Roxane Gay survived a gang rape when she was 12, an age by which many children deal with crucial emotional and physical changes. How did this traumatic experience influence a young Gay’s approach to eating (and its desired effect on her body)? Include 2-3 examples from the text.

Gay asserts that “People see bodies like mine and make their assumptions. They think they know the why of my body” (5). What assumptions do we, as a society, make about people who are fat? Why do you think we make such assumptions and/or continue to perpetuate certain stereotypes?

As a follow-up to Essay Topic #2, do you think men with fat bodies are subjected to the same assumptions and stereotypes as women of size? Why or why not? If you believe there are differences, why do you think this is the case?