"In the Middle Ages, so-called witches and others who lived on the outskirts of the law, piety, or convention were burned at the stake. Mimicking the fire and brimstone of hell, it was the ultimate horror. Death would happen cell by cell, receptor by receptor; each of life's minute senses would be torched" (Page 69).
When reading this passage a clear visual came to my mind. When reading it, I pictured the brutal execution served to those that were seen as sinners or malefactors. The imagery from the word "torched" brought a vivd red to mind and I pictured the red attacking a person's limbs while they are being burned at the stake. It was an unsettling image, and I wished to convey it by painting my hand red to mimic the flames torturing the senses.
"Being able to endure the pain of childbirth is expected of women, but there are also disguised rites of pain, pain that is endured for the sake of health or beauty. Women have their legs waxed as a matter of fashion, and have done so throughout the ages" (Page 103).
This passage made me reflect on the pain of waxing. I hate the feeling of plucking my eyebrows but I still perform the task every week because I do not want my eyebrows to look bushy. I recalled my experiences of plucking my eyebrows and the incredibly sharp pain that accompanied the action. It made me question why exactly I perform this ritual weekly when it causes such an unpleasant attack on my senses. I decided to illustrate the sharp feeling that came with plucking a hair, and how the small, simple action would evoke a sensation so substantial.
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