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The Power of Language in Society “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me

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The Power of Language in Society “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” This is a common saying and a common lie because words are extremely powerful. They can leave a lasting sting, and more often than not they have more power than people realize because they have the ability to influence people. Words can shape the actions of individuals, and language as a whole can shape how different stories are portrayed. Roxane Gay, a famous writer known for her discussion of feminism and racism, is largely concerned by this issue. In her book, Bad Feminist, Gay analyzes how word choice in society and the way that newspapers portray stories can largely influence the way that society views women and sexual violence. Roxane Gay is an African-American best-selling author who also teaches English at Purdue University in Indiana (Leonard, 2017). She is most famous for her groundbreaking novel Bad Feminist, in which she writes about many of the issues that women face in society, including the way that society treats the discussion of sexual violence (Gay, 2014). In one of her other books, Hunger, she reveals that she herself was actually gang-raped at twelve years old by a boy that she adored and his friends (Leonard, 2017). This experience shaped Gay both physically and emotionally, as she describes it as the reason behind her eating disorder. It could also be the reason that she decided to write about sexual violence in her novel Bad Feminist. In this book, she expresses that she feels as it if it is her responsibility as a woman writer of color to address political issues that influence society which affect both people of color and women (Gay, 2014, p. 116). A chapter from Bad Feminist entitled “The Careless Language of Sexual Violence” analyzes the power of language and its influence on society when discussing sexual violence. It begins by analzying a newspaper article about an eleven-year-old girl who was gang-raped by eighteen men in Cleveland, Texas (Gay, 2014, p. 116). The newspaper article bemoans how the lives of the boys will be affected forever because of this experience, questions where the girl’s mother was, and even goes to say how the eleven-year-old girl was inappropriately dressed as a twenty-year-old (Gay, 2014, p. 113). The decision of the writer of the newspaper article to discuss the perpetrators’ lives instead of the victim’s shows just how casual the discussion of rape has become. Gay also points out that the article only mentions the word rape twice and fails to portray just how horrific an incident of gang rape would be to an eleven-year-old girl (Gay, 2014, p. 119). Concerning this she states, “We have also, perhaps, become immune to the horror of rape because we see it so often and discuss it so often, many times without acknowledging or considering the gravity of rape and its effects” (Gay, 2014, p. 114). Society as a whole has become careless in its discussion of rape, not recognizing how language can influence how we view sexual violence. For example, when TV shows such as General Hospital, Law & Order: SVU, and Private Practice incorporate sexual violence into their storylines in order to boost their ratings, it causes viewers to become almost numb to the real stories of sexual assault (Gay, 2014, pp. 115-116). By carelessly portraying these tragic and horrific stories, it has influenced society to fail to treat stories of sexual violence with the importants that it deserves, while also failing to recognize the impact it can have on the victims. By honestly discussing important issues related to women like sexual violence, Gay has become one of the most successful women writers of our time. This is one of the main reasons she inspires me. In one of her speeches, she expresses how writing has always been a part of her life, stating that she began writing stories when she was four-years-old (Gay, 2017). Like her, I have been writing since I was a small child, and have chosen Gay for this project because she uses her words to influence others for good. I wish to also use the words I write to influence society in a positive way, much as she has done through her works that discuss feminism. While I also identify as a feminist, it is sometimes hard for me to speak out about certain topics because of the backlash that some feminists experience, from men, women, and even other feminists, when discussing controversial issues. However, Gay shows courage in her writing because she discusses topics that are important to her without following political agendas and themes. She even calls herself a “bad feminist” because she doesn’t agree with everything to do with feminism. This is especially impactful to me, as with politics and feminism I find myself agreeing and disagreeing with some topics, but Gay shows that differing viewpoints doesn’t make me or anyone else less of a feminist. With all of these differing viewpoints surrounding politics and social movements, it’s important to remember