Concerning today's discussion about the teddy bears and crayons, I do agree that the crayons may not necessarily be appropriate to give to every cancer patient and I can see why the author feels that it is a way of infantilizing women with cancer. However, I do see why they would be a great gift for certain patients. Like some people in class said, coloring in coloring books is a great way to relax and can comfort us with the simple pleasure that we had when we were a child. My roommate and I have a dinosaur coloring book that we use when we don't want to deal with homework, and we hang up our colorings in our room just because they bring ourselves out from the stresses we have. So, for certain people I think crayons would be an acceptable gift, but I can also see why in the case of this author she feels the fact that women with cancer are given crayons and teddy bears is infantilizing. I think she feels that maybe because the general public pays more attention to women with breast cancer (even though men can have it) and beauty products are given, she feels there is a general belief that having breast cancer makes a women lose her femininity. Maybe since women are thought to be losing their femininity, the author feels that they are looked at as childish and that is why people give crayons and teddy bears as gifts. In terms of writing about women's bodies, maybe because women with cancer often have to mastectomies and lose a part of their body that makes them feminine the author also feels that the fact they are given crayons just push that fact on them more.(I'm sorry if that doesn't make sense. I'm having trouble putting it into words).
-Jessica Mitchell
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