Introduction to Body Image in The Realm of Possibility
Each person has a different experience with growing up and becoming the person they are meant to be as shown by David Levithan in The Realm of Possibility. Many times, childhood experiences shape and define how we view the world and interpret our experiences. The Realm of Possibility, the book by David Levithan, shows the experiences of childhood and young adulthood are combined into a beautiful and descriptive work of poetry that demonstrates the experiences of young adults from many different backgrounds whose experiences are different in and of themselves and which all show a different side of the individual struggle to find oneself. Throughout childhood, images and ideas of physical perfection come at children and young adults from every angle. Through this, individuals are able to create an idea of how it is socially acceptable to look and what images and representations of physical characteristics should be followed and emulated. These images and interpretations of how one should look are often confusing and frustrating, leading many to be unsatisfied with themselves and their bodies, constantly striving for perfection that they will never be able to obtain. In this book The Realm of Possibility, Levithan addresses these issues and pressures head-on in three of his poems entitled “Tinder Heart”, “Suburban Myths” and “Strong”.
The Realm of Possibility and “Tinder Heart”
“Tinder Heart” in The Realm of Possibility is a poem dedicated to the fragility of the heart and how closely this relates to body image, specifically the development of an eating disorder. The poem begins with Mary who does not allow herself to love a boy. This comes from her dissatisfaction with herself and her body. Throughout the poem, Mary is constantly observing the bodies of others, both men and women. She notices her friend Elizabeth and how she does not worry herself about how she looks. It seems as if Mary cannot comprehend this, but is still a little jealous. She is constantly in denial of her problem, despite her friends and the boy that she loves telling her that they are worried about her. At one point in the poem, she begins to realize the extent of her obsession when she questions the meaning behind size zero. She says, “Who was it who invented size zero?” adding “Who was it who promised that if you got to a certain point you would no longer be there?” (Levithan). In this moment of self-realization, she seems to be both hopeful and disgusted; hoping for a size zero herself, yet disgusted by the fact that someone could decide on a size that would mean that you no longer existed on that scale. The poem ends with her looking into the refrigerator and breaking down. She then goes to the boy who loves her and says “I need help”. Her opinion of herself was created by what she wanted to be but could never achieve. Because she would never be able to achieve her goal of size zero, she deprived herself of everything good to the point of even depriving herself of human interaction.
“Suburban Myths” in The Realm of Possibility
“Suburban Myths” in The Realm of Possibility is a mixture of very short stories, each telling their own story of a certain aspect of society that has been perpetuated. One such story in this collection is of a woman who would never leave her house. The only people seen going to and from her door were those who would bring her food, such as the pizza delivery man or the Chinese food delivery man. Those on the outside judged her and would make comments about this fact, despite not knowing her actual situation and what had driven her to become this way. They assumed she was lazy and that she was stupid for staying that way all day. They also assumed the obvious, that she was very large. Although they knew little about her, the people in the neighborhood knew that she loved to eat. When some young boys decided to break into her house as a prank, she played the ultimate prank on them by being dead. The boys noticed that the woman had brought her bed into the kitchen, therefore dying surrounded by the things she loved. The lifestyle of this woman was stigmatized due to the seeming non-conformity of her choices with what society valued. It is clear from her conversation that she was capable of love and any other human emotion, but was confined to her house by her own decisions, which eventually resulted in her inability to leave her house, as is clear from her behavior shown in the first story. However, society plays an important role and further stigmatizes this woman. It made her a victim of its customs, norms, and traditions and ultimately she succumbed due to being of a weaker nature. Hence her life was deeply affected, which resulted in her death.
“Strong” in The Realm of Possibility
Although young women are pressured to look a certain way, so are young men. In the poem “Strong” in The Realm of Possibility, a boy recounts his story of how his quest for strength and physical perfection changed his life. From a young age, the boy had decided that he wanted to be the apex of physical perfection. In his mind, a boy without a strong body, one that was “well-defined” was “nothing”. The boy was complimented on his physique and rewarded for his hard work, often being rewarded because of it and envied by both men and women. One day he sees Mary and falls in love with her. In line with society’s expectations, Mary is thin as a rail and seems as if she is ready to break, fragile in every way. The boy comes to the realization that Mary and the human relation is more important than the strength of his body and the way he looks. “To get something, you must give something away,” he says in realization at the end of the poem.
Conclusion
In the collection of stories The Realm of Possibility, author David Levithan explored the role of body image in defining the lives of young adults. He examines the pain and inadequacy they can feel, as well as the advantages physical perfection can bring. Through the lives of three young people, Levithan explores all of these things and more. This book accurately depicts the conflicted nature of growing up in modern society, where physical perfection is demanded, but role models are created by Photoshop.
Works Cited
- How does David Levithan, in his book “The Realm of Possibility,” address the issues and pressures faced by young people in today’s world through the poems “Tinder Heart,” “Suburban Myths,” and “Strong”?
- What themes and messages does Levithan convey in the poems “Tinder Heart,” “Suburban Myths,” and “Strong” from his book “The Realm of Possibility” regarding the challenges and dilemmas young individuals encounter?
- In “The Realm of Possibility” by David Levithan, how do the poems “Tinder Heart,” “Suburban Myths,” and “Strong” contribute to the exploration and discussion of contemporary issues and pressures facing the characters and their generation?