Brilliant Imperfection: A Thematic Analysis

Some social movements and socio-political ideologies have embodied resistance by challenging hegemonic socio-cultural norms and refusing to accept the concept of normativity. Embodied resistance can take the form of embracing “body-mind” (Clare, xvi) difference, recognizing that the individual body is not independent from the social body, and not complying with norms that perpetuate and contribute to systemic oppression. This essay will explore how resistance is embodied in social movements and in individual everyday lived experiences, and what impact it has on the society. Some socio-political political ideologies refuse to accept the concept of normativity, such that there are normal body-minds and abnormal body-minds. In Eli Clare’s book, “Brilliant Imperfection: Grappling with Cure”, he expresses his sociopolitical ideology of cure. He states that individuals who have been labeled as abnormal or disabled need social justice not just a cure. Clare embodies resistance by rejecting cure for his physical impairment, and rejecting the definition of what is a normal body-mind. This is important because the ideology of cure has been imposed onto those who have been …show more content…
Sara Ahmed explains in her book, “Living a Feminist Life”, what it means to live a feminist life, what it means to embody feminism, and how resistance to norms and normativity is embodied in the everyday lived experiences. Ahmed explains that “to live a feminist life is so make everything into something that is questionable” (Ahmed, 2), this questioning is a form of resistance to accept everything at face-value. Ahmed questions the nature happiness, what it means to be happy, and rejects the norms of what an individual is supposed to find happy, when they’re supposed to be happy, and why they’re supposed to be happy. Happiness is imposed onto bodies and equated with being white (Ahmed,