How Important Is Beauty, Why Is It So Essential To Society Compare

How Important Is Beauty, Why Is It So Essential To Society Compare How Important Is Beauty, Why Is It So Essential To Society Compare Your Idea With Other Author's â€" Essay Example > The Importance of Beauty and Social Norms2008Although beauty has been an important aspect of everyday lives of women, it was, till recently, neglected in western philosophical discourse. It was thought that individualism originated from the mind, which was considered distinct from the body. In the postmodern times, however, there is a significant increase in the study of the sociology of body with the replacement of, as one scholar says “the notion of the body as a productive agent by the hedonistic body with its various manifestations” (Bethelot, 1986, quoted in Jeacle, n.d). While in the Victorian ages, the preoccupation with the body was considered to be restricted to the elites society only, the consumerist society has seen the unification of body and individualism on a mass scale with the advent of ready-to-wear clothing, departmental stores, diet and physical education options. Further, in the present times, the wide variety of fashion commodities that are available to a ll sections of the population â€" not necessarily limited to the elite and the bourgeois â€" means that the expression of beauty through commodities follow some standard patterns. In this paper, I will discuss the concepts of sartorial fashion and beauty-enhancing plastic surgery that have become important tools for expressing both individuality as well as group identity. The role of the media, including films, television and magazines play no mean a role in this identification. One of the most distinctive features of visual culture in any society is the evolving dress code, with its variety of fabrics, styles, colors and trimmings. From clothing to footwear, accessories to make-up, body images to hairstyles, the conglomerate that is known as fashion and beauty reflects largely the cultural mores of the society. The origin of the word, fashion, may be traced to the Latin word, factio (which is also the origin of the political term, faction, thus hinting at fashion as a means for p olitical statement) or to facere, which means to make or to do (implying that the word originally signified what people do instead of signifying as now as what we wear). The word facere is also the origin of the word fetish and, ironically, clothes are perhaps the most ‘fetished’ commodities to promote beauty in today’s society (Bernard, 1996). The concern to adapt oneself to the social norms of beauty has defined gender roles, social status and sexual identities in the modern times. Much of what apparently seems to be individuality, however, is shaped by societal roles (Davis, 1994). The way men and women clothe themselves has changed over the years such that fashion has become a means of communication that is quite different from what it was earlier (Crane, 2001). In the nineteenth century, clothing signified social identity, particularly in France and America. In contrast, late twentieth and twenty first century fashion has followed the multi-code societal norms, in which fashion signifies lifestyles, gender identities, ethnicity and age but much less the social status. While nineteenth century French designers made clothes specifically for the local elite, the designers of today generally cater to the global markets, the sensibilities of which are constructed through the use of popular cinema, television and music. Entwhistle (2000) further argues that fashion as a means to identity formation cannot be discussed in isolation to the body since it is through the articulation of bodily identity â€" gender and sexuality â€" that clearly situates one’s societal identity.

Your Advice On Beginning High School Career Admission Essay

Three Cornerstones of Successful High School Career Considering my high school experience, I come to the conclusion that it has been one of the most interesting and fruitful periods of my life so far. If I were to give advice to perspective high school students, I would summarize all my ideas to three principles. First and foremost, be socially active. Your high school life provides you with excellent opportunities for making new friends, socializing and making something useful, but truly enjoyable. Join the organization committee, school newspaper staff or even propose yourself for the President of your school. You will definitely have a lot of work to do apart from your studies, but this experience may be positive both in terms of your future admission to college and acquiring useful skills. Second, however boring it sounds, pay attention to your studies. Although it may seem easy, you have a huge amount of work to do if you want to pass your exams successfully. So, it is much easier if you take your studies seriously and work slowly, but surely. Finally, if you can, take up a sport or a hobby. Being a successful sportsman will increase your chances of getting a scholars as well as it may help in getting to know new people. Moreover, it will influence your health in a positive way, thus, increasing your quality of life. So, if you want to recollect your high school years with pleasure, bear in mind the three key factors: socializing, studies ans sport. Moreover, remember that this period is one of the best ones in your life and try not to waste it in vain.

Triggers for Change - 1237 Words

Triggers for Change: Learning has no end for an individual or the organization. Hence people must update their skills and knowledge in order to perform efficiently as well as effectively in the organization to get a competitive edge. If people learn in the organization, naturally organizational growth happens in streamline. Individuals within an organization learn as they carry out what is expected of them, written as well as unwritten expectations. Written expectations can be reached through emails, memos, and job descriptions. But unwritten expectations are not clear for individuals in the organization. Definition of triggers: Triggers can be defined as situations which act as means to organizational learning. Organizations do not†¦show more content†¦Firm Size- Increased in the size of the firm requires the scale of operations to be increased and vice versa. Production methodology- There can be changes in production methodology forcing the organization to change the way in which they operate the business. Organizational structure- Sometimes there can be structural changes in the hierarchy of the organization. As an example, an organization which is managed in a top down approach may decide to adopt a bottom up approach which triggers a change in the whole business process. External Change Triggers This is where a change in the organization is identified/triggered as a result of a factor that is outside to the organization. The external change triggers are not under the control of management and most of the firms struggle to cope up with external change triggers. Business Environmental Issues Business turbulence comprises one of the most significant environmental jerks faced by firms. Rapid changing dynamics of industries and competitive forces requires firms to learn faster than competitors and make competition irrelevant by developing uniqueness. Porters 05 forces model can be used to explain change triggers of task environment so that they can think of some differentiationShow MoreRelatedInternal And External Triggers, Resistance For Organisational Change1373 Words   |  6 Pagesthe bottom employees or any individual one. Normally, changes within an organisation is express that it needs to improvement, adjusts to follow the fast development in the world economy. Also, it gives an organisation get ready to face the changes wether in customers or prevent an economic crisis. On the contrary, the organisation must be failure if it keeps the same system to face the other competitors who taking a positive attitude to the changes and development continues. Consequently, ità ¢â‚¬â„¢s veryRead MoreHow Organizational Change Triggers Emotions And How Leaders Use Emotional Intelligence925 Words   |  4 Pages How Organizational Change Triggers Emotions and How Leaders Use Emotional Intelligence In today’s business world organizations are constantly forced to implement changes in an effort to grow and survive. These changing environments present new challenges and demands for everyone, from the Presidents and CEO’s to managers, to entry-level employees. With that organizational change triggers emotions within individuals that can have a negative or positive effect. With good leaders and management organizationsRead MoreCauses And Effect Of Relapse962 Words   |  4 PagesRecovery is the process of change that encompasses a lifestyle adjusted around complete abstinence and a developed method of dealing with life in a healthier manner. Within this process there is an existent opposition known as relapse that can deteriorate the progression of change. Gorski Miller (1986) lend to this understanding by describing the process of relapse as including a dysfunction in sobriety displayed in physical, psychological, or social health beginning before actual substance u seRead MoreArgumentative Essay On Trigger Warnings1167 Words   |  5 PagesThe Oxford