Impact of Breast Cancer on Women & Society: Reflection on McCurrie's 'Eyes on the Prize' | Papers International Women's Voices

Alexis Misko

WMST 30000 Colloquium, Summer 2007

Response Essay to Eyes on the Prize by Selden McCurrie

In an autobiographical account of her struggle with breast cancer, author Selden

McCurrie strongly depicts the strength, courage, and determination that women who fall victim

to this disease embody. By sharing her journey, readers can not only become aware of breast

cancer and its impact, but can also gain inspiration from the wonderfully resilient and enduring

feminine qualities that this cancer brings out in women.

The surfacing of these important characteristics between women, sadly, often occurs only

in a time of need. As McCurrie calls it, this “vast unwilling sisterhood” that breast cancer

patients become a part of is foreign territory to most. This concept can easily be linked to the

way women relate to each other in society, as most women do not openly support each other on a

regular basis. It is not until periods of difficulty that many women stop being jealous, bitter, or

brutal toward one another, reaching out their arms to accept each other and putting differences

aside. It is not until women face their own humanity and find that no one else around them

understands their pain that they gravitate toward each other, embracing womanhood and their

“sisters.” Breast cancer levels the playing field and ironically gives those that suffer from it

something in common. Beautiful, overweight, successful, and poor women all become one,

regardless of race, religion, or class. There are very few other social examples of women joining

forces so cohesively and vehemently, aside from those concerning personal tragedy and illness.

In considering women, their roles, society as a whole, and breast cancer itself, a question

can be posed. What makes breast cancer so different from other, equally painful and socially

relevant types of cancers?

Because breast cancer overwhelmingly affects women, the disease itself is a matter of

special interest. Around 40,000 women die annually as a result of this cancer, and one in eight

women will be affected by it during their lifetime. Though today’s medical world is consistently

gaining more knowledge about breast cancer risk factors, there is still no known cause or cure.

As more of our women lose the battle to this cancer, many potentially fatal male diseases such as

prostate cancer are becoming more easily detectable and curable. It is vital that society keep

women in mind, not failing to give up the fight against this prominent disease that so frequently

changes our lives.

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Alexis Misko WMST 30000 Colloquium, Summer 2007 Response Essay to Eyes on the Prize by Selden McCurrie

In an autobiographical account of her struggle with breast cancer, author Selden McCurrie strongly depicts the strength, courage, and determination that women who fall victim to this disease embody. By sharing her journey, readers can not only become aware of breast cancer and its impact, but can also gain inspiration from the wonderfully resilient and enduring feminine qualities that this cancer brings out in women. The surfacing of these important characteristics between women, sadly, often occurs only in a time of need. As McCurrie calls it, this “vast unwilling sisterhood” that breast cancer patients become a part of is foreign territory to most. This concept can easily be linked to the way women relate to each other in society, as most women do not openly support each other on a regular basis. It is not until periods of difficulty that many women stop being jealous, bitter, or brutal toward one another, reaching out their arms to accept each other and putting differences aside. It is not until women face their own humanity and find that no one else around them understands their pain that they gravitate toward each other, embracing womanhood and their “sisters.” Breast cancer levels the playing field and ironically gives those that suffer from it something in common. Beautiful, overweight, successful, and poor women all become one, regardless of race, religion, or class. There are very few other social examples of women joining forces so cohesively and vehemently, aside from those concerning personal tragedy and illness. In considering women, their roles, society as a whole, and breast cancer itself, a question can be posed. What makes breast cancer so different from other, equally painful and socially relevant types of cancers? Because breast cancer overwhelmingly affects women, the disease itself is a matter of special interest. Around 40,000 women die annually as a result of this cancer, and one in eight women will be affected by it during their lifetime. Though today’s medical world is consistently gaining more knowledge about breast cancer risk factors, there is still no known cause or cure. As more of our women lose the battle to this cancer, many potentially fatal male diseases such as prostate cancer are becoming more easily detectable and curable. It is vital that society keep women in mind, not failing to give up the fight against this prominent disease that so frequently changes our lives.

In addition to women’s health being a matter of special interest, breast cancer also demonstrates African American minority status. Though Caucasian women get breast cancer more often, African American women more commonly die from it, usually due to greater lack of access to medical care. If we want to heal women, we must think of all women. Nonetheless, this healing process can be extremely hard. Breast cancer can also be considered distinct because it is outwardly noticeable and inadvertently plays a role in society’s emphasis on women and their physical appearance. While other cancers that require the removal of internal organs leave patients in pain yet undetectable, breast cancer survivors, especially those who have gone through mastectomies, become easy to recognize. As women feel even more self-conscious than they most likely did pre-cancer, they express the desire to gain back the femininity they have lost. Buying prosthetic breasts and various bras, they attempt to rebuild their bodies in a way that is socially acceptable. Their scars, however, are permanent, constant reminders of the beautiful definition of womanhood that was stolen from them by such a wretched disease. McCurrie affirms this type of self-consciousness in an explanation of her feelings about breast reconstruction. This term carries implications that there is something missing from these women, that they are less than whole, and that they are lacking. The author eventually opts not to have this procedure, referring to her “battle scars” with pride and realizing that what she has been through is remarkable. Though society might wonder why some breast cancer survivors choose not to assimilate to beauty norms and reconstruct their breasts, making them more aesthetically pleasing, there is a quiet strength in rejecting this decision. Perhaps most compellingly, breast cancer differs from other types of cancer in the empowerment that it offers women. It presents a chance for women to directly examine the elements of their bodies considered to be specifically womanly and attractive, and to realize, upon losing these elements, that they are not needed. Women can be beautiful regardless. Breast cancer survivors form a certain bond or connection, as illustrated in McCurrie’s description of “women who opened up their hearts and their shirts,” willing to help in any way possible. Because breast cancer affects our mothers and sisters, our friends, teachers, and mentors, it should be a call to action for women everywhere. It is relatable and does not discriminate. Breast cancer survivors should not only be respected as strong, lovely women who have persevered, but should be viewed as brave people who came face to face with social definitions of femininity, beauty, and womanhood, and had the audacity to say, “You will not

Impact of Breast Cancer on Women & Society: Reflection on McCurrie's 'Eyes on the Prize', Papers of International Women's Voices

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