Over the course of the year, ASTU was a course that studied marginalized groups in the context of popular media discourse as well as in archives. By thinking about the representation of marginalized groups in relations to archival material, this allowed me to think critically about the role of archives and how power relations are connected to them. As the year progressed, I developed a new perspective on archives and how they are important to the representation of both dominant and marginalized populations. However, by looking at articles such as “Of Things Said and Unsaid: Power, Archival Silences, and Power in Silence” by Carter, and Jiwani and Young’s “Missing and Murdered Women: Reproducing Marginality in News Discourse”, I was able to use Carter’s explanation of feminist “natural” vs “unnatural silences” to consider how there are “silences” within the media as well. Carter explains natural silences as ones that are often chosen for personal reflection. Natural silences  can be contrasted with unnatural silences that often occur through the use of covert or overt power (228). Using this conceptual outline as a way to think about marginalized groups has allowed me to further understand and consider how and why certain groups are marginalized – for whom does the oppression of others benefit?

While the idea of oppression in society is one that I cannot readily address, I can use power structures to describe silences in archives and compare these silences to the discourse about marginalized groups in the media to demonstrate how disregarded or oppressed groups receive this status. Carter explains that unnatural silences are found in archives; women, for example, do not always receive equal representation in archives if they are listed under the male family name. Therefore, the seeming lack of women in family archives due to their documents being listed under a significant male other’s name suggests that these women are unnaturally silenced. While these women receive representation, this representation is unequal in comparison to their male counterparts because of how power structures in the archives function. The assertion of power in archives can thus marginalize groups in this setting; but using the idea of natural and unnatural silences, can populations also be marginalized in the context of the media?

Jiwani and Young use the concept of framing to argue that powerful groups in the media are able to marginalize others by depicting people in the light of their choosing. To demonstrate how the media frames certain people, Schell and Rodriguez analyze how a wheelchair tennis player, Hope Lewellen, is depicted as a “supercrip” (131) for overcoming her “tragic” (129) accident that resulted her requiring a wheelchair. Rather than focusing on how her personal life has or has not been impacted by this accident, CBS portrays Lewellen as heroic for overcoming her disability, rather than focusing on the many other aspects of her life. The media’s focus on her a disability discredits Lewellen’s chance at representing herself – with the media embodying her as a disabled person, her public identity is limited in this way. Lewellen is categorized as “disabled”, rather than anything else that contributes to her identity and this disallows her to be portrayed or considered in other ways. Carter’s explanation of unnatural silences may be another way of thinking about how the media can be oppressive. In Lewellen’s case, the media simplifies her identity into only one aspect of her life, which therefore silences Lewellen in that she is publicly represented only by her disability. Using Schell and Rodriguez’s analysis of Hope Lewellen’s representation in the media, it is shown that the media uses framing as a way of silencing or limiting groups, which can only further marginalize people.

Since September, I have developed the tools to analyze power relations and marginality through our discussions and assignments in ASTU. But more importantly, by applying the frameworks we have learned in class to situations that I have personally considered myself (eg. The lack of media coverage for the Paralympics in North America), I have developed a greater understanding of how marginalized groups become marginalized. This greater comprehension can result in new ways of addressing issues and addressing oppressed groups. Although these are heavy topics of discussion, establishing and contributing to the conversation on important subjects like power and marginalization can help shift popular discourse to further address these issues.

Works Cited

Affleck, John.  “Why do the Paralympics get so little media attention in the United States?”, The Conversation, www.theconversation.com/why-do-the-paralympics-get-so-little-media-attention-in-the-united-states-65205. Accessed 07 April 2017.

Carter, Rodney. “Of Things Said and Unsaid: Power, Archival Silences, and Power in Silence.” Archivaria, vol. 61, 2006, pp. 215-33, www.archivaria.ca/index.php/archivaria/article/viewFile/12541/13687. Accessed 07 April 2017.

Jiwani, Yasmin and Mary Lynn Young. “Missing and Murdered Women: Reproducing Marginality in News Discourse.” Canadian Journal of Communication vol. 31, no. 4, 2006, pp. 895-917. Accessed 07 April 2017.

Rodriguez, Stephanie and Schell, Lea Ann. “Subverting Bodies/Ambivalent Representations: Media Analysis of Olympian Hope Lewellen.” Sociology of Sport Journal, vol. 18, 2001, pp. 127-135, www.journals.humankinetics.com/doi/pdf/10.1123/ssj.18.1.127. Accessed 08 April 2017.