dictionary defines trigger warnings as a statement at the start of a piece of writing, video, etc., that alerts the reader or viewer that a material contains potentially distressing material. Trigger warnings were originally intended for war veteran, who returned to their homes with PTSD. The use of trigger warnings has changed in the past few years because they have begun to make a big impact on college campuses. Today the use of trigger warnings in a university class is considered aRead MoreBipolar Disorder : Symptoms And Symptoms1493 Words   |  6 Pagesupset, but for people with bipolar disorder, it can trigger another episode to their week. Bipolar Disorder is a brain disorder that can cause shifts in people s mood that are more unusual. Signs and symptoms can be different depending on if the person has manic or depressive episodes. A person with the disorder can also give their family and friends struggles, aside from theirs. These are things like life events or disruptions in life that can trigger an episode for the person. About 2.6% of the populationRead MoreThe Long Term Goals Of The Family1156 Words   |  5 Pagesgoal is to create a space for the individual members treatment can aid in reducing conflict in the family as a whole. Lastly, the family will express two triggers of tension to the nurse by the end of the session. By being able to verbalize the triggers, it can help the family see what causes conflict. Each person will have their own trigger and hopefully by verbalizing them it can help in family relationships. This is a measurable goal in the sense that it is being told directly to the nurse andRead MoreAnalysis Of The Article The Coddling Of The American Mind 1040 Words   |  5 PagesTrigger statements are becoming more and more popular in syllabi, especially on college campuses. These provide students, especially those with post-traumatic stress disorder, with a warning about possibly uncomfortable content that could cause a flashback or panic attack. There are several different opinions about trigger warnings. Jenny Jarvie, the author of the article â€Å"Trigger Happy,† believes that they have gone too far and are a detriment to society (Jarvie 6). To enhance Jarvie’s point fur therRead MoreTrigger Warnings And Academic Freedom735 Words   |  3 Pages1113-RKDU 25 Sept. 2017 And they wonder.. Trigger warnings lead to emotional immaturity and an oversensitive society. Trigger warnings leave an effect on students after they graduate college and prepare for a professional job. Trigger warnings also take away the education from each student by allowing rules and policies over protect them from sensitive material. Trigger warnings alert students when a sensitive subject will be taught in class. Trigger warnings allow rules and policies to overtakeRead More Asthma Essay697 Words   |  3 Pagesby episodes of constriction and increased mucous production. A person with asthma has bronchial tubes that are super sensitive to various stimuli, or triggers, that can produce asthma symptom.In other words, asthmatics have special sensitivity that causes their lung tissue to react far more than is should to various stimulating factors or triggers. For this reason, people with asthma are said to have quot;twitchy airways.quot;Some symptoms that people with asthma commonly experience are chest tighteningsRead MoreSymptoms And Symptoms Of Asthma1084 Words   |  5 Pagesphysiological changes that result from sensitivity to stimuli. Though asthma as a disease is not curable, it can be monitored and controlled with the usage of medication and limiting contact with certain environmental stimuli. Deviation from normal: An asthma attack can be induced by a variety of different stimuli often referred to as triggers. Intensity and duration change based on the trigger and one’s ability to remove themselves from the stimuli. There are a variety of triggers that can induce

