write two journals after reading two articles

Here is a sample journal writing of other articles, As u see, u need have a summary, author’s purpose, at least three quotations, and a critical thinking. I put two articles below,too.

Critical Thinking Journal of “The Western Women’s Harem”

Summary

The story talks about the mystery of Western harem. Mernissi is the author of the article, as well as the main character in the story. Having been raised in a harem in Morocco, Mernissi’s experience in the West, particularly in one of the American department stores, makes her feel ugly and quite useless. The American saleslady in the store makes the author feel like her hips are deformed (are too large) and that there is no skirt of her size in the whole store. This experience lowers the author’s self-esteem, and she concludes by saying that the weapon used against women in America is reproaching maturity and terming youth as beauty. While in the East, women are limited to access public space, they are kept in the harem.

Author’s purpose

The story aims to inform people how some cultures make women feel unwanted, insufficient, and ugly. For instance, in the West, women’s fashion is a man’s concern. Women must look young to be regarded as beautiful by their men, otherwise having an oversized body and looking much older brands a woman as an ugly creature. However, in places like Morocco, fashion, no one’s business, and women dress as they wish. The author gives these illustrations to strengthen the mature women not to conform to cultures that disregard their size or big body but rather to hold a strong sense of self-worth knowing that they are beautiful.

Quotes

“Stores would go bankrupt if they sold size 14 or 16, which is perhaps what you need” (267). These are the American saleslady’s sayings implying how useless the author’s hips are to the extent that no one would like to sell skirt size of such hips.

“As compared to Muslim attitudes, Western attitudes are even more dangerous and canning because time is what is used against women” (268). The author says these words to imply how American women are disregarded due to their maturity and big bodies, unlike in Muslim countries, who only keep their women out of public space without disregarding their size.

“Women are ready to conform to the directives of the fashion and cosmetic firms because they are the only tip of the iceberg” (269). The author states this statement to show how women are forced to conform to particular fashions to satisfy their men.

Critical Analysis

This story is very insightful, especially to big-bodied women, and the rest of the ladies and even men. One must develop a strong sense of self-worth to survive in cultures where body sizes or shapes are a big deal to others. One will not be affected by other people’s gossips as long as they accept and love for who they are, whether big or small-bodied. Men should as well learn to appreciate women. They should not judge women just by their looks but by their significant position and works in society.