Constructing the Self

In this task, students will read, analyze, and write about a selection from Susan Bordo’s "Unbearable Weight" in which she makes the argument that texts teach us how to see and think about ourselves and others.

Students will analyze a popular text to explore the idea that texts shape our views about how young people should think, look, or behave. During this analysis, students consider the methods by which a text can shape an audience’s ideas or beliefs.

Students will convey their own perspective about the message texts send to young people about how they should think, look, and behave through either an essay or mixed-media presentation.