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man Summary Free Essays

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man In A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce, the main character, Stephen Dedalus has a life long desire to find a father figure. Not finding it within his own home he is forced to look out among the other men who play intricate roles in his life. Some of the men that Stephen looks to as father figures include; his dad, the dean of his school, the Jesuit priest of the retreat, his friend Cranly, and Daedelus of a Greek mythology. We will write a custom essay sample on A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man Summary or any similar topic only for you Order Now Again and again Stephen is faced with the disappointment of a potential father figure letting him down. It is not until all others have failed him that he finds a father figure that fulfills his life. Throughout Stephen’s life he and his father grow apart. As a child Stephen adores his father. Stephen remembers the story his father use to tell him about the moocow (1). Stephen’s memory of this story shows he put complete focus into his father whenever his father was around. Stephen’s father seems gentle and benevolent when he puts the sauce on Stephen’s plate after everyone else denies the sauce (19). As Stephen gets older he loses his bond with his father. Stephen believes his father is in a lot of trouble. Before Stephen’s family moves to Dublin he hears his father tell his uncle that he has enemies and some sort of fight is going to happen (45). This news puts a lot of pressure of Stephen and it makes Stephen pull away from his father. Stephen feels that the information that he learned makes him a part of the fight (45). Stephen’s bonds breaks even more when his father makes fun of him. Stephen’s father talked to the dean from Stephen’s school and learned that Stephen made a huge deal out of getting pandied (50). When Stephen learns they laughed about it he become very ashamed and he starts to dislike his father (50). As Stephen matures his father means less and less to him. Stephen feels ashamed of his father’s drinking so he tries to avoid the reality of the situation (65). Stephen begins to become ashamed of all of the things his father does (67). Stephen feels his father has failed him in being a role model to him. Stephen’s dad fails Stephen in the role of a father figure. This leads Stephen to look for a father figure outside of his family. Throughout his life Stephen looks to some of the religious leaders as father figures. Those father figures include the rector of his school and the Jesuit priest from the retreat. The rector of Stephen’s school is looked to as a father figure. Stephen believes his is of good intelligence and is not judgmental. After Stephen is pandied for no reason, Stephen looks to the Rector (36). Stephen believes he has been wronged and is very mad that Father Arnell did not stand up for him (35). Stephen shows great courage when he goes up to the rector’s room to complain about Father Dolan’s pandying. All of his fellow classmates are cheering him on to talk to the rector (36). At the beginning of Stephen and the rector’s conversation the rector show great care for Stephen. The rector just listens to Stephen and the problem he is having (38). When the rector starts to deny Father Dolan’s mistake Stephen becomes a little frustrated (39). The rector sees this frustration and tells Stephen he will talk to Father Dolan the next day (39). Stephen’s view of the rector as a father figure starts to change after the confrontation. The Rector really fails Stephen when Stephen learns that the Rector and Father Dolan have been talking about him, especially when he hears they laughed about him (50). Another father figure of Stephen’s fails. Even though the rector fails Stephen he provided some philosophy to Stephen’s life. The Jesuit priest from the retreat also provides a father figure to Stephen for a short period of time. The Jesuit priest puts fear into Stephen. During the three day retreat Stephen is told all of the bad things that sins do in your life (77). The Jesuit priest makes Stephen long for direction and he hopes he can live a sinless life after the retreat (103). When Stephen tries to live a sin free life he doubts himself that he is not completely redeemed (109). Even though the Jesuit priest scares Stephen into religion he fails Stephen as a father figure. Stephen feels he cannot trust the Jesuit, so he goes to a private church to pray (104). The religious leaders fail Stephen in giving him the father figure he is searching for. Stephen also looks to Cranly, his friend, in college as a father figure. Cranly gives Stephen advice on life and helps Stephen in choices. Cranly provides Stephen with philosophy in his attempt to be a father figure to Stephen. Stephen really likes Cranly (128). Stephen talks about remembering Cranly by his face and not what the rest of him looks like (128). Stephen looks to Cranly for help about a problem he is having. Stephen’s mom wants him to go to the Easter service, but Stephen does not feel the religious faith he once felt (167). Cranly tells Stephen he should go because a mother’s love is more important than Stephen’s religious doubts (167). Stephen and Cranly’s acquaintance ends when Stephen says his is going to leave the country to explore his artistic ability (169). Cranly warns him this may be the wrong choice, but Stephen ignores him. Cranly fails Stephen as a father figure. Stephen does not agree with Cranly in the end and that makes Stephen’s idea of Cranly as a father figure disappears. The one person that successfully provides Stephen a father figure is Daedelus from Greek mythology. Daedelus provides Stephen with inspiration to be a better person and to express his artistic ability (124). Even though Daedelus was not a successful father figure to his son Icarus, Stephen still feels that Daedelus is the prefect father figure. Since Daedelus is just in Stephen’s mind, Stephen is his own father. When Stephen leaves Ireland he become his own role model in that he is Daedelus in his mind and he is not leaving anything important behind (156). Stephen puts a lot of faith into Daedelus. In Stephen’s journal entry on April 27 he calls Daedelus the great creator; which also refers to Stephen being a great creator because Daedelus is in Stephen’s mind (185). Daedelus is the only man that provides Stephen with a father figure. Daedelus is Stephen’s perfect father in his mind. Stephen’s search for a father figure is throughout A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. Even though Stephen takes a long time to find his perfect father figure, he does. Stephen searched his whole life for a father figure and then he realizes he is his own father and he is the only thing he needs. The father figures are a very important idea in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. How to cite A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man Summary, Papers

