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.