The topic power of the media in Susan Douglas's 'Narcissism as Liberation'

Essay by KnuttsUniversity, Bachelor'sA, October 1996

download word file, 8 pages 4.3

In Susan Douglas's essay 'Narcissism as Liberation', she covers the topic of the power of media on American culture. Douglas approaches this topic in a way which grabs her audience's attention quickly. She discusses an advertisement in the first paragraph of her essay. This advertisement is a very popular one among American Society today, especially women. Through discussing such a popular advertisement so early in her essay, Douglas not only grabs her audience's attention but she is able to introduce her audience to the basis of her essay and begin her argument. Douglas argues throughout her essay how the power of media has such a strong influence on American culture today. She points out certain advertisements that display this idea to the fullest which helps her audience recognize and relate to the idea Douglas is trying to communicate to her audience. After doing this Douglas is able to go into detail with her argument and share her views with her audience.

Douglas's conclusion is very simple, she leaves her audience with a question concerning the essay which is to help each individual reader create their own opinion on the power of media and it's effects on American culture today.

Douglas clearly communicates her stance on the issue of the power of media throughout her essay. She believes the media has an extremely strong effect on American culture today and she does not believe the effect is a very good one for society. The media does an excellent job of pulling society into the advertisement which results in sales. The media also does a very good job in making society believe that not using a certain product and not achieving the most recent physical 'look' makes you worthless and not desirable. This is Douglas's argument summarized, but it is exactly what...