Allure: Can It Be Read at Face Value?

1259 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Self esteem effects of gender stereotyping

Since the dawn of time, beauty or what it should or should not be has been influenced by civilization. “Beauty” depicted what is or is not acceptable. No matter what one person prefers, people still struggle to reach the ideal image set forth by varying factors. “Beauty” according to Dictionary.com is “the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether arising from sensory manifestations (as shape, color, sound, etc.), a meaningful design or pattern, or something else,” if this is the case why do people not abide by that? () “Beauty” is an intangible obsession that has yet to be explored properly. Is “beauty” really in the eye of the beholder?” Why do women feel the need to be “beautiful?” “Beauty” is a strong factor in women’s lives, but they do not control it; nature, race, and society depict what “true beauty” is, and because of those things a great percentage of women are insecure. Nature has the strongest connection to the ideology of “beauty.” In the biological standpoint, everything in nature is beautiful. Somehow, certain types of humans fail to meet that norm, according to other so call superior humans. Why is that the case when humans are a product of nature? “Beauty” is taught to be complex, but humans sometimes do not understand that idea. Children are taught to accept people no matter how their outward appearance may look. Yet when they reach the adolescent years that is when they become bullies and attack people based on their appearances. Nature vs. nurture contributes greatly to the insecurity women feel. The household a woman is raised in has a vast influence on how they will view themselves in the future. If she is subject to abuse because she is... ... middle of paper ... ...not have what the celebrities have it is useless. Society’s effect on people is so damaging that it will take a while for things to turn around. Even though “beauty” is a multi faceted ideology, it should not be limited to outward appearance. Just as Whoopi Goldberg and Eleanor Roosevelt, have “inner beauty” the rest of the women in the world posses the same. Why can’t society just accept the fact that “beauty” is undefined? Women will always have to deal with the challenges that nature, race, and society places upon them. They are slowly gaining their control back. Although they still have a long journey ahead, they are more than capable because it is a possible mission. Women are “smart enough to make these millions/Strong enough to bare the children/Then get back to business,” so they definitely will rise to occasion of taking the meaning of “beauty” back.

Show More
Related

  • Suffering, Sacrifice and Punishment under the Tyranny of Beauty

    539 Words  | 2 Pages

    What woman doesn't want to be beautiful? Women want to please and will go to extreme measures to achieve the beauty ideal. Over the centuries, women have mauled and manipulated just about everybody part - lips, eyes, ears, waists, skulls, foreheads, stomachs, breasts and feet - that did not fit into the cookie-cutter ideal of a particular era's ideal of beauty and perfection. Women have suffered, sacrificed and punished themselves under the tyranny of beauty.

    Read More

  • Analysis of "A Woman’s Beauty: Put Down or Power Source?" By Susan Sontag

    809 Words  | 2 Pages

    In her essay “A Woman’s Beauty: Put Down or Power Source?” Susan Sontag masterfully with just few strokes undoes the signification of the mythology of the feminine. She ponders the opposite pair of concepts of beautifulness and handsomest in a deconstructionist fashion. She describes the violent coexistent in which both concepts concur. However, after effectively have exposed the way these oppositions function and understanding the distortion of the myth of the feminine, Sontag fails in giving a “real” solution. Erroneously, she concludes that the only way to destroy this myth is by women getting a critical distance from the concept of beauty. Ignoring that the universe of women is not constituted just by those women who have clambered up to leading positions –western, white, educated women-, she fells in a hasty generalization.

    Read More

  • Self-Hatred and the Aesthetics of Beauty in The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

    1283 Words  | 3 Pages

    It is unfortunate that we live in a society that places such a great emphasis and consideration towards the aesthetics of beauty. What is more unfortunate is that beauty itself is not defined by any realistic qualities or pragmatics. Rather it is defined by society and what the particular or dominant class in society feels beauty is. In today’s society in order for a woman to be looked at as beautiful she must posses a combination of qualities, such as, a slim body, straight hair, fair skinned, full lips, straight sort of raised nose and so on. In the society that the Breedloves lived in, beauty had a lot to do with racism and the dominant class that influenced it. To be a woman of beauty in that society you had to be blond hair, blue eyed and fair skinned. If you couldn’t exactly look like that the closer you came to it the better you were viewed. You also had to behave in a certain manner i.e. well groomed, soft spoken, and have high morals. In other words you had to look like a stereo typical European and for colored women loose all the funky things that made them who they were: “The careful development of thrift, patience, high ...

    Read More

  • Intelligence Triumphs Beauty

    1112 Words  | 3 Pages

    Beauty isn’t what will allow you to succeed; it is the amount of hard work and dedication that you give to accomplish your goals. Kelley gives three main reasons to support this claim; the standard will change, the opportunities for women are growing without the help of beauty, and that it is important to not let yourself get to a vulnerable state. The reasons may seem a little vague but the author gives enough evidence to support them, which gives the reader the opportunity to develop a new meaning of beauty. For the last reason Kelley is presenting an argumentative idea that contradicts what she has said, but still ties in with what she has to say about the “standard”.

