Alicia Keys: 'Time To Uncover'

Alicia Keys - “Time to Uncover”
The constant pursuit of being perfect, including covering oneself with innumerable coats of makeup and going on extreme diets, is an enormous problematic that is attributable to deep feelings of insecurity and low self-esteem among girls. Given that nobody is capable of being entirely perfect, the aspiration to be that is unrealistic, and hence infeasible. This is exceedingly damaging because the incapability to attain this objective can give rise to feelings of major unhappiness or even depression. Consequently, it is crucial to call a halt to such a destructive goal. One of the most ground-breaking individuals who has made the attempt is the famous singer, songwriter, and actress, Alicia Keys. With her essay

3, p. 1), “that’s” (l. 5, p. 2) and “wasn’t” (l. 19, p. 2) instead of “it is”, “that is” and “was not”, respectively. The simple language implies that the text comes across as intelligible, accessible and easy to understand, which vulgarizes and simplifies the reader’s understanding of the described events and experiences. Additionally, slang is used, which is shown by the use of abbreviations such as “’cause” (l. 3, p. 1) instead of “because”, and slightly offensive words such as “freakin'” (l. 5, p. 3). To elderly people, the use of slang makes the text appear somewhat belligerent and offensive. However, to adolescents, the text comes across as cool and up-to-date, which implies that the reader identifies more with the author. Moreover, the sentences are short, primary consisting of main clauses, e.g.: “I remember when I first started to be in the public eye. Oh my gawd! Everyone had something to say” (ll. 13-14, p. 2). The simple sentence construction entails that the text comes across as exact, easily read and even interesting. Furthermore, Keys makes use of a lot of rhetorical questions, e.g.: “Who was I anyway? Did I even know HOW to be brutally honest anymore? Who I wanted to be?” (ll. 10-11, p. 3). The questions are addressed to the reader, who

According to Keys, the incident released exceedingly positive feelings such as power, strength, empowerment and freedom within her: “And I swear it is the strongest, most empowered, most free, and most honestly beautiful that I have ever felt” (ll. 22-23, p. 4). In the statement it is implied that if one does not wear makeup, he or she will feel the emotions that Keys felt, comprising power, strength, empowerment and freedom, which is a strong argument for the campaign #nomakeup. By taking her personal experiences as a starting point, Keys’ reliability increases, as the reader becomes more inclined to trust and rely on her. Simultaneously, it makes her appear honest and empathic. Furthermore, Keys mentions that other people have supported the campaign by sending #nomakeup pictures, indirectly displaying its popularity and fame plus encouraging the reader to do the same, which is implied in the following quotation: “[…] it was that truth that resonated with others who posted #nomakeup selfies in response to this real and raw me” (ll. 6-8, p. 5). In the end, she presents her arguments for the campaign directly, mentioning what she does not want to do: “'Cause I don't want to cover up anymore. Not my face, not my mind, not my soul, not my thoughts, not my dreams, not my struggles, not my emotional growth. Nothing.” (ll. 10-12, p. 5). These