Native Son Essays (711 words) - Native Son, Lucky Luke,

Native Son In Native Son, by Richard Wright, the main character is 20 year old Bigger Thomas. Growing up poor, uneducated, and angry at the whole world, it is almost obvious that Bigger is going to have a rough life. Anger, frustration, and violence are habits for him. He is an experienced criminal, and unable to handle with his wild mood swings, Bigger often explodes in fits of crazy, aggressive outrage. Bigger has grown up with the opinion that he simply has no control over his life. In his mind, he can't ever be anything more than an unskilled, low-wage laborer. He is forced to take a job as a chauffeur for the Daltons to avoid having to watch his own family starve. Strangely, Mr. Dalton is Bigger's landlord; he owns most of the company that manages the apartment building where Bigger's family lives. Mr. Dalton and other wealthy real estate men are robbing the poor, black tenants on the South Side. What they do is refuse to rent apartments in other neighborhoods to black tenants. By doing this, they create an fake housing shortage on the South Side, and that causes high rents. Mr. Dalton likes to think of himself as a generous man just because he gives money to black schools and offers jobs to poor, timid black boys like Bigger. However, his generosity is only a way for him to get rid of the guilty conscience he has for cheating the poor black residents of Chicago. Mary Dalton, the daughter of Bigger's Mr. Dalton, angers Bigger when she ignores the rules of society when it comes to relationships between white women and black men. On his first day on the job, Bigger drives Mary out to meet her boyfriend, Jan. One thing leads to another, and all three of them get drunk. Mary is too drunk to make it to her bedroom on her own, so Bigger helps her up the stairs. Just as he places Mary on her bed, Mary's blind mother, Mrs. Dalton, enters the bedroom. Bigger is scared that Mary will give away that he is in the room, so he covers her face with a pillow and accidentally smothers her to death. Unaware that Mary is dead, Mrs. Dalton prays and then leaves the room. Bigger tries to cover his crime by burning Mary's body in the Daltons' furnace. Then attempts to frame Jan for Mary's disappearance. A comment by Bigger's girlfriend, Bessie, gives him the idea to try to collect ransom money from the Daltons. He writes a ransom letter and signs it Red, then talks Bessie into taking part in the whole plan. But, when Mary's bones are found in the furnace, Bigger and Bessie run away to an empty building. Bigger is scared that he is going to get caught because of Bessie, so he rapes her and then he beats her to death with a brick. Everyone is after Bigger to try to catch him and bring him to jail. He escapes the huge manhunt as long as he can, but he is eventually captured after a huge shoot-out. The press and the public decide his guilt and his punishment before his trial even begins. All the people just assume that Bigger raped Mary before killing her and burned her body to hide the evidence. The white authorities and mob use Bigger as an excuse to terrorize the entire South Side neighborhood. Jan is heartbroken over Mary's death, but he finally understands that he is partly guilty too. He realizes that he was wrong to expect Bigger to act differently to him than to any other white man. Jan also realizes that he violated all of the rules that apply to race relations. And the fact that he did that, angered and shamed Bigger. Jan gets his friend, Boris A. Max, to defend Bigger for free. He tries to save Bigger from the death penalty by arguing that what Bigger did was an affect of the environment he was in. Max warns the public that there will be more men like Bigger if America does not put an end to the huge cycle of hate and punishment. But, even after the trial, Bigger is sentenced

