Using Riding Fury Home, by Chana Wilson, and the first chapter of Gender and the Social Construct

Using Riding Fury Home, by Chana Wilson, and the first chapter of Gender and the Social Construction of Illness, by Judith Lorber and Lisa Moore as your primary sources, plus one – two scholarly articles of the your choosing, please construct a clear argument (thesis) centered on any of the topics that have come up for you while reading the primary sources. In other words, I ask that you establish a major claim you want to demonstrate or “prove” using your sources to emphasize your thinking. 

For example, you might want to explore the US mental healthcare system, demonstrating how it has improved (or not) from the horrors Gloria encountered as a young mother. In what ways was Gloria treated that someone else might not have been? Or, you might choose to explore the theme of being an outsider, as Wilson and Gloria are for most of the memoir, and how that has shaped their existence. How does being an outsider give the author a different perspective on adulthood? Or, discuss the importance of finding one’s own community, as Wilson and Gloria do after some time. Or, considering how the women’s rights movement has had a powerful effect on Wilson’s and Gloria’s lives, you might choose to trace the ways in which feminism today is different from the movement(s) depicted in the book. How are the goals of feminism from the author’s era different from those of today (or are they)? These are merely ideas for you to consider to kick-start your thinking. You may choose to explore any issue raised in Riding Fury Home and the first chapter of Gender and the Social Construction of Illness as long as it is logical and “researchable.” (As yourselves the “So what?” question we discussed when figuring out your working thesis.)

In you essay, be sure to:

– cite and analyze passages from the text for support.

– underline your thesis.

– offer a title for your essay.

– include the MLA style of documentation. (Consult Bb for appropriate MLA style 

of citation and documentation).

– proofread carefully.