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Christie Pettit's Loss Of Identity In 'Empty'

809 Words4 Pages

The memoir, Empty, written by Christie Pettit, captures the internal struggle of being diagnosed with eating disorders. Through journal entries, reflections on the journal entries, and proverbs, the author delineates her combats. The memoir evidently executes its themes, which are self-love, nutrition, identity development, and utilizing Christian beliefs to conquer hardships. If one is found struggling with low self-esteem, strongly believes in God, and desires to understand themselves, this memoir is highly recommended. Also, people who enjoy perceiving new perspectives should consider reading the memoir. Pettit uses minimal characters to accentuate the main characters. Incontestably, the antagonist of Empty is Christie herself. She …show more content…

With her eventful college life, she becomes distracted from her desires and ambitions. Instead, life unexpectedly becomes too much to bear and she turns her energy to create unhealthy eating habits. Pettit contemplates, “I sought physical endurance as a substitute for emotional endurance” (155). Christie loses sight of the important goals in her life, which eventually leads her losing herself. Since Pettit was too much wrapped up in her own issues, she unintentionally neglects her relationships with her family and friends. She learns to prioritize her goals and relationships and being more generous towards herself. The author cogitates,“My identity and my self-confidence should not come from being skinnier than everyone else, from being a really good tennis player, or even from having supportive parents” (106). Christie frequently questions her identity and the purpose of her existence. Once again, God is mentioned, assisting and guiding Pettit through her vicissitudes. Christie Pettit’s memoir is worthy of earning everyone’s respect. The never-ending conflict against herself is vivid in every aspect possible, such as Christie’s eating disorder issue and the lessons she has acquired from the

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