Gay gives a strong, angry, and sad expression throughout this article because she wants to bring out her definition of feminist and explaining other controversial issues. Therefore, Roxane Gay effectively appeals to her audience by real life examples, displaying through words of what feminist desire but tries to stay away from, and establishing through personal experiences. She discusses events from crimes, rapes, how women have to behave towards men, and stories of her own by informing her audience to have a reality check on several issues women are facing past and present to future.
She shows credibility to her audience by being familiar with this topic, throughout she is building and showing how much she is passionate by being a strong black woman.
(169) Gay explains how she’s a bad feminist by not following up to an “essential feminist” but an empowered woman who just wants equality for all. She also establishes through personal experiences by getting labeled as an “angry feminist” (163) or the “bad feminist”. She is informing that no need for perfection to be a feminist, do what you desire to be who you want to be. Another feeling Gay strengthens with her word choice is “demanding perfection” because feminists wants and needs perfection, she contributes a hunger that feminists wants but tries to bypass. Her goal is to make her audience have a strong viewpoint of the feminism. Gay is displaying through words of what feminists desire but tries to stay away from when she states, “We see this fear of categorization, this fear of being forced into a box that cannot quite accommodate a woman properly.” (164) Gay brings emotion by views of feminism and empower her audience to have an insight on the issues women face. Gay expresses real life situations to enlighten her audience that they don’t have to be characterized as a labeled feminist, such as what other people think. She also gives personal facts on her perspectives from how women are treated by men to confessions of failing as a woman. Roxane Gay begins by using real life examples when she establishes a quotes from an American writer and journalist, Elizabeth Wurtzel’s article, stating “Real feminist earn a living, have money and means of their own and women who don’t are fake feminist and don’t deserve the label” (163) and later on, Wurtzel also states in another article, “good feminists works hard to be beautiful.” Gay is using real life examples from different authors to convey a reason why she is a “bad feminist” because she isn’t an example.Īdditionally, Gay indicates Wurtzel’s suggestion, “that a woman’s worth is determined by beauty which is what feminism works against” because she recalls the challenges of how feminism is labeled in the modern world.
The overall idea is how Gay rejects the “essentialist feminist” myth and any of those expectations that come along with the label of feminism. Accepting that she is a “bad feminist”, Gay allows her to be herself to love the color pink and derogatory rap music, for instance and to still be a feminist, which is to say, someone who believes women should be treated equally and treated well.