Analysis Of Size Six By Fatema Mernissi

In “Size 6”, writer Fatema Mernissi compares and contrasts the differences between Eastern and Western women across the globe. Her juxtaposition of the two highlights a larger conflict, one that is a massive problem in the Western world. When you think of the average Western woman, many picture a beautiful, skinny, burlesque-type figure in a tight dress. To be blunt, there are two general weight types viewed by the public: slim and obese. This generalization become a reality in part due to the media and its portrayal of Western life. Unfortunately, this society favors women of the skinnier body, sometimes disregarding any other body type. This type of discrimination creates a divide between slim and obese individuals.
Walking around outlet stores at an average Western mall, the average shopper will see …show more content…
CEO Mike Jeffries of “Abercrombie & Fitch” made a comment saying he did not want fat kids wearing his companies clothes, citing that they would ruin his brand. Not only does this enforce the notion that obese people should be restricted from brands that do not sell plus size clothes, it shows the extremely high bar that is set for all Western women. Furthermore, it exhibits the sizeism and discrimination that these major clothing corporations exhibit.
The obese Western woman has less choices than the slim one. While the slim woman can walk into virtually any store and find an outfit suited for their size, the obese woman frequently has to find a certain store suited to plus-size women. This enforces the notion that overweight women do not have the right to shop at the esteemed stores purely due to their weight. They are not in the demographic of what these corporate companies consider smart business. This blatant ostracization towards overweight women highlights a large gap between these types of