In preparation for this class, we read the first four chapters of “Written on the Body”. Presenting “Stigma and Tattoo” by C.P. Jones, I got to learn about the etymology and the use of the word “Stigma” by the ancient Greeks and Romans. I did not know much about the tattoo in the ancient world, even though I am very interested in Classics. Their familiarity and the uses of tattoo was interesting to learn about. While reading and thinking about the chapter, I remember questioning how different neighboring cultures perceived each other many times. The decorative function of tattooing and tattoos as a sign of membership was perceived as “barbaric” in the ancient Greek culture. What were the reactions of the neighbors to Greece’s use of stigma? I would like to learn more about how cultures having a widespread practice of decorative tattooing, such as Thracians, perceived punitive tattoos.
Through reading these articles, I also thought about the self-consciousness of one’s body and especially face, and how the exterior manifests itself to the state of the interior many times. Mark Gustafson talks about the discipline of physiognomics, and how people attempt to detect a lot about one’s character through their face. It was stimulating to think about this in the context of face tattoos.
We also talked about skin and how it relates to the psychoanalysis concepts of self and ego. By communicating with the interior and the exterior, it reveals repressed desires and reactions. These functions of the skin have thought-provoking implications on the meanings of tattoos permanent on one’s skin.