For many people, “what’s your ethnicity?” is a simple, sometimes even a one-word answer. But for Canadian-born Fred Wah, his Swedish, Chinese, Irish, and Scottish descent complicates the response to a seemingly basic question. In Wah’s Diamond Grill, he uses a mix of prose and poetry to make up what he refers to as a biofiction, which is a similar version of the more commonly known biotext. Within this biotext, Wah uses semi-falsified anecdotes to illustrate his life as a mixed race Canadian. Yet, his writing is jumbled; the sense of confusion that can come from reading Diamond Grill may represent Wah’s unclear identity, which he describes as living on the “hyphen” (178). Using Joanne Saul’s analysis of the biotext to aid in this interpretation, I look to discover how the use of a biotext can emphasize and bring attention to Wah’s message of this “hyphenation”.

Saul uses Diamond Grill as an example to describe biotexts as a hybrid version of autobiography and historical telling. While biotexts have “autobiographical intention[s]” (18), they can be seen as a different form of life writing because of the crossing of the memory, fiction, history, and autobiographical (28) aspects that come together to make up a biotext. However, Saul points out that this textual melting pot can do effective work in resisting popular frameworks of writing (13-31). When this idea is used in conjunction with the actual content in Diamond Grill, Wah’s explanation of “the hyphen” helps explain how not fitting into a specific category can be related to his use of the biotext. The biotext cannot be seen as a pure autobiography due to its use of fiction – so where does it fit?

While the biotext does not directly fit under the categories fiction, nor autobiography, Wah contributes further to the sense of “in between-ness” by writing a “biofiction” (184). Wah describes “biofiction” as life writing with origins in the biotext, but it also includes the use of imagined memories (184). Wah’s uncommon technique of life writing can be compared with his explanation of “the hyphen” as being something that does not exist in a definite category. Like Wah’s identity, he can be considered Chinese-Canadian, just Chinese, or just Canadian. A sense of belonging is unclear, which is a point Wah makes throughout Diamond Grill. When studying biotexts, a similar idea can be used – biotexts fit under autobiography, historical, and even fictional writing. The combination of these different genres makes the biotext a hybrid; like Wah, whose ethnicity is mixed enough that it becomes its own category.

Diamond Grill is a case example of Fred Wah’s slight spin on a biotext, which adds an element of uniqueness to his text. This uniqueness is also emulated in his identity, which is the central focus of his book. The resisting nature of biotext reflects how Wah’s unfitting identity resists the categories that are chosen by dominant groups. While Wah does not fit into a determined race or ethnicity, he is not alone; however, Wah chooses voices himself on this topic. Wah’s calling of attention to the “hyphenated” race allows for those of mixed races to speak for themselves and disallow others to determine which “category” people fit under. Wah’s work with the biotext allows for him to explore his own identity that resists dominant ideas; however, in a globalizing world, people like Wah may no longer need to resist dominant racial categories . Eventually, his array of ethnic backgrounds may no longer be as unique as it was during his time.

Works Cited

Saul, Joanne. Writing The Roaming Subject: Biotext In Canadian Literature. University of Toronto, 2006.

Wah, Fred.  Diamond Grill. NeWest Press, 2006.

Within the Youtube community, there are different niches that most vloggers fit into. The beauty sector of Youtube is one niche that is interesting case because while many tutorials appear similar, beauty vloggers have the opportunity to uniquely represent themselves by posting their applied creative skills on a digital platform. Although Youtube has a large beauty community, Instagram is another platform that has become predominant in setting beauty trends, shown by the most popular products at Ulta or Sephora which reflect the items being used in Instagram tutorials. Within the online beauty community, I will be focusing on Youtube tutorials since they provide more artistic detail as there is no time limit on the videos that are uploaded, unlike Instagram makeup tutorials. So, looking up current eye shadow trends, one may expect to find a plethora of content that focuses on any eye shape since the premise of vlogs on Youtube is to act as a digital form of self-representation for everyone that chooses to participate. However, being someone that watches many eye shadow tutorials on Youtube, it appeared to me as if there were eye shapes that were greatly underrepresented when it comes to trending eye shadow looks.

While I am from a Chinese, German, and Scottish background, genetics have resulted in my eyes being monolid as well as hooded. A monolid is an eye without a double eyelid and often is without a crease where the eyebrow bone protrudes. Hooded eyes are eyes that have excess skin that makes the outer third of the eye appear to droop downwards, either slightly or dramatically. An example of such can be found below.

Naturally, I look for eye shadow tutorials that suit “hooded monolids” so that I can learn how to apply eye shadow on my own eyes. After trying multiple search results, I found that it was difficult to find eye shadow tutorials that matched the current makeup trends that I found so easily on Instagram. Although I did manage to find results, many of the tutorials did not feature eye shadow looks that reflected the current eye shadow trends such as warm-toned eye shadows, a “cut crease”, a halo eye shadow, etc. (refer to Figures 1-3).

Figure 1: Michael Finch’s tutorial for warm-toned eye shadow.

Figure 2: Nikkie Tutorials models her cut-crease eye shadow look.

Figure 3: Jaclyn Hill models her “halo” eye shadow look.

Rather, the videos I found to be most relevant were from Padee Tina Kong, whose videos featured eye shadow trends that were suitable for hooded/monolids. Even though her content that was applicable to me, I had to scroll down significantly to even find her videos since she only has just over one thousand subscribers. Comparing her amount of subscribers to other beauty vloggers that have millions of subscribers, the vloggers with more subscribers generate the most popular videos because of the large amount of views their videos receive. Surely, there must be a reason as to why certain Youtubers have millions of subscribers and are able to produce content that becomes the first result when searched.

By looking at the first result that appears for “hooded monolid eyeshadow”, Tina Yong’s video features a hooded monolid that uses eyelid tape to create a makeshift double eyelid, in order to give the appearance that the eyes are larger. Another search term I have tried is “cut crease eye shadow for hooded eyes”, which yielded results that feature results with beauty vloggers that have double eyelids until scrolling down for over 30 videos to find Padee Tina Kong’s video, which currently has only over 400 views (compared to the first two search results, which have a combined 1.29 million views). Youtube and Instagram has illustrated a dominant normality when it comes to eye shape beauty standards. For those such as myself that do not conform to this commonality, what does this beauty standard suggest to those with hooded monolids?

While Youtube vlogs are ideally supposed to support self-representation for anyone, it appears as if there is a standard in the online beauty community that determines whose voices are heard over others. Looking at one of 2016’s most popular eye shadow palette – the “Modern Renaissance” palette from Anastasia Beverley Hills, the demonstrative video on the Sephora website uses models only with double eyelids; could this be suggesting that eye shadow is best applied to those with similar eye structures? On Youtube, the eye shadow looks that follow current trends and that also get the most views are vlogs that feature the dominant beauty standard which is having double eyelids. While there are many Youtubers that upload tutorials for monolids, the amount of views is substantially lower than videos that do not focus on double-lidded eye shapes. In theory, everyone has the ability to represent themselves through vlogs; but when put in practice, it appears as if groups are still made minorities because they do not conform to the dominant beauty standard. If this idea is applied to a greater scheme, not limited to the beauty community, there may be greater findings that suggest not everyone is as equally represented online as it may appear at first glance.

Works Cited

Finch, Michael. Google, www.i.ytimg.com/vi/dFgDEuPP7d0/maxresdefault.jpg. Accessed 26 February 2017.

Hill, Jaclyn. Google, www.i.ytimg.com/vi/txVqIGcvgPE/maxresdefault.jpg. Accessed 26 February 2017.

Kong, Padee Tina. “Neutral Cut Crease Eyeshadow Tutorial | Asian Hooded Eyes”, Youtube, 8 June 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYfkRvXppkU. Accessed 26 February 2017.

Nikkietutorials. Google, www.i.ytimg.com/vi/GAGi9tLMKlo/hqdefault.jpg. Accessed 26 February 2017.

Smashbox. Eyeshadow looks for different eye shapes. Makeup for Beginners, www.beginnersmakeup.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/monolid_hooded_double.jpg. Accessed 26 February 2017.

Yong, Tina. “Smokey Eye Makeup for Small/ Hooded/ Monolid Eyes | Tina Yong”, Youtube, 21 March 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=h55qClu8Rmw. Accessed 26 February 2017.

One of the many purposes social media can serve includes broadcasting oneself into the public eye, whether this is voluntary or not. More specifically, Youtube and the emergence of “vlogging” (“video-blogging” where a Youtuber records many elements of their daily lives and selectively uploads these edited clips) onto Youtube has allowed for increased agency when it comes to average people being able to choose how they present themselves in a public light. Even though vlogging on Youtube is often edited in order to fit a perceived image that someone wishes others to see themselves as, this is why with Youtube vloggers showing real events from their lives can help their audience feel more of a connection to these vloggers. Youtube serves as a specifically video-based social media platform and therefore vloggers are exposing parts of their lives that are more “in the flesh” compared to traditional methods of self-representation such as illustrations, poetry, photos, etc.  But more importantly, in an era that is dominated by technology, Youtube in particular has the potential to be a more powerful method of self-representation due to its modernity and “relatability” factor through the use of videos.

A Youtuber whose videos I find to be well-made in terms of visual and audio aesthetic, is Sophia Chang. Sophia Chang is a Youtuber that uploads beauty and fashion tutorials or other similar content, as well as vlogs of her seemingly adventurous life; I use the word seemingly because Sophia gives off an image of herself that would seem “cool” and “trendy”, based on her videos. Looking at the general comments between her videos that are more tutorial-like compared her vlogs, it is noticeable that the comments are more personal on her vlogs. This pattern shows that she portrays herself different depending on the context – but this also means that only through her vlogs is the audience able to see snippets of what truly happens in her life. Shown below are examples of comments on one of her tutorials versus her most recent vlog.

Here, the comments focus mainly on the content of the video itself.

In this screenshot, many comments are directed towards her as a person. These comments show a connection that has been established between the audience and Sophia, who is selectively representing herself in all of her videos, but her vlogs convey a stronger sense of her personality.

As scholar Kennedy Umit states in her article, “Exploring Youtube as a Transformative Tool in “The Power of Makeup!” Movement”, she explains how Youtube is a platform that can effectively and accurately allow someone to adjust how their image in the public sphere is viewed. This bridge between the life of Youtubers such as Sophia Chang and their audience is what allows Youtube to be a platform in which regular people are able to present themselves in a certain way, depending on how portray themselves. The significance of Youtubers being able to determine how to express themselves in a public light to a following is that Youtube is shown to have the potential to be a credible form of self-representation that accommodates the technological takeover of the modern day.

Because of both the realistic and relatability factor of Youtube vlogs, Youtube is an example of the potential that modern social media platforms have when it comes to self-representation. Youtube brings a perspective that not many traditional forms of self-representation have provided, which makes it an effective way in which Youtubers can have agency when it comes to representing themselves. Like Youtube, other social media platforms such as Snapchat, Instagram, and Twitter are also used for self-representation. However, each platform appears to serve a different purpose, which might give Youtube more an edge in terms of being a platform for self-representation because of how full-length videos can be uploaded to provide the most realistic account of ones life, connecting the audience with the vlogger behind the camera.

Works Cited

Umit, Kennedy. “Exploring YouTube as a Transformative Tool in the “The Power of MAKEUP!” Movement .” M/C Journal August 2016: 1.

I was working the first shift of my first ever job on a winter night back in Surrey and my co-worker was trying to get to know me so she asked, “What kind of music do you listen to?” and I stared at her blankly, realizing that I didn’t listen to music (unless the radio was on while I was in the car). After experiencing such an epiphanic moment like this, I took it into my hands to find what type of music I like because the Top 50 Hits can only be listened to so many times before they become worn out. Shortly after this anecdote, a friend of mine once referred to me as “NiJ.Cole” and I took it into my own hands to discover whether the style of music J. Cole produced was my style or not.

So three years later, I have now established a playlist that encases my favourite songs (which happens to include J. Cole himself). I chose these songs because they are my most preferred songs, but I would rank them above other songs not because of who produced them, their (warning: profane) lyrics, or deeper meaning. Rather, my favourite songs are the songs that remind me of a distinct memory that influenced the make up of my current character. An example of this would be the third Youtube link which is a song that I do not listen to daily. However, I enjoy listening to all ten minutes of the song because of its reminder of when I was in an ensemble and we played that song ourselves. I choose El Camino Real in particular because of its many aspects that make it a beautiful composition, but more so because it reminds myself of a time that taught me a lot about myself as a person.

When I listen to music, I can only listen to music with both headphones in because I feel as if listening to music is an experience; with one headphone in, you only get half of the experience. That being said, I am also impaired from doing homework while listening to music because it disallows me to fully concentrate on what I am doing. So, with my belief that listening to music is an experience, I make a connection between listening and experiencing music because each song on this playlist is tied to an experience that has shaped my character. This does not apply to everyone, but oftentimes, discovering why someone has one (or multiple) favourite songs can be telling about their personality even if it does not appear so at first. For this reason, I have chosen a playlist as a form of autobiographical representation of myself.

Links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKgGXxoT5Ds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1vBTTbYlss

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwte_IvCmpw

https://open.spotify.com/user/freshnoodilz/playlist/2Zd6lZyBYIm5lAK7gwAqU4

Or, if you do not have a Spotify account:

1. “She Knows” – J. Cole, Amber Coffman
2. “Faithful” – Drake, Pimp C, dvsn
3. “If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)” – Nas, Ms. Lauryn Hill
4. “No Role Modelz” – J. Cole
5.  “Money Trees” – Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock
6. “Buried Alive Interlude” – Drake, Kendrick Lamar
7. “Lullaby of Birdland” – Ella Fitzgerald

After reading Conjunctions: Life Narratives in the Field of Human Rights by Sidonie Smith and Kay Schaffer, their argument of how life narratives can be “problematic” intrigued me because previously, I had never considered storytelling to be something that could stir trouble. Schaffer and Smith also claim that life narratives are crucial for bringing social change – so why is change considered problematic?

Tying this idea of problematic narratives to G. Thomas Couser who articulates the “counterhegemonic” potential of disability life narratives, I find interesting how sharing life stories has led others to conclude that the stories of others can be “problematic” and “counterhegemonic”. Possibly, this is because texts such as Cockeyed by Ryan Knighton, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano by Olaudah Equiano, or The World is Moving Around Me by Dany Laferriere are a few examples of the many published life narratives that discuss experiences of trauma. Looking further into this, people often share their traumatic experiences as a form of therapy – called narrative therapy (Dulwich Centre Publications Pty Ltd & Dulwich Centre Foundation Inc). While authors seek to share their life experiences, the reception of the truths that are told can sometimes “disrupt” (Schaffer and Smith) traditional institutions or threaten the current social capital (i.e. those at the top of societal hierarchy in terms of power).

Using The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano as an example, Equiano’s slave narrative discusses his experience as a slave in the 18^th century. For him to talk about the experiences he either went through or bore witness to can be considered problematic because by sharing the wrongdoings of people that have power, Equiano’s personal accounts communicate to others the side of those in power that they most likely do not want others to see. In this way, life narratives can, again, cause change in such a way that past traditions are shifted into modernity.

Life narratives that discuss trauma can often be therapeutic and beneficial for the writer. However, the reception of these stories from other people can evoke issues because social change requires adapting (or breaking altogether) the traditions that previously existed. Life narratives are shown to have more than one potential – whether they are a form of therapy, or a form of advancing social justice, the intentions of the author are unknown to us. However, while calling for social change is seen as problematic to some people, possibly it is only an issue because life narratives interfere with the current power structure that exists today.

Works Cited

Couser, Thomas. “Rhetoric and Self-Representation in Disability Memoir.” Couser, Thomas. Signifying Bodies. University of Michigan Press, 2009. 42, 44, 45.

Dulwich Centre Publications Pty Ltd & Dulwich Centre Foundation Inc. What is Narrative Therapy? n.d. November 2016.

Schaffer, Kay and Sidonie Smith. “Conjunctions: Life Narratives in the Field of Human Rights.” Biography (2004): 1-24.

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/15399/15399-h/15399-h.htm

Cockeyed by Ryan Knighton features a “powerful” narrative about his progressing blindness through adulthood that shows he is “impatient with the preciousness we’ve come to expect from books on disability” (according to the summary on the back cover of the book). As the disability studies scholar G. Thomas Couser states, “such narratives not only attest to but advance the work of the disability rights movement; in their consciousness of their own condition as culturally constructed and as shared by others, their author may move beyond the familiar formulas of disability memoir and point the way to broader critiques of the construction of disability in America today” (48) relating Knighton’s unconventional disability memoir to a greater purpose: de-stigmatizing the discriminatory views that some people  have against disability. So what makes Knighton’s autobiography “powerful” rather than triumphant? Knighton’s use of constant dark humour plays a major role in making his memoir untraditional – but can his jokes be too much? Does Knighton’s dark sense of humour – shown by making jokes about his disability, hinder the process of changing the stigma surrounding disabilities through writing a memoir? To be explored further, Cockeyed can be seen as “irreverent” (according to the back cover of the book) for quite a valid reason.

Disabilities take on a variety of forms throughout the population – epilepsy being one of them. Epilepsy’s relevance in the context of humour in Cockeyed is that this forum exemplifies how some members of the disabled community feel on the use of humour in regards to their condition. As everyone has a different sense of humour – some lighter than others – Knighton is surely to upset some people. Right from the beginning, Knighton makes it clear that his darker sense of humour is incorporated into the book by signing “This book is a work of memoir. All people, places, events, and neuroses are representations of the facts. That includes encounters with dead philosophers. Should a reader determine that the author is not disabled, please contact the appropriate authorities. He would gladly delete his blindness from any further memoirs” which shows Knighton’s acceptance of his disability by acknowledging the reality of it. This acceptance reflects the grasp that Ryan Knighton has on his limits and the life situation he is facing; he is able to demonstrate “self-assertion” (44) according to Couser. By doing so, Knighton empowers his own disability so that he is able to portray himself in a way that he wants to be seen, rather than allowing criticisers to do that job for him.

So to answer the question, “does Knighton’s dark sense of humour – shown by making jokes about his disability – hinder the process of changing the stigma surrounding disabilities through writing a memoir?” I believe that his ability to maintain his sense of personality (whether it is offensive to some audiences or not) shows that he has normalized his disability, relating it to what we (so-called “normal” people) can understand. Knighton’s disability memoir is powerful in the sense that he shows readers a perspective that relates to them and helps eliminate stigma by normalizing his disability, thereby effectively freeing himself from the discrimination he has known by taking control of it into his own hands.

Works Cited:

Couser, Thomas. Signifying Bodies. University of Michigan, 2009.

http://www.epilepsy.com/connect/forums/family-friends/making-fun-yourself

http://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/policy-preventing-discrimination-based-mental-health-disabilities-and-addictions/5-ableism-negative-attitudes-stereotypes-and-stigma

Similar to how meeting a person for the first time can leave a lasting impression, the jacket of a book can convey a first impression to a reader — primarily through the cover page. Ryan Knighton’s Cockeyed: A Memoir features a prominent image of a blind man as indicated by the cane with an eyeball on the end of it.

The cover page uses blank space effectively as the only text on the cover is the book title and author of the memoir. The back side of the jacket cover features a summary of the book, as well as critical reviews that are bolded text in comparison to the summary. The image of the man with a cane that has an eyeball on the end which I have interpreted as Knighton’s source of vision is found through a cane, rather than his own brain; hence the lack of an image where the man’s head should be – even though his hand in his pocket is present – his head is not. A message from Knighton found on the first page of the book states: “This book is a work of memoir. All people, places, events, and neuroses are representations of the facts. That includes encounters with dead philosophers. Should a reader determine that the author is not disabled, please contact the appropriate authorities. He would gladly delete his blindness from any further memoirs.” Before the audience begins reading the text itself, there is already a clear sense about what the focus of Cockeyed is.

Cockeyed is one of many autobiographies, yet it is one that fits into the more specific genre of a disability memoir (according to Couser) through the use of being a marginalized person telling their life story. Throughout time, books that have been best-selling are often books that relate to the majority of people, or they are ones that feature an element of either drama or triumph. A compiled list (Grabianowski) shows that the books that are often unpublished or do not receive much recognition are literature that cannot appeal to the majority of society. In the case of Cockeyed, many readers expect a disability memoir to feature a heroic story, which is a way of drawing in an audience through the image found on the jacket cover. Even the title itself (Cockeyed meaning crooked) is designed to attract attention from a prospective reader. So, does the cover jacket of Cockeyed use the representation of blindness to indicate that the content within is a disability memoir, hoping the audience will be intrigued solely through the book jacket itself? Knighton’s autobiography is described as “irreverent”, therefore it appears based on the front cover as if the memoir is a story of triumph, as many disability memoirs are; however, after reading the back of the book’s jacket, there are hints implying that Cockeyed is unconventional not only literally in the title’s definition, but also within the story itself.