just how powerful language is. Word choice or the way a story is told can change how a community is seen by the rest of society, or even how society treats that issue as a whole. How we tell stories matters, especially who we focus on in those stories. We must give voice to the victims and be careful in our choice of words, not forgetting the impact that they have on people, especially when discussing sensitive matters like sexual violence that have lasting effects on the victim and the rest of society. We must not ignore the heavy weight that these scenarios and situations hold for individuals as well as communities. When words and stories of sexual violence are thrown around in TV shows and news articles as if they are commonplace, society as a whole becomes numb to the real stories that need our attention. Remember, sticks and stones may break our bones, but words can hurt more people than you, and the pain can last forever. References Gay, R. (2014). The careless language of sexual violence. Bad feminist. HarperCollins, 113-120. Leonard, E. (2017). Roxane Gay: the story of my body. People, 87(26), 93. Retrieved from https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f6h&AN=123484145&site=ehost-live Gay, R. (2017). Careless language, and the election. Vital Speeches of the Day, 83(4), 115. Retrieved from https://search-ebscohostcom.ezp.pasadena.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f6h&AN=122254747&site=ehost-live Simone de Beauvoir Simone de Beauvoir was born on January 9, 1908, in Paris, France. She was known for publishing several works on various subjects including philosophy, social issues (specifically feminism), and politics. Beauvoir’s most famous publications include The Second Sex, The Mandarins, and She Came to Stay. In addition to her intellectual writings, she also composed several autobiographies reflecting much of her personal life in France. Beauvoir was incredibly prolific throughout her life, contributing and revolutionizing society. Simone was born into a bourgeois family in Paris and was raised in a very catholic household. Her parents enrolled her into a well-known convent school at a young age, but as she grew older, Simone broke away from the church and became an atheist. Her independent nature and individuality began at a very young age and continued throughout her life. Simone chose to never marry or have children in order to pursue her writing, teaching, and educational goals. After attending the Sorbonne (the University of Paris) to study philosophy, Simone taught at several schools until beginning her writing career. Beauvoir’s first notable novel was a philosophical, autobiography called She Came to Stay (L’Invitée) published in 1943. It was centered around her open relationship with Jean-Paul Sartre and explored a variety of existential themes, but also including sexuality, freedom, and feminism. Her publishing also forced readers to reflect upon their own role in relationships, just as Simone had done to construct her novel. In 1947 she published her second major non-fiction series of books called The Ethics of Ambiguity (Pour Une Morale de l’ambiguité), which focused on Beauvoir’s reflections of ethics, the function, and power of freedom in daily life. According to Bergoffen (2018): “One cannot refuse to take a stand. One is either a collaborator or not. In writing The Ethics of Ambiguity, Beauvoir takes her stand. She identifies herself as an existentialist and identifies existentialism as the philosophy of our [her] times because it is the only philosophy that takes the question of evil seriously” (The Ethics of Ambiguity: Bad Faith, the Appeal, the Artist section). She later went on to write The Mandarins which was a semi-autobiography reflecting the status of the world following World War 2. It intertwined themes of philosophy and politics and went on to win the Prix Goncourt in 1954. Through analyzing the themes of She Came to Stay, The Ethics of Ambiguity, and The Mandarins, Beauvoir’s remarkable ability to write about politics, existential philosophy, feminism, and freedom through her personal life experiences are revealed. Beauvoir’s most infamous work The Second Sex was written in 1949. It specifically addresses feminist issues, while also taking accordance with her own personal life experiences. Beauvoir recognizes the sexual differences between men and women but calls for equal treatment of women and challenges the belief that women are the weaker, or ‘other’ sex. The book is separated into two volumes: “facts and myths” and “lived experiences.” In the first volume, Beauvoir deconstructs and analyzes historical, anthropological, psychoanalytical, biological, and literary theories that attempt to provide insight into a woman’s life. She claims that although these theories may provide information about women, they do not take into account the whole picture or account for externalities and society. The second part of the novel is much longer and it goes into detail through the stages of a woman’s life and how she constantly faces oppression, sexualization, and objectification. Beauvoir tells the reader that women are forced into becoming the ‘other’ sex from birth by the treatment of society. They are submissively forced into becoming inferior to men. Beauvoir states, “Her wings are cut and then she is blamed for not knowing how to fly” (The Second Sex, 1949). This quote is a strong metaphor for her belief that women go through an endless, inevitable cycle of being oppressed by society. She then ends the novel with an optimistic call to action. Beauvoir is fed up with the unequal treatment of women and urges society and legislation to give women the same opportunities as men and even goes on to say that women will produce equal results as men if given the chance. I chose this theory because Beauvoir’s life and works are truly inspiring and motivating to me. The Second Sex is deemed quite radical for her time period and I believe it took a tremendous amount of bravery to publish it. Without strong women like Beauvoir, change and would never occur in our society. She redefined my understanding of what it means to be a woman and a feminist in today’s society. Reading about this theory also provided me with more perspective and awareness about issues regarding equal rights. I also thought it was interesting that the issues and problems Beauvoir writes about are still very much relevant in our society today, and this book was published 70 years ago. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, “Women still make just 78 cents for every dollar earned by men. Black women earn only 64 cents and Latinas only 54 cents for each dollar earned by white men” (“Women’s Rights” n.d). We still have a long way to go and a lot that must be changed, but it’s a battle worth fighting for. Simone Beauvoir’s call for equal rights, economic independence, freedom from oppression, and an end to being the ‘second’ sex is a powerful call to action for women everywhere. She reminds readers that women have been up against it since the beginning of time, and the battle for equal rights is not an easy one. Through reading The Second Sex, as well as her other publications, we learn it’s absolutely necessary that we keep fighting for change in society and in our legislation. Works Cited Beauvoir, Simone de. (1989, c1952) The second sex /New York, Vintage Books Bergoffen, D. (2018, August 21). Simone de Beauvoir. Retrieved from https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/beauvoir/#SecSexWomOth Britannica, T. E. (2019, June 27). Simone de Beauvoir. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Simone-de-Beauvoir Mussett, S. (n.d.). Simone de Beauvoir (1908—1986). Retrieved from https://www.iep.utm.edu/beauvoir/#SH3a Women's Rights. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.aclu.org/issues/womensrights#current Analysis Paper 2 Guidelines (150 points) Critical scholars can be described as those who “investigate how power, oppression, and privilege are the products of certain forms of communication throughout society… critical scholars are particularly interested in how messages reinforce oppression in society… critical theorists are particularly interested in uncovering oppressive social conditions and power arrangements in order to promote emancipation, or a freer and more fulfilling society” (Littlejohn & Foss, 57). Since the last focus of theme 3 is about power & influence, we will focus our last paper on scholars within that realm. The purpose of this analysis is for you to find a scholar specific to critical scholarship that you connect with and to write about them. You may choose any scholar that you connect with, live or dead, as long as that person has some focus or research that discusses power. I have listed some scholars that I connect with to give you some examples. If you can’t think of someone that connects with you, you may choose one from the bottom of the page. This is a research-based assignment and you should cite a minimum of 3 sources throughout the text. Your paper should consist of at least 3 pages of content and adhere to the formatting requirements on the syllabus. Please make sure that you are using correct in-text citations as well as providing a works cited page at the end of your paper. If you’re unfamiliar with using APA format, please follow Google “Purdue Owl APA” for a thorough and free reference. Please set up your analysis as follows: Checklist Introduction Body: 1 paragraph outlining some background of the scholar. Please don’t make it boring and just tell us where they went to school. Discuss the background to their research, how they found themselves writing this type of scholarship, notable life experiences, etc. Give us something that we can’t easily find on Wikipedia. 1 paragraph where you choose at least one theory/book/piece of research that you would like to address. How can this theory expand our understanding of communication in general? Why is this a notable theory for us to have knowledge on? 1 paragraph discussing how this scholar and/or their research impacts you as a student or person. Why did you choose them? What is meaningful about this scholar to you? Conclusion Works cited Example Scholars • bell hooks • Paulo Freire • Kenneth Burke • Michel Foucault • Judith Butler • Gloria Anzaldua