Freezing Rain Definition

Freezing Rain Definition While beautiful to look at, freezing rain is one of the most hazardous types of winter precipitation. Accumulations of just several tenths of an inch of freezing rain may not sound significant, but are more than enough to break tree limbs, down power lines (and cause power outages), and coat and cause slick roadways. The Midwest often gets devastating storms of this nature. Rain that Freezes On Contact Freezing rain is a bit of a contradiction. The freezing part of its name implies frozen (solid) precipitation, but the rain implies its a liquid. So, which is it? Well, its kind of both. Freezing rain happens when precipitation falls as liquid raindrops, then freezes as it hits individual objects on the ground whose temperatures are below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. The ice that results is called glaze ice because it covers the objects in a smooth coating. This happens in winter whenever temperatures at ground-level are below freezing but the layer of air overhead is warm at mid- and high levels of the atmosphere. So it is the temperature of objects at the earths surface, not the rain itself, that determines if the precipitation will freeze. Its important to note that freezing rain is in liquid form until it strikes a cold surface. Oftentimes, the water droplets are supercooled (their temperature is below freezing, yet they remain liquid) and freeze on contact. How Fast Freezing Rain Freezes While we say that freezing rain freezes on impact when it strikes a surface, in reality, it takes a little time for the water to turn to ice. (How long depends on the temperature of the water drop, the temperature of the object the drop strikes, and the size of the drop. The quickest drops to freeze will be small, supercooled drops that hit objects whose temperatures are well below 32 degrees.) Because freezing rain doesnt necessarily freeze right away, icicles and dripping icicles will sometimes develop.   Freezing Rain vs. Sleet Freezing rain and sleet are similar in a lot of ways. They both start out high in the atmosphere as snow, then melt as they fall into a warm (above freezing) layer of air. But while the partially melted snowflakes that eventually turn into sleet will fall through a brief warm layer, then re-enter a deep enough cold layer to turn back into ice (sleet), in a freezing rain setup, the melted snowflakes dont have enough time to freeze (into sleet) before reaching the ground since the layer of cold air is too thin.  Ã‚   Sleet not only differs from freezing rain in how it forms, but what it looks like. Whereas sleet appears as tiny clear ice pellets that bounce when they hit the ground, freezing rain coats the surfaces it strikes with a layer of smooth ice.   Why doesnt it just snow? In order to get snow, temperatures throughout the atmosphere would need to remain below-freezing with no warm layer to be found. Remember, if you want to know the type of precipitation youll get at the surface in wintertime, youll want to look at what the temperatures are (and how theyre changing) from high up in the atmosphere all the way down to the surface. Heres the bottom line: Snow forms if the entire layer of air aloft and near the ground is sub-freezing.Sleet forms if the layer of sub-freezing air is fairly deep (approx. 3,000 to 4,000 feet thick).Freezing rain forms if the sub-freezing layer is very shallow, with cold temperatures at the surface only.Rain forms if the cold layer is too shallow.

