Seeing and WritingChapter 4Figuring the Body
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In Chapter 4, "Figuring the Body," the articles seem to have the same message or focus, and that is the social image of the human body. The writers in this chapter shared their thoughts on how this image influenced their lives and on how it influences other people, while the photographers showed the essence of the human body.
In "Portrait of My Body," by Phillip Lopate, the article dealt with how Lopate described his image to others and how others described his image. That's all there was to it. He accepts who he is and it doesn't matter to him that he doesn't have the perfect body.
Kiki Smith's "Lilith" counteracts society's image of having the "perfect body." Smith's work is based around the human anatomy. The sculpture "Lilith" is no exception. This sculpture of a human body is abnormal it doesn't look human at all. The position of the body is crouched and defensive, as if the body was bracing for physical harm or the human was just frightened...