Joan Jacobs Brumberg tends in her case study to outline that anorexia nervosa became well-known only not so long ago due to the facts with popular top models, who died because of this disorder. Moreover, it is a result of fashion implications, which mankind faced in the twentieth century.
With an approach of first cases of anorexia nervosa in the nineteenth century, the disorder can be greatly understood today due to the facts of the awkward age concerned with adolescents. In this case, one should also point out the flow of mass media, as a great stimulator of trendy torrents in fashion or in communities where it is acknowledged to be “cool”.
While using in her article quite specific for modern language words Brumberg outlines the intention of hers to refer to the “bourgeois communities” of today. In other words, the author urges to touch upon the consciousness of those people being intentionally responsible for the promotion of a fashion to be bareboned. On the other hand, the author wants to admit the attention of parents in this issue, so that not to push on their children and daughters, in particular.
The quotations from the popular in the nineteenth century domestic manuals provide proper information of what was interesting in manners as of bourgeois families, and what traditions were of great interest for such families. Also, Brumberg projects the way of reasoning which was intrinsic to both authors, Gull and Lasegue.
“Alimentary nihilism” is used by the author to determine the refusal to eat of a girl in a form of delirium and psychic disorder in a mere academic language.
Malady is a disorder or illness connected with debilitation; imperative is an adjective outlining a command or coercion; reciprocity is when interests are taken into account with mutual effect; dysfunction is an abnormality connected in work of organism; bourgeoise is an adjective which is concerned with aristocratic manners in behavior or living; milieu is an environment; ambience is an environment under some circumstantial colouring; wet nurses are nurses responsible for control of patient’s well-being; gustatory is an adjective used to show the peculiarities of taste, gustative; unabashedly is cool or immovable; antithetical is precisely the opposite; taciturnity is a state of a man’s character when he is silent or speechless; burgeoning is an adjective to depict growing; stymied describes the same as the proverb says: like a rat in a hole; alimentary is nutritious; nihilism is a refusal; melange is a mixture; individuation is an approach when an individual endures all restraints of the society; autonomous is unified, with personal way; penchant is an inclination; prerogative is a privilege; caprices are whims; emaciation is an inanition; assuage is to calm, facilitate; largess is a benevolence; flamboyant is flowery, bright; efficacy is effectiveness.
Works cited
Brumberg, Joan J. The Origins of Anorexia Nervosa. Fasting Girls: The Emergence of Anorexia Nervosa. New York: Vintage Books, 2000.