My Year of Meats (Ozeki) tells the story of two women in two very different parts of the world and their tumultuous, life-changing journey with meat over the course of a year . Both characters come face to face with situations that test their beliefs and morals, as well as their resolve. There are many themes and lessons that emerge from the two women's journey regarding media, meat products, and capitalism, but one major theme present in all aspects of the story is the idea of ​​how ideals are carried into society. Sooner or later, both women are faced with the choice of whether to continue on the path their lives are currently on, or go against society and change their course. Ruth Ozeki supports the idea in her book that to be truly happy and have a less stereotyped society, every single member of society must be willing to look at their life and change it themselves; otherwise, real change will never happen and society will never be able to overcome its limiting visions. Jane Takagi-Little is the first of the main characters to be introduced and at the beginning of the story she bluntly points out that, “A requirement of a good documentarian: you must shamelessly take what is available” (Ozeki 33); however his opinion on what a documentarian should show changes and evolves as he films and interacts with different families. When Jane is asked to write a proposal for a show, My American Wife!, sponsored by a major beef company called BEEF-EX, Jane does not turn down the opportunity given her difficult financial situation (7). Each week the show looked at a different traditional, wholesome American family from around the country and featured a delightful me...... middle of paper ...... er. Ultimately, My Year of Meats ( Ozeki) was the year-long journey of two different women who decided to go against society and try to make it a better place by changing themselves, finding their own happiness, and influencing others to do the same along the way. Ozeki's purpose in carrying this theme through the book is to show that change is possible, but each person needs to start with their own life as society changes one person at a time, not all at once. Ignoring the problems only leads to making the problems worse and perhaps making more of them appear, so it is important to realize and resolve them when they are present. This is a very important lesson to learn from the characters in My Year of Meats (Ozeki), and a problem is likely to persist, but through time and effort, society can change, even if it can only be done by one person. at a time.