Size 6: The Western Woman's Harem

The thematic synthesis of “Size 6: The western Woman’s Harem” by Fatema Mernissis and “The School days of and Indian Girl” by Zitkala-Sa. The theme in both essays are based on estrangement from their country by stepping outside of their comfort zone, while trying to figure out what is normal. In “Size 6: The Western Woman’s Harem”, Mernissi tells the story about a Muslim woman who went to a local store in New York looking for a skirt and received a rude awakening while she was there. In “The School Days of an Indian Girl” Zitkala-sa tells the story of a young Indian girl who takes a journey with Missionaries who are there to educate her, who then starts to make her feel left out and embarrasses on her way to the missionary and the feeling continues once she arrives.

People look at normal different, everyone doesn’t fit the description according to others people eyes. The story begins with a woman looking for a skirt in which she couldn’t find in her size. The saleswoman that was helping her look stated you are too big. This left the woman feeling like she wasn’t beautiful and lowered her self-esteem. The woman then asked the saleswoman “I am too big compared to what?” The saleswoman then replied with “compared to a size 6”. The saleswoman then insisted that a size four to six are the normal sizes for women. The saleswoman proceeded to tell her she must go to a special store to find her size. Back in the woman’s country, she never experienced the feeling that she was too big or not normal. The woman was from a country where there is not any sizes for women clothing, everything was made by a seamstress. The woman then realized that the size 6 was just like the violent restriction that was imposed on Muslim women with the veil. However, the woman was very grateful to only have to cloth of a vail instead of being judged by her