McConnell 1

Maggie McConnell
Ms. Dockus
American Literature/1st Hour
25 October 2015
Response to Roar by Katy Perry
Katy Perrys album, Prism, not only emphasizes self-empowerment, but also selfdiscovery. Often described as finding ones self or enlightenment, self-discovery is an
important part of the human experience and is well described by Perrys song, Roar. Her
lyrical documentation of the transition of one from passive and self-deprecating to outward and
confident conveys the power of finding ones inner voice and identity. Perry tells the story of one
who once viewed himself as, ... sit[ting] quietly [and] agree[ing] politely. But later sees herself,
Like thunder gonna shake the ground (10). Though Roar emphasizes self-discovery, lines
such as I let you push me past the breaking point, symbolize the person, or force that causes us
to hide our true selves (5). Thus, defining ones self has as much to do with discovery as defining
ones relationships. Discovery is not confined solely to the physical world, but is found also in
how we see ourselves as well as others around us.
Part of what makes Roar, such a hyped-up, belt-out-in-the-shower song is the contrast
Katy Perry describes between the old and and new, assertive self of the subject. Her clever
words, I stood for nothing, so I fell for everything recount a situation so many of us have
experienced (6). Not being able to find a voice and in doing so, were swept into unfavorable
situations. Then comes the empowerment of dancing through the fire (14). The feeling of selfdiscovery and confidence is contagious with the chorus, 'Cause I am a champion and you're
gonna hear me roar (15).

McConnell 2
One quality of discovery is that it only remains fact until the next, newest discovery is
made. The same can be said for self-discovery. Whether or not one has truly found themselves
is entirely up to the individual. We discover new things about ourselves every day and so the
process may never be complete. However, in order to accept each new discovery that is made,
we must first find the confidence such as expressed by Perry in Roar.