Alice Walker's Beauty When The Other Dance Is Self

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Society is always giving new standards for beauty. New trends to follow, new hair and clothing, but what is each person’s own definition of beauty? “Beauty When the Other Dance is Self” was written by Alice Walker to express her personal definition of what beauty is. Throughout the story, however, her definition changes and refines until she realizes that it is all in her eyes. Alice Walker’s perspective of beauty changes from being the best and cutest, to prettiest and most popular, and finally to simply loving herself.
When she was younger Alice Walker’s definition of beauty was all about being cute and the best. At six years old the author found her beauty in confidence. Having learned “one of the longest Easter speeches to be heard that day… I can tell they admire my dress, but it is my spirit, bordering on sassiness (womanishness), they secretly applaud” (Walker 43). Walker enjoyed showing off her ability to say her speech naturally and she even said, “It was great fun being cute” (43). Alice Walker’s abilities gave her confidence and made her feel “beautiful.” …show more content…

An accident to her eye when she was eight gave Walker a scar that left “a glob of whitish scar tissue” (Walker 44) causing her to lose confidence and to isolate herself. Walker narrates, “I am eight, doing poorly in school, where I have been something of a whiz since I was four” (44). Feeling ugly reflected on her grades and interactions with the people around her. A few years later Walker is sent to her brother in Boston, whom she loves, and he is able to “take [her] to a local hospital, where the “glob” is removed by a doctor” (45). Although there was still a small amount of scar tissue left, “Almost immediately [she became] a different person from the girl who does not raise her head” (45). After the surgery, Walker felt pretty and beautiful under her then definition of

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