    Read More

  • The Beauty Myth: How Images of Beauty Are Used Against Women by Naomi Wolf

    1675 Words  | 4 Pages

    Define a beautiful woman. What kinds of adjectives come to mind? Do her inner qualities make her beautiful as well? What does "beauty is only skin deep" really mean? I always thought what made a person truly and genuinely beautiful, is whats on the inside. So often, we judge women on their appearance first, then their abilities. Did you ever wonder how this came about and why we all do this today? dont try to deny it, were all shallow and addicted to entertainment, its simply our culture, our way of life. Naomi wolf tries to explain the reasoning and ideas behind the beauty myth. She defines it and all its aspects, leaving it up to the reader to judge how to take it in and what to make of her points. She backs up all her claims with evidence and well researched claims, making her message hard to deny. This message isnt only imperative to women, but to men as well, because women arent the only ones being manipulated by the media into feeling insecure and unhappy with themselves. There are 6 major sectins in the beauty myth, work, culture, religion, sex, hunger and violence. Wolf points out many valid points, such as marketing tactics, cosmetic surgery, stereotypes of women as sex objects and men as success objects. She states that beauty is something someone else has. It a forever unattainable goal in which many people strive most of their lives to achieve.

    Read More

  • Lucy Stone Beauty Myth

    220 Words  | 1 Pages

    It appears the beauty myth was brought into realization in the 1800’s. Lucy Stone is recorded stating that she didn’t much care about voting or owning property if she were unable to have the right to do with her body as she see fit. (Wolf 131) That premise is still very alive today. Women are in a continuous fight to maintain control over their own bodies. It is unfortunate that we not only fight the rest of the world but also each other to determine what is acceptable or not for our bodies.

    Read More

  • Summary Of A Woman's Beauty Put Down Or Power Source By Susan Sontag

    577 Words  | 2 Pages

    In her essay “A Woman's Beauty: Put Down or Power Source” Susan Sontag, a women’s right activist, explains general ideals and observations towards societal pressures on women’s beauty in contrast to men’s beauty. Although she presents historical and current positions on the subject, she generalizes humanity’s views and lacks in acknowledging that society’s perceptions evolve over time.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Judy Brady's Essay 'Ms. Magazine'

    1452 Words  | 3 Pages

    Does the age-old expression “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” hold any water in today’s society? In my humble opinion, I believe that it does. What one may deem as beautiful may not be the same for another. In society today there are a number of factors which contribute to how we view others, as well as ourselves, and the roles that each of us are supposed to play. Some of these factors include, but are not limited to media (print, television, social media), cultural beliefs, and generational beliefs. Our society’s view on beauty and gender roles/stereotypes is an ever-changing landscape. What may be popular today

    Read More

  • Barbie Doll By Marge Piercy

    997 Words  | 2 Pages

    It is clear to see that since the beginning of time, the true definition of a woman was to be a thin waist, long haired, porcelain doll who everyone adores. She being a subtle and delightful creature could never be viewed as anything but   “attractive and vacuous”. No matter how many mishaps she may have, her beautiful body could never be at fault.  After all, a man eats with his eyes and thinks with his package. Unfortunately, to go beyond the cloud nine phenomenon, pass the plastic mold, and straight into reality, the world we live in is painted in more than just black and white. It shouldn’t matter if we’re round, hourglass, or slim, we’re beautiful in all aspects of the meaning.

    Read More

  • Woman´s Role in The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams

    599 Words  | 2 Pages

    Judging a woman by her appearance became a social norm in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Since women were not allowed to hold high or reputable positions, they often relied on their husbands to pay and bring in most of the bills and money. Such conditions often left a young woman scrambling to find a husband, or better said it was in her best interest to find a husband. Modern literature originated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. At the time, true women were thought to exhibit the following traits: piety, purity, submissiveness, and domesticity (Welter). Not only did women criticize each other, but the media did as well. Women were also responsible for upholding their physical beauty. A woman could’ve had all the traits that made her a true woman, but if she lacked physical beauty, she was shamed by society. The majority of modern American texts began to shift from the standards of women being weak and submissive but they still regarded physical beauty as a trait that all women had to maintain and obsess about.

    Read More

  • Women During The Renaissance Era

    902 Words  | 2 Pages

    From the fifteenth to the nineteenth century, females from all over the world have been searching for the most accurate portrayal of the ideal woman. Throughout these periods, the idealization of women has been in a constant flux. The expectations of the perfect woman are dependent on the various perceptions that men and woman have all around the world. The perception of physical beauty can be based on a variety of different tastes, styles, and even societal classes (Vester, 2010). However, beauty is based on unhealthy perceptions and attitudes that have created an impossible standard for all women to meet (Malkan, 2007). The main purpose of examining societies idea of the perfect woman is to put emphasis on the impractical standards that

    Read More

  • Different For Girls: Gender Stereotypes

    667 Words  | 2 Pages

    The thought of success through beauty is ingrained within in the brain from when one is a child. Gender stereotyping begins at a young age- being clothed in pink, frilly dresses, changing her vocabulary, and learning to accept the incredibly uncomfortable situation of being catcalled by complete strangers on the street- a “lady” is expected to take such attacks and

    Read More

  • You Are Beautiful Essay: Operation Beauty: You Are Beautiful

    2044 Words  | 5 Pages

    There is a saying “Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.” What one individual considers beautiful may not be beautiful to another. Many people in this world have their own definition of what beauty is. Beauty can come from inside or the outside. To me, beauty is not only something that pleases the eyes. Beauty is a quality that pleases or delights the senses or mind. Unfