Hunger

Gay asserts that “People see bodies like mine and make their assumptions. They think they know the why of my body” (5). What assumptions do we, as a society, make about people who are fat? Why do you think we make such assumptions and/or continue to perpetuate certain stereotypes?

As a follow-up to Essay Topic #2, do you think men with fat bodies are subjected to the same assumptions and stereotypes as women of size? Why or why not? If you believe there are differences, why do you think this is the case?

Like daytime television icon Oprah Winfrey, Gay embodies a paradox: She wants to accept her body (and for others to accept it as well), but she also wishes to change it. In what ways can this tension be resolved for those who do not fit society’s image of beauty, or even “normality”—especially women?

In what ways does our cultural obsession with the body (in terms of beauty, sexuality, wealth, etc.) contribute to Gay’s shame?

How has Gay’s self-image affected her relationships with family, friends, and romantic partners?

According to Gay, what is the vocabulary or “taxonomy” (43) that we, as a society, use to describe fat bodies? Do you think this taxonomy has changed at all in recent years (especially with the rise of social media)? Why or why not?

Gay says that her fat body leads people to erase her gender and deny her womanhood. How so? How does her being a Black woman play into this?

Gay shares her fear of men and how her body does not cater to the male gaze. How do these sentiments affect men’s treatment of her in public spaces?