I'd Rather Wear My OWN Coat

"Two or three things i know for sure and one of them is that i'd rather go naked then wear the coat the world has made for me." After reading this quote in the story, i began to think about what it really meant and my connection to it. Society expects certain people to act certain ways in certain situations. Especially in many minority societies, citizens are expected to act a certain way because of what the statistics or stereotypes say. I could directly relate to this quote by Dorothy Allison, in my life i have experienced this "Coat" in which society tries and gets me to wear. In the simplest form, this quote is stating that Dorothy would rather be an outcast then live by what society expects her to live by or expect her to feel. In the pictures we spoke upon in class, we could see that Dorothy felt this way. In two of the pictures we see her playing with and shooting a gun, which, as she stated earlier in the novel, wasn't something considered lady like or something women should be doing. In my life, i have been doubted, stereotyped and even mislead and misheard because of the color of my skin or where my family has came from. Many people assume for me to act a certain way or do certain things because I am African-American. I have been denied , mislead and unheard throughout my years and have had to strive for everything that I've wanted. Many people said i wouldn't make it to college, but here i am. Others said i would never be able to do the things i am doing today, but once again here i am doing and living these things many said i couldn't do. The statements of doubt and "cant's" helped me to strive to achieve more. I also did not want to wear this cloak or coat that society wanted me to wear. I fi would have worn it, today, i wouldn't be writing this post or even be reading any of these novels expanding my horizons. But this quote doesn't just only fit for minorities, it exists for everyone. In some way, everyone can relate to this quote with things that society expected them to do which they didn't want to or see fit of themselves.