Unlearning the Myths That Bind Us: Linda Christensen

1.) "Our society's culture industry colonizes their minds and teaches them how to act, live, and dream. This indoctrination hits young children especially hard. The 'secret education,' as Chilean writer Ariel Dorfman dubs it, delivered by children's books and movies, instructs young people to accept the world as it is portrayed in these social blueprints. And often that would depicts the domination of one sex, one race, or one country over a weaker counterpart." (pg 127)

I chose this quote because it shows how movies distort peoples views of a perfect life. It is true that our society has been, as Dorfman put it, "secretly educated." We watch movies, read magazines and listen to songs that portray people as what we have come to think of as perfect. Not only that but we live in societies depending on our race or nationality or social status and rarely see outside of them. Similar to what Kozol stated in his article, Christensen says that we have limited opportunities to interact with people who are different than us. This is calling our small community diverse. These books and movies we are exposed to at a young age stick in our minds until we are taught different. These forms of education are powerful but go unnoticed.


2.) "Personally, handling the dissection of dreams has been a major cause of depression for me. Not so much dissecting- but how i react to what is found as a result of the operation. It can be overwhelming and discouraging to find out my whole self image has been formed mostly by others or underneath my worries about what I look like after years (17 of them) of being exposed to TV images of girls and their set roles given to them by TV and the media. It's painful to deal with. The idea of not being completely responsible for how I feel about things today is scary. So why dissect the dreams? Why not stay ignorant about them and happy?" (page 128)

This quote is from a student named Justine. She is talking about how she realized that what she has been taught previously, and what she based her dreams on was images set by movies and books. To her looking deeper into her dreams in class and realizing this she did not take it lightly, is caused her depression. She realized "what is found is a result of the operation" meaning that movie producers and book authors know hot to manipulate children at a young age causing their dreams and aspirations to be based upon what they create. She realized that after 17 years of dreaming, her dreams were based on others through television. I agree with how this could be painful because what the media depicts as perfect, it almost impossible to achieve, but once it has been a dream for years, it is hard to realize that. I often find myself wishing for what others have and it is still hard to realize it will never happen. Maybe I do realize it but I will never be able to accept it. She says that she is not completely responsible for the way she feels because how she feels is based upon others she sees in movies or reads about in books. 

3.) "Catkin wanted to publish her piece in a magazine for young women so they would begin to question the origin of the standards by which they judge themselves. Most students wrote articles for local and national newspapers or magazines. Some published in neighborhood papers, some in church newsletters. The writing of these articles was tighter and cleaner than for-the-teacher essays because it had the potential for a real audience beyond the classroom walls." (page 137)

Some of the students spoken about in this article have come to feel so passionate about this topic their reflections are much better than their other work. One student wanted her article to be in a magazine to raise awareness. I think this would be a good source for other young women to read because it is coming from someone around the same age that has done research. The students knew their papers could have a chance of being published in some greater place. This, i think, for any student would be a huge incentive to write a stronger piece. I think the topic they were reflecting on is something so real to them that even that would help their paper become stronger.