Journal #3 - No Wonder They Call Me a Bitch

“No Wonder They Call Me a Bitch” – Ann Hodgman
(The Norton Sampler p.77)

Read the selection and write a one paragraph response to the following questions.

1. Cite three specific examples of Hodgman’s descriptive imagery that you find to be particularly effective.

Hodgman uses many different descriptive images that are effective in getting her point across. She uses phrases such as, “stinky, white-flecked mush,” to describe the wet dog food and phrases like, “stinky, fat-drenched nuggets,” to describe dry dog food. These phrases help the reader understand just how disgusting the dog food was, without going into that much detail. She also says, “There was a horrifying rush of cheddar taste, followed immediately by the dull tang of soybean flower.” This sentence has some exaggeration and helps readers who may not have a dog or know what that certain brand of food is like. “The ‘cheese’ chews like fresh Play-Doh, whereas the ‘meat’ chews like Play-Doh that’s been sitting out on a rug for a couple of hours,” describes to the reader the taste. It gives the reader the ability to better understand what Hodgman went through when eating the food.

2. What do you think Hodgman’s purpose was in writing this essay? What overall message/meaning do you take from the essay?

Hodgman’s purpose was to prove to people that they should not always believe what they read. Just because a certain brand of dog food does not have “meat by-product,” does not mean that it does not contain other bad things, such as “poultry by-product.” Many people who have dogs have no idea what kind of food that they are feeding their dog. People look for the bag or container that says they are the healthiest or the best. The overall meaning is that people simply look for the “best” product instead of researching and finding the product that is actually the best.