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