“The Story of my Body” by Judith Cofer is a story of her life coming to understand true value and worth outside of physical appearance. Cofer’s story begins in her childhood. She describes not fitting into any cultures because of her appearance which is still an issue today, although many are working towards inclusivity. Her body image depleted as she got older and came to America. Body image is a huge issue in America to this day. Some research “suggests children as young as 3 years old can have body image issues” (Family Doctor). The interactions children have with their peers and adults as well as social media can have a huge influence on how children, and people in general, perceive themselves. Hearing how adults talk about others can affect a child’s body image. In “The Story of my Body,” adults commenting on Cofer’s appearance made her aware of the fact that she looked different. Cofer worked through her body image issues and can to discover self-worth in her writing and education. She contributed to the wonderful diversity we have in America. Despite being from another country, Cofer realized her intelligence and allowed it to carry her through life. She learned that her human dignity lies in who she is as a person. Many people that come to America may feel as if they do not belong. However, the individuals come to realize their important contribution to making America the “melting pot” it truly is. The attached TED talk discusses some of the diversity people from other countries bring to America (TEDx Talks). Once we realize that diversity is a beautiful thing, we can learn to love ourselves, just like Judith Cofer learned to love herself (Nawal Amir). “The Story of my Body” discusses the difficulties associated with not feeling like you belong, but continuing to walk through life to find that self-worth does not come from physical appearance. True self-worth comes from who you are and how you treat others.
Citations:
Childhood Body Image: Familydoctor.org Editorial Staff. Familydoctor.org, American Academy of Family Physicians, February 2021, https://familydoctor.org/building-your-childs-body-image-and-self-esteem/. Accessed 3 September 2021.
TEDx Talk: TEDx Talks. “What Being Hispanic and Latinx Means in the United States | Fernanda Ponce | TEDxDeerfield.” YouTube, uploaded by TEDx Talks, 10 April 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1A4Vsh5Qas.
Beauty in Diversity: Amir, Nawal. “Beauty in Diversity || A Short Film by Nawal Amir.” YouTube, uploaded by Nawal Amir, 1 May 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zW8nQ99cUBA.
I really liked how your presentation focuses on Cofer’s relation to her body both before and after her body image got better. One thing I saw in the story was that Cofer seemed to focus mainly on how she felt positively about her body when she was quite young, and as she heard more negative comments she slowly started lose her body image. It was a bit subtle that she feels better about her self-worth now, and doesn’t overtly talk about it until the end. However I found the use of talking about the linked negative emotions in the past tense, made it evident that now she now feels better about her body.
I liked the way your presentation broke down her motives behind writing her piece. The way she described herself from her point of view and from other people’s really helped me understand the message she was trying to bring to the table. Cofer and her family valued beauty. Her characteristics represented where she came from and that what makes her so confident. She did not feel insecure going anywhere until people began commenting on her appearance. She noted that she began to second guess herself after certain things people said to her. I admire her positivity and growth to be able to write about her experiences. America is very diverse, yet some people never want to accept it. There are those who are still racist towards those who are not American natives.
Hello,
I enjoy reading your post. I think your post is thoughtful. People always judge others by their appearance and look intentionally or unintentionally. However, I think one’s look cannot reflect this person’s personality. I really love the idea that “True self-worth comes from who you are and how you treat others”. A person with a nice appearance does not mean that he has a good character. I knew some people were discriminated because they did not have a nice look but they had good character. Thus, a diverse and inclusive attitude in the society is very important in today’s society.