The peritext of Cockeyed is simple; it is mostly monochromatic, allowing certain aspects of the book jacket to stand out. The cover image and title, for example, are the key figures in representing what is within the content of Cockeyed: Knighton’s disability. As a disability memoir, Cockeyed is an example of one whose story might not be heard or cared about by a wide spread audience if Knighton was not a marginalized person. Therefore, the jacket cover of the book clearly presents that the autobiography is one that focuses on the life of a disabled person, distinguishing it as a book that readers may be more inclined to read. By strategically marketing a disability memoir, it can draw attention to a certain group of typically disregarded people and bring a first-hand perspective into the life of a disabled person. Through the clear depiction of a disability on the front cover of Cockeyed, as many disability memoirs feature, attracting an audience can allow for the content within a memoir being able to shift a reader’s perception of a disability, thus advancing the stigma around being “disabled”.

Works Cited

Couser, Thomas. Signifying Bodies. University of Michigan, 2009.

Grabianowski, Ed. The 21 Best-Selling Books of All Time. 19 December 2011. October 2016.

Knighton, Thomas. Cockeyed. 2006. Penguin Books.

For many of us in Canada it is difficult to imagine ourselves being surrounded by the terrors of war; however, for many, hearing a gunshot, bombs, or jets can be a daily occurrence. What happens to children during this time of conflict? More often than not, they are forced to grow up at an alarmingly rapid pace and are often left with both emotional – or physical – scars.

Two widely known public figures: Anne Frank and Malala Yousafzai documented their experiences during a time of conflict in their respective autobiographies, “The Diary of a Young Girl” and “I am Malala” which have become commonly read around the world. Both Frank and Yousafzai document their experiences growing up in a time where their daily lives were interrupted by the commotions of war surrounding them. Frank mentions “Although I tell you a great deal about our lives, you still know very little about us. How frightened the women are during air raids; last Sunday, for instance, when 350 British planes dropped 550 tons of bombs on IJmuiden, so that the houses trembled like blades of grass in the wind. Or how many epidemics are raging here” (Frank). This firsthand explanation of wartime is only an example of many; it can be considered that Anne Frank and Malala Yousafzai are two examples that raise attention to a problem of adolescents caught in the crossfire of conflict: an issue for many others in different countries, eras, and of varying ages.

In a broader sense, numerous children, whether they are infants or teenagers, have suffered consequences of war that they never would have imagined as a kid. Frank and Yousafzai’s memoirs help expose an unbiased point of view during times of war. Adolescents often do not have a voice, yet theirs were heard and able to represent the many that are in the same situation as them. This not only applies to the era of World War II where “conventional” wars reigned supreme, but also after they transitioned into “low intensity” wars (Goldson) of more modern times. Nevertheless, children are required to grow up quickly and often miss out on the childhood, which is something most of us have had the luxury of experiencing. Children in times of war also often suffer from loss of education, psychological damage, illness, and several other misfortunes (Barbara). With that said, what are we to do about it?

Most people would agree that bringing world peace does not have an overnight fix; rather than ending war, taking a small step such as becoming aware of the people in these situations can help. Once exposed to the reality of what others, including children, are facing/have faced, the effects are long-term and are often carried on through generations, even. Reading “The Diary of a Young Girl” or “I am Malala” assist in broadening the perspectives of many by allowing consumers to see through the lenses of youth in a situation different than their own; this could slowly lead to the elimination of prejudices and discrimination, which are bases on which wars begin with.

Awareness is a tool that can bring people closer together through the sharing of knowledge and experiences. Anne Frank and Malala Yousafzai contribute to that in such a way where their young voices were heard by many, raising awareness to an issue that affects many others than just them. Nowadays, global issues are rarely fixed by one person in one instance; although slow, the process of bringing awareness can bring about change, which is what young leaders such as Malala Yousafzai hope to achieve. But for now, there are research studies that show the effects of wartime on children and here is one of many: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1469-7610.00456/epdf. Or, Malala’s (brief) personal account of her story for a more firsthand view: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6Pz9V6LzcU.

Bibliography:

Barbara, Joanna Santa. Impact of War on Children and Imperative to End War. December 2006. 18 September 2016.

Frank, Anne. “The Diary of a Young Girl: The Definitive Edition.” Frank, Anne. The Diary of a Young Girl: The Definitive Edition. New York: Doubleday, 1995. 244.

Goldson, Edward. “The effect of war on children.” Goldson, Edward. Child Abuse and Neglect. Elsevier, 1996. 809-819. 18 September 2016.

Welcome to UBC Blogs. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!