A Scholar's Point of View

In the article The Toxic Body Politic Cheryl J Fish talks about all of the intersections that occur between gender, gender roles, race, and modern culture. Also, she emphasis the importance that desire has on what individuals are consuming.  Fish suggest that there is a need for environment justice when this hormone, DES, causes illnesses in people. Fish spends a great deal of time talking about the dangerous use of the hormone DES and its affect it had on the characters and other individuals beyond the story My Year of Meats. According to Fish, not only is the harmful affects of DES a motivator for Ozeki’s novel characters, but a few others. Fish explains that My Year of Meats shines light into the gendered ethnic American and how media productions try and promote a transnational identity. ­ Also, the role that Jane playing in the book is discussed. The article addresses her multicultural background and the androgynous identity that she possess.

Fish’s analysis of MY Year of Meats was too one sided on the role DES played in the mix and the idea of this eco-justice or environmental role. Yes, I do think it is terrible to be injecting a toxic hormone into cattle, but I never saw it as the heart of the story. I felt that Akiko and her relationship with her husband was far more important, and far more interesting.  I think Fish too much time analyzing DES and then not enough time talking about the real story that was happening. The main idea of this article was the Fish’s idea of a Feminist Eco-Justice.

I also found the quotation within the article talking about  95% of all feed lot cattle in the U.S. still receive some form of growth hormone, unenlightening. There is nothing more irritating than a statistic placed in skewed place in the paragraph. Although the statistic is probably correct that 95% of the cattle are receiving some type of growth hormone, there technically is no problem, but the article basically implied there was one. I often give the example of the statement that appears on the outside of a hormone free milk jug, “Our Farmer Pledge Not To Use Article Growth Hormones.” The statement is a pledge because there is no way to scientifically tell the difference in milk between cows injected with today’s hormones and a cow that is not. There have been hundreds of test and yet, they cannot see the difference. Do you know what the biggest kicker is? The fact that there is bovine growth hormone in the milk, except it occurs naturally regardless of whether or not the cow is being injected. The reason there is no crazy outbreak of giant children is because human beings don’t respond to bovine growth hormone, because its made for a calf to grow, not a human. Who would of thought?

 Beyond the miss used quote, it seemed as though Fish was more interested in using big words than explaining herself or making what she has stated more clearly. I felt a lot of words were repeated and was struggling to follow long sentences with randomly long words strewed throughout. The article talks about tons of ideas for gender roles, cultural roles, environment activism, feminist eco-justice. All these ideas and concept are tossed around with little background for the average reader or any reader to grasp. The more I read the article the more I wondered if the writer actually knew what they were talking about. 

"I Was Forced to Get Pregnant"

http://www.redbookmag.com/love-sex/advice/reproductive-control-4

The resource I have added is an article called, “I Was Forced to Get Pregnant”. The article includes background about reproductive coercion. This form of domestic violence is quite different than other forms. It includes verbal and physical, but also the individual’s reproductive health is the main source of power as the other partner tries to control it. The article tells two stories about two different women. Both women are over taken by their partners. The women’s sole purpose for the relationship or for the man was for the woman to have children. The situation became so severe in the second story that the woman had to convince the doctor to give her a hysterectomy in order for her husband to stop trying to have children with her.

This articles connection to the book is nearly a one to one ratio with Akiko. When reading the first story about the woman Sara, it was almost as though it could have been Akiko’s story. Akiko was abused physically and sexually, but it was beyond that. Akiko did not just see her husband hitting her and abusing her, Akiko saw her husband using her for her reproductive system. Throughout the story John says how nice it would be for him to be a father. John works it in conversation and works desperately for Akiko to start eating, that she may have her period again, and be able to become pregnant. Also, John becomes aggressive when Akiko was hiding her period and began beating her. Sara’s story follows along the same lines. I like this resource because it does not make the abuse Akiko was receive as any normal kind of abuse. The idea that men don’t just hit to hit, they want control. Often times I think people can play off men begging women for having babies as just something men do. Though I pray that men do not go to the lengths some of the men did in the stories, but I do worrier there are more women out there being used for their reproductive system 

