A black lesbian woman who was diagnosed with cancer in her breast wrote this article. She had to have an operation to remove the cancerous tumors in her breast. Weeks of great fear and worry of what would become of her became her source of strength to speak out. For years, she was silent about her sexuality and convictions in life. Her greatest fears were rejection, judgment and the challenges that accompany the truth. She thought that once she spoke up people would judge her based on her color, gender, and sexuality. However, the few weeks of agony and thought before she was operated on made her realize her true self. She realized that people will always judge you whether you are quite about it or not. Whether one speaks of her convictions or not she has the same destiny, death. However, dying in silence having lived a life full of pretence is the greatest injustice one could ever do to herself. Breaking the silence might lead to judgment and scrutiny by the society it is however the greatest achievement one can have is being true to herself and letting the world know you for who you really are.
Audre Geraldine Lorde. Age, Race, Class, and Sex: Women Redefining Difference, In Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches. Trumansburg, NY: Crossing Press, 1984.
The society we live in today comprises of different opposing levels of people, the dominant and the subordinate, the good and the bad, the superior and the inferior among other divisions. Many people think that our differences are what divide us. On the contrary, failure to recognize and accept our differences is the cause of our differences. In the society, we find different classes of people. These classes inspired by the differences in color, sex, age, and wealth. These differences are caused by the belief that one group of people are superior to another. A good example in America is between the black and white women. The white women believe that a good marriage is the end of their troubles. On the other hand, black women know that they have to struggle for everything in order to succeed in life. For this reason the white women feel superior to the black women causing differences between the two. The black women further divide into two as the heterosexual women feel superior to lesbian women in the society thus dividing the community further. The truth is that these differences are caused by our failure to recognize our differences and accept them.
Bolaki S., (2000). Re-Covering the Scarred Body: Textual and Photographic Narratives of Breast Cancer: New York: sage publishing group
One of the main effects of breast cancer is that it leads to the amputation of the breast. The attitude one gains after having her breast amputated determines how the society views her. This essay views different approaches by various victims of breast cancer after going through mastectomy. For example, Lorde in her articles encourages victims of breast cancer to speak of their experiences to encourage other women with the disease. This essay is based on the stories of two photographers Jo Spence and Sam Taylor Wood who were victims of breast cancer. Both artists worked hard in creating pictures to educate the society about their experiences with cancer. Since they both lived in different periods in history, they have their differences in the approaches taken to educate the society about breast cancer. They however use their pictures in order to encourage women diagnosed with the disease to live happy despite their predicament. They also sensitize the society no to discriminate against women diagnosed with breast cancer.
References
Audre Geraldine Lorde (1980). The Transformation of Silence into Language and Action, In The Cancer Journals, Argyle, NY: Aunt Lute Books.
Audre Geraldine Lorde (1984). Age, Race, Class, and Sex: Women Redefining Difference, In Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches. Trumansburg, NY: Crossing Press.
Bolaki S., (2000). Re-Covering the Scarred Body: Textual and Photographic Narratives of Breast Cancer: New York: sage publishing group