Biography of Alice Walker, Pulitzer Prize Winning Writer

Biography of Alice Walker, Pulitzer Prize Winning Writer Alice Walker (born February 9, 1944) is a writer and activist, perhaps best known as the author of The Color Purple and more than 20 other books and poetry collections.  She is also known for  recovering the work of Zora Neale Hurston and for her work against female circumcision.  She won the Pulitzer Prize in 1983 and the National Book Award in 1984. Fast Facts: Alice Walker Known For: Writer, feminist, and activistBorn: February 9, 1944 in Eatonton, GeorgiaParents: Minnie Tallulah Grant and Willie Lee WalkerEducation: East Putnam Consolidated, Butler-Baker High School in Eatonton, Spelman College, and Sarah Lawrence CollegePublished Works: The Color Purple, The Temple of My Familiar, Possessing the Secret of JoySpouse: Melvyn R. Leventhal (m. 1967–1976)Children: Rebecca Leventhal (b. November 1969) Early Life Alice Walker was born on February 9, 1944, in Eatonton, Georgia, the last of eight children born to Minnie Tallulah Grant and Willie Lee Walker. Her parents were sharecroppers who worked on a large cotton farm during the days of Jim Crow. Recognizing Alices abilities at a very young age, her mother got the 4-year old into first grade at East Putnam Consolidated, where she quickly became a star pupil. In 1952, a childhood accident blinded her in one eye. Medical conditions in the Jim Crow south meant she did not get proper medical treatment until six years later when she visited her brother in Boston, Massachusetts. Nevertheless, she went on to become valedictorian of her class at Butler-Baker High School. At 17, Walker received a scholarship to attend Spelman College in Atlanta, where she became interested in Russian literature and the burgeoning Civil Rights movement. In 1963, she was offered a scholarship to Sarah Lawrence College, and, after her activist mentor Howard Zinn was fired from Spelman, Walker transferred to Sarah Lawrence. There, she studied poetry with Muriel Rukeyser (1913–1980), who would help her get her first collection of poems, Once, published in 1968. In her senior year, Walker studied in East Africa as an exchange student; she graduated in 1965. Professional Life After college, Alice Walker worked briefly for the New York City Department of Welfare and then returned to the south, moving to Jackson, Mississippi. In Jackson, she volunteered in voter registration drives and worked for the Legal Defense Fund of the NAACP. She met fellow civil rights worker Melvyn R. Leventhal on March 17, 1967, and they married in New York and moved back to Jackson, where they were the first legally married biracial couple in the city. They had one daughter, Rebecca, born November 17, 1969, but the marriage ended in divorce in 1976. Alice Walker started her professional writing career as a writer-in-residence first at Jackson State University (1968–1969) and then at Tougaloo College (1970–1971). Her first novel,  a three-generation saga of sharecroppers called The Third Life of Grange Copeland, was published in 1970. In 1972, she taught a course in Black Womens Writers at the University of Massachusetts in Boston. She continued steadily writing throughout this period. Early Writing By the mid-1970s, Walker turned to her inspirations from the Harlem Renaissance period of the early 20th century. In 1974, Walker wrote a biography of poet Langston Hughes (1902–1967), and the following year she published a description of her research with Charlotte Hunt, In Search of Zora Neale Hurston, in Ms.  magazine. Walker is credited with reviving interest in the writer/anthropologist (1891–1960). Her novel Meridian came out in 1976, and the subject was the civil rights movement in the south. Her next novel, The Color Purple, changed her life. Alice Walkers poems, novels, and short stories frankly deal with rape, violence, isolation, troubled relationships, bi-sexuality, multi-generational perspectives, sexism, and racism: all of the things which she knew from her personal experiences. Always, and more as she grew as a writer, Alice Walker has been unafraid to be controversial. The Color Purple When The Color Purple came out in 1982, Walker became known to an even wider audience. Her Pulitzer Prize and the movie by Steven Spielberg brought both fame and controversy. She was widely criticized for negative portrayals of men in The Color Purple, though many critics admitted that the movie presented more simplistic negative pictures than the books more nuanced portrayals. In two books- The Temple of My Familiar (1989) and Possessing the Secret of Joy (1992)- Walker took on the issue of female circumcision in Africa, which brought further controversy: was Walker a cultural imperialist to criticize a different culture? Legacy Alice Walkers works are known for their portrayals of the African-American womans life. She depicts vividly the sexism, racism, and poverty that make that life often a struggle. But she also portrays as part of that life, the strengths of family, community, self-worth, and spirituality. Many of her novels depict women in other periods of history than our own. Just as with non-fiction womens history writing, such portrayals give a sense of the differences and similarities of womens condition today and in that other time. Alice Walker continues not only to write but to be active in environmental, feminist/womanist causes, and issues of economic justice. Her latest novel, Now is the Time to Open Your Heart, was published in 2004; since that time her published work has been poetry. In 2018, she published a collection of poems titled Taking the Arrow Out of the Heart. Sources Alice Walker: By the Book. The New York Times, December 13, 2018.  Howard, Lillie P (ed.). Alice Walker Zora Neale Hurston: The Common Bond. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood, 1993.Lazo, Caroline. Alice Walker: Freedom Writer. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications, 2000.  Ã‚  Takenaga, Lara. A Q. and A. With Alice Walker Stoked Outrage. Our Book Review Editor Responds. New York Times, December 18, 2018.  Walker, Alice. Alice Walker Banned.  Ed. Holt, Patricia. New York: Aunt Lute Books, 1996.  Walker, Alice (ed.) I Love Myself When I Am Laughing... Then Again When I Am Looking Mean Impressive: A Zora Neale Hurston Reader. New York: The Feminist Press, 1979.  Walker, Alice. Living by the Word: Selected Writings, 1973-1987. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Company, 1981.White, Evelyn C. Alice Walker: A Life. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2004.