Three-thousand and two, seven-hundred and forty-six, four-hundred and ninety-one, thirteen, three. Without units, these values serve no purpose. Without an explanation, a title serves no purpose. The value and the title are meaningless. Flipping through the chapter index of The Body Reader, I searched for an article title that immediately grasped my attention. Though few immediately truly told their story, the most simplistic one reached toward me begging for my attention: “Scars”. Personally, I am very familiar with the once painful white lines, as three of them mark my face. Once I turned to the waiting chapter, I believed my personal experience enabled me to read as a knowledgable individual regarding the topic. Wrong. Greeted by the devastating
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“I remember the first time I really noticed the scars on the bodies of my fellow prisoners.” (Body Reader 329), Masters recollects as he greets his newly found audience. In order to break down barriers and misconceptions between those inside and outside of prison walls, Masters creates an account in which initial judgment is obliterated. Generally, society deems criminals as a kind of inhumane, soulless form of our species; thereby disregarding their existence as people due to their obvious “corruption”. Therefore, the audience he connects with are those with negative connotations toward prisoners. Although this audience may not willingly read the piece if they knew the primary topic, the non-descriptive title as well as captivating tale trap you into reading further. Through his piece, the audience captured primarily holds an uneducated or cynical opinion toward inmates on death …show more content…
We as readers cannot tell Jarvis Masters that what he says is false because we are not the ones living his life. Despite the fact we may choose to not fully invest in the idea that violent childhoods often lead to a devastating future, we cannot claim falsehood in the story presented. Furthermore, this concept only enhances once information not only on his past reveals, but when the addition of three other inmates’ stories incorporate into the article. When Masters gathers his friends together after developing an awareness about their scars, he mentions, “John explained that his father had loved him enough to teach him how to fight when he was only five years old.” (330). Loved? Previously, he discussed acquiring the gashes from getting beaten, therefore the use of the word creates a noticeable contrast before the story continues with, “He learned from the beatings he got. In a sense…he grew up with a loving fear of his father.” (330). Despite the attempt to conceal his scar with a dragon tattoo, which often resembles strength such as that required to overcome hardship, he remained in the mindset that his treatment did not correspond with child abuse. Confirmed not only by this viewpoint but also by the agreement of his friends David and Pete, unrecognized abuse perpetuates through generations, fostering unrecognized violence and eventual circumstances in which both youth and adults seek
“I remember the first time I really noticed the scars on the bodies of my fellow prisoners.” (Body Reader 329), Masters recollects as he greets his newly found audience. In order to break down barriers and misconceptions between those inside and outside of prison walls, Masters creates an account in which initial judgment is obliterated. Generally, society deems criminals as a kind of inhumane, soulless form of our species; thereby disregarding their existence as people due to their obvious “corruption”. Therefore, the audience he connects with are those with negative connotations toward prisoners. Although this audience may not willingly read the piece if they knew the primary topic, the non-descriptive title as well as captivating tale trap you into reading further. Through his piece, the audience captured primarily holds an uneducated or cynical opinion toward inmates on death …show more content…
We as readers cannot tell Jarvis Masters that what he says is false because we are not the ones living his life. Despite the fact we may choose to not fully invest in the idea that violent childhoods often lead to a devastating future, we cannot claim falsehood in the story presented. Furthermore, this concept only enhances once information not only on his past reveals, but when the addition of three other inmates’ stories incorporate into the article. When Masters gathers his friends together after developing an awareness about their scars, he mentions, “John explained that his father had loved him enough to teach him how to fight when he was only five years old.” (330). Loved? Previously, he discussed acquiring the gashes from getting beaten, therefore the use of the word creates a noticeable contrast before the story continues with, “He learned from the beatings he got. In a sense…he grew up with a loving fear of his father.” (330). Despite the attempt to conceal his scar with a dragon tattoo, which often resembles strength such as that required to overcome hardship, he remained in the mindset that his treatment did not correspond with child abuse. Confirmed not only by this viewpoint but also by the agreement of his friends David and Pete, unrecognized abuse perpetuates through generations, fostering unrecognized violence and eventual circumstances in which both youth and adults seek