Reflection Essay
English
Reflection Essay
Introduction
Perhaps the biggest mysteries in life are those that exist between the chasm created by the difference in the sexes. Males and females are different. They appear different to each other. At another level, they are not sure about their own identities. I have chosen three essays that look at the issue of identity through different lenses- ‘Between the Sexes, a Great Divide’ by Anna Quindlen (n.d.), ‘Being a Man’ by Paul Theroux (1985) and ‘Looking at Women’ by Scott Russell Sanders (1989). The thesis of my paper is that men and women would always have doubts about their identities, and would always regard the opposite sex with bafflement and wonder due to different emotional and psychological frameworks.
A common challenge in all the readings is the seemingly innocuous beginning that the readings make, lulling the reader into a false sense of masterful complacency of the material, before becoming rapidly complex and insightful. The change of pace is so rapid that the reader has perforce to slow down and re-read the text to remain in sync with the writer. For instance, Anna Quindlen (n.d.) transforms the simple tableau of boys and girls looking at each other across the chasm of the dance floor into her ambivalent approach towards feminism in one sentence: ‘I’ve always been a feminist, and I’ve been one of the boys as well, and I’ve given both sides a pretty good shot.’ The rest of the article goes into a higher thought plane that is comprehended only with a re-reading of the crucial transitory sentence.
Complexity in thought is a closely related challenge in the readings. Theroux’s essay (1985), for instance, speaks about his misgivings about social stereotypes of manliness, yet there is a hint that he provides about feminism as well in the sentence, ‘just as the male writer must prove he has achieved a sort of muscular manhood, the woman writer must prove her motherhood.’ The essay, hitherto fore merely a lament on social assumptions on maleness, transforms into a wider comment on stereotyping of both men as well as women.
Highlights of Readings
Scott Russell’s examination of the mystique of pinup women amidst male assumptions that they are merely objects to be viewed, and subsequent thoughts that even pinup women would have hidden auras of substance in their selves, is one highlight of the readings. Like many of Russell’s friends, I could say that I have often considered pinup women to be devoid of personality, and merely objects to be viewed for vicarious pleasure. However, the hint that behind the mascara and the glare of the spotlight could live a breathing, thinking and feeling person entirely transforms the experience of looking at a pinup woman into a study of contrasts. While the surface remains two dimensional, the challenge is to divine the essence behind the pretty faces.
Theroux’s assertion that male writers use ‘manly’ props in their writing and in their persona comes as a matter of surprise, especially when it relates to Hemingway. Till now, I had assumed that Hemingway’s writings about bullfights and war were reflective of his experiences of life in Spain. While Theroux has a point in highlighting the male stereotype in Hemingway’s writing, I would continue to aver that Hemingway’s writing is more a product of his environment and experience rather than a commentary on his hidden desire to reflect manliness.
Ask the Author
Given an opportunity, I would request Anna Quindlen to add one more paragraph to her essay to clarify her position on the perceived differences between the sexes. Throughout her essay, Quindlen has literally ‘danced’ on both sides of the feminist divide: she has evoked the theme of men and women being different, yet attracted to one another. She has hinted that writing about differences is easier than accepting the difference. I would seek to ask Quindlen whether she has finally accepted the differences between men and women, or whether the perceived confusion lasts a lifetime.
Personal Journal Plan
Given a chance, my personal journal would seek to be as reflective and deep as the essays written by the three authors. Seeing the essays, in hindsight, I realize that what I have so far covered in my personal journal has been more superficial, and that there are many facets of life that even I have experienced beneath the layers that I have written about. I would continue to write about my experiences in life in my personal journal. However, I would teach myself to be more observant, introspective and analytical as record my experiences.
References
Sanders, S.R. (1989). Looking at women. Retrieved July 05, 2015, from http://www.mrshaynescaruso.com/uploads/1/0/9/7/10975337/looking_at_women.pdf
Theroux, P. (1985). Being a man. Retrieved July 05, 2015, from http://afnorthliterature.weebly.com/uploads/1/2/5/3/12535080/being-a-man-by-paul-theroux.pdf
Quindlen, A. (n.d.). Between the sexes, a great divide. Retrieved July 05, 2015, from http://english-3-ap-2b.wataugasd.whs.schoolfusion.us/modules/locker/files/get_group_file.phtml?gid=4560445&fid=17388806
