Writing Journal Post 1: Deciding on a Research Paper Topic

Many of the topics we discussed during the first half of the term interested me, but ultimately I knew I wanted to pic a topic that had relevance in the present day. I knew vaguely of Frida Kahlo before this course, but watching the movie Frida and reading the introduction to her journal really sparked my interest. Her character in the movie inspired me, and I could easily identify her as a modern feminist. I coincidentally watched the Frida movie right around the time of the Women’s March on Washington, which made Frida’s feminist characteristics especially shine and gave her a renewed sense of relevance. I believe the feminist social movement that is thriving today will define my generation, and I appreciate the opportunity to grasp a better understanding of this movement through the thorough analysis of the life and work of Frida Kahlo.

Prior to this class, my only acquaintance with Frida was through a shirt my friend had with a print of Frida’s iconic self-portrait and stories of her blue house that my friends all toured on a trip to Mexico. My friends were enchanted by what they had learned about the famous Frida and came home singing her praises. When choosing my research paper topic, I recalled this experience and knew I wanted to take the opportunity to develop my own admiration for Frida.

What really solidified my choice for my research paper topic was going to the Sherman Art Library and flipping through the many books on Frida’s art and life. The images of her artwork were captivating and I knew I wanted to take the time to further analyze specific pieces. The one book that most intrigued me was the reproduction of Frida’s journal (we also flipped through this in class). I feel like the journal gives intimate insight into Frida’s personal life and reasons behind her art, something I hope to get a comprehensive understanding of through my research. All in all, I think writing a research paper on the relation between Frida Kahlo and feminism will be an extremely rewarding experience and I can’t wait to get started!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *