Wanting What She Can't Have

In Susan Bordo’s article Unbearable Weight, the topics discussed in the section titled “Collusion, Resistance, and the Body” caught my attention. Bordo approaches the subject of anorexia in a way that I have never considered. She first touches on the obvious reason of becoming anorexic for women, which is to become thin, but then goes on to explain the deeper meaning behind the disorder. According to Bordo, many women become anorexic, which leads to the development of a body of more masculine features. This body type can only be achieved through extreme self-discipline, which Bordo believes to be the addicting part of the disorder. Bordo states, “At school an anorectic discovers that her steadily shrinking body is admired, not so much as an aesthetic or sexual object, but for the strength of will and self-control it projects” (178). This situation is a prime example of positive reinforcement, which is enjoyed by the anorectic. Though the disorder being reinforced is negative, the praise the anorectic receives from her peers makes her believe what she is doing is positive. Bordo continues on to address the fact that through anorexia, a woman is able to get a glimpse of a “privileged, male lifestyle.” This section of the article surprised me and stood out as an example of human nature of wanting what we cannot have. A woman may think she can access the “privileged male” lifestyle through anorexia, but in the back of her mind knows she can never truly be a man. This fact is what makes her drive even stronger and her disorder even more powerful over her.