Controlled

The main issue when analysis My Year of Meats was Reproductive Coercion. When reading the book, I knew what Akiko was going through was a form of domestic violence, but after researching, looking at reviews, and in class discussion it has become very clear what was really going on with Akiko and John. John wanted power over Akiko and specifically, her reproductive system. This relates to a lot of class discussion of how males try and dominate female within the relationship. Men trying to control women reproductive health is not even seen as a bad thing. Men pressuring women into having children is just seen as them trying to be a father. Women or friends can just play it off as them being “cute”. Though sometimes the problem becomes not so cute anymore, an example being in Akiko’s position. When John not only micromanages Akiko’s food intake and day to day activities, but also her period. As though Akiko’s menstruation was John’s for the taking, and since Akiko wasn’t having one, she was robbing John of what was his. Domestic violence is becoming all too familiar with violent relationship hurting women every day. In class we talk about how hard it is for women to leave these relationships and it takes more than a few tries before the woman actually does leave. It is important to remember this when it comes to people and their individual situations. When reading the book, everyone knew the instant John had beaten Akiko that she needed to leave. Yet, Akiko had stayed with John for a while longer. It is hard to understand the situation because we may not know what it is like to feel completely powerless. It’s important to remember the end of the story, with Akiko leaving, because it does offer there is still hope. 

What's been said...

There are countless reviews of the novel My Year of Meats by Ruth Ozeki, and the comments varied from extremely enthusiastic to less than desirable. The first comment that I thought reflected somewhat similarly to what I felt was post by an anonymous source May 13, 2002 on Barnes and Nobles website.

“If Ozeki's goals were to (1) change attitudes about meat and the meat industry and (2) tell a good story, then she succeeds. The problem is that the story is also about race, intimacy, fertility, American, families, the media, consumerism, and a few other big things.”

I understand the meaning of meat to be symbolic and play beyond its role than just an Americanized food into new cultures, but I do like to reflect on this reviewer’s point. The point that many people found most wrenching in this story was the lack of wellness in food and environment within the United States and outside of its boarders. I know the hormone DES was horrible and it hurt people, but I did not see it as the core of the story line. It did play a role in the shape of how the story did unfold, but the way it appeared did take away from what was going on within the characters and what was being experienced by them. Suddenly this huge idea is put into the book about hormones and it affecting people and the focus is no longer on Jane or Akiko, but a world view of what is going on with this hormone.

The next review that I looked at was from Amazon’s website by Alana V. Rivera “eveninghawk” posted February 5^th, 2005:

“This book is excellent because it's an unforgiving romp through modern day America and the hurdles it holds for artists, people of multicultural heredity, and women. It's also an unforgiving look at some of the Japanese misconceptions of America and how they're perpetuated.

What I really love about this book is the role-reversal of strength and the confrontation with one's own self-image.

The other real clincher is that the book hits on a real life issue - medicines in our meat - in a way that hits the reader right in the gut. It's a well-researched heads up for our social consciousness.”

I love this review because they touch on a few of the bases that we had for class discussion. The concept of American culture invading other cultures and giving misconceptions about life. The review talks about women and individuals who are multicultural which is what I think is at the center of the book. How American cultural has shaped Japan, causing cultural change that may not be seen as good, especially for those that do not want to change. I also enjoyed the use of the word self-image. Even though I did not think of it myself, the book did somewhat revolve around the issue of how people saw themselves. Akiko saw herself as helpless, and needed to find herself. John was looking for this self of power, a family. Jane, a Japanese American was trying to find her niche in life. All the characters one way or another was controlled or wanted control of their self-image.

The last review I would like to bring up is from the website Good Reads by Pamela Huxtable post April 22^nd, 2012:

“Ozeki touches on so many subjects and does it so well. This novel is funny, tragic, sweet, and infuriating. Two central characters, Jane and Akiko - one an independent American filmmaker, the other a submissive Japanese housewife, guiding the reader through their Year of Meats.

Ozeki punctuates each chapter with snippets from Shonagon's Pillow Book, which was a good quiet balance, especially in the last few climatic chapters.”

I choose this review last because it is a good summarizing point. There were a lot of subjects mention in My Year of Meats and the seriousness of each is enough to stress anyone out. The book all in all is a good reference point for a great deal of discussions. From cultural invasion, environmental justice, multicultural individuals, women, the list is seemingly endless. Ozeki does a spectacular job putting so much into one book, but it does come as a conscience of other materials being pushed to the sidelines or overlooked. 

Works Cited:

Anonymous. "good, not great." Barnes & Noble. N.p., 13 May 2002. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.

Rivera, Alana V. “eveninghawk”. "it’s all about the image." Amazon, 5 Feb 2005. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.

Huxtable, Pamela.  Goodreads. N.p., 22 Apr 2012. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.