How would it feel to be a 12 year old girl, watching all the other little boys and girls rush toschool, knowing that you’ll never have the opportunity to be as worry-free andhappy as them? Today is your wedding day. It’s time to get ready. Everyone youloved is suddenly far away, remote, distant; you no longer understand whatthey’re talking about and they’ve suddenly stopped listening to you. Keep yourclothes clean; straighten your back, don’t slouch. Make sure you smile, butdon’t smile with your teeth. Keep your eyes natural; do not blankly stare atanyone. Pretend you’re happy. They’re going to tell you what you’ll wear, whatyou’ll do, and what you’ll be. They’ve forced you into this silly bond with aman triple your age. He is a complete stranger, and strange is correct. Butthey, who you once believed to have a beautiful and precious bond with, havedecided that this is now your present and your future. They’ve planned out yourentire life here, and they do not care about your innocence nor your nativity.Where is your opinion in this entire process? It’s unseen, unheard, andunspoken. You’re their puppet and they are the master. They control the shownow, whether you like it or not.
Good morning, how wasyour sleep? What’s this? Your eyes are red and swollen from crying; your throatis parched from sobbing. You’re married now to this stranger, triple your age.You found out last night that he is not interested in petty childish games, he’sexperienced and mature. He is the least bit bothered by your words, and hetries to take advantage however he can. You get out of bed, and see the mess onthe floor. You take whatever is remaining of your wedding attire off, and youquickly take a shower, and think about your loved ones. Your husband knocks onthe door, and you are startled; he mumbles a few words and you know it’s timeto start the day as his 12-year-old wife. Run! To the kitchen, your husband ishungry and he is not happy when he’s hungry. Be careful now, since you have notlearned to cook as of yet. But don’t worry, there’s your mother-in-law, she’llhelp you. Ouch! You burned yourself huh? Well good thing it didn’t mess up yourinnocent beauty. That keeps your husband’s urges alive.
He gets up forwork and wants a kiss goodbye but you find this strange because you’ve neverkissed anyone goodbye. Not even the loving family you once thought you had.You’re so shy and young, and you don’t know how to eat, how to speak, how toreact in the presence of other people. You’re scared and alone here now, yourlife crushed. Your loved ones have passed on the strings of the puppet intoyour husband’s hands. You are in his control, and this is your life now. He’lllove you and your innocent beauty.
500 words total.
Samiha! I love this! I felt like I was the girl! You did such a great job of manipulating my emotions (thanks a lot haha) and your argument definitely came across. Great use of pathos-I thought this was such a great topic to address and you did it very well! Loved it!
ReplyDeleteThis blog immediately caught my eye - I would've never thought anyone would've chose this issue. The first thing I would like to compliment is the way it is written - I feel like it perfectly depicts the mechanical personality of the main woman you are talking about. I also thought that the sentence structure reflected this. The sentences are short and chopped, and fits perfectly with how anyone would feel in this situation - mechanical, robot-like. I also really like how you don't explicitly point out the social issue, and in return allow you to immerse yourself in the passage without having prior knowledge of what the actual issue is and what you think about it. Also, I think it reminds me of Girl by Kincaid - and of how you are expected to act a certain way, but it actually contradicts itself. Overall, you did an excellent job.
ReplyDeleteWow, this was such a powerful blog post. I felt thrown into the issue, which was even more impactful because it was like I was the little girl. A lot of emotions came through clearly and your pathos was really great. The topic you chose was really interesting and although I didn't know too much about it beforehand, I felt like I went through it myself thanks to your post. Amazing job!!
ReplyDeleteI know you are quite passionate about this issue because after reading this i remembered a couple of time where you had mentioned it in passing. It seems to be something that is ever on your mind. Perhaps it is because of your family's cultural ties with this particular issue. I remember you telling me how when you were in Bangladesh you got marriage proposals from strangers on the street. This is why I found this blog particularly moving. I can see your personality and fervour in it.
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