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"Machado is perhaps most well-known for her memoir about exiting an abusive relationship. " Sorry but that's not evidence one way or the other if she derides trauma survivors. It's an unfortunate fact that some survivors go on to bully others and their struggles. They climb that mountain, and then look down their nose at everyone else still climbing or taking a different path. They never consider they might have had a head start, or better support, or any other factors. For example, black drug abusers are more likely to jailed, and whites are more likely to get help eg sent to a drug addiction program.

And then some are just a-holes, like how the Angry Atheist said he was a sexual assault survivor but harassed tf out of women that'd been raped, and said in his 'book' that they should just get over it like he did. (Although it's obvious he never did.)

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You have a lot of really interesting things to say here--some lovely close readings, and yet--I'd like to see even more--Sedgwick, in particular, really deserves more specificity...and maybe, too--this is already "last year's writing" for you--but repeatedly referring to folks as 'baby___"' i.e., baby "readers/moralists/etc." seems kind of silly--both because you're quite young yourself--and also--what work does that really do? If you read in class and gender, that would make sense...but--

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Excellent piece!

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