Prompt 6

So-called ‘academic prose’ or college writing has been taught to students from elementary all the way into college. It is a formal style of writing, where one does not use vernacular language, but instead uses formal wording and sentence structure. This kind of writing is often composed into paragraphs, each with a main idea. These paragraphs may be then arranged into the five-paragraph essay, which typically includes an introduction with a thesis, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. This is taught in English classes , but also is expected in many other school subjects when a paper is to be written. The basis behind this essay is that it allows students to express their ideas clearly and concisely, so the reader can understand them. This kind of writing is practiced so that in real essays the student may produce, and also other expressions of writing, the student may not only be understood, but gain ethos because of the intelligence they are perceived to have. Vernacular language and unclear structure wouldn’t cut it. An interesting question is, what if the student has strength in expressing themselves a different way, but not in writing? While there are many other ways one can express oneself, writing has been a powerful means of communication in our culture and it is expected that we communicate with it with at least a base knowledge of the structure and style expected of us.

As for other means of communication, the possibilities are endless. The way we dress, our posture, or modify our bodies is a means of communication, as well as the body language and of course, human speech. A piece of artwork may be considered a form of communication, depending on how it is perceived by the viewer. But in terms of inscribing meaning on the actual body, that is the realm of body modification. More normative forms of body modification such as painting one’s nails or doing one’s hair may express an attempt at beauty and cleanliness, especially if one does it well. It may indicate an attempt to fit in, attract a mate, or impress. Each act and how one does it asserts something slightly different, and it would be exhausting to cover them all. More extreme and non-normative forms of body modification may express rebellion and nonconformity.

Another thing to think about is the principle of authorship, both in contexts of formal writing and the body. It is the idea of some that one may assert authorship over one’s body by modifying it to their specifications; specifically against the normative traditions we have been groomed for. This goes for formal writing as well. One follows a writing formula dictated by social standards and thought of as the best, just like normative bodies are thought of as the best by society. Greater authorship over a piece may be gained by breaking out of the traditional writing format, just as body modification grants greater authorship over one’s body. The two aren’t exactly the same, but hold many similarities that have been discussed. In terms of limits, there are limits to what both can express, even when one breaks out of the traditional format, because it is less of how it is expressed, but how it shall be perceived. This perception enforces social traditions and guards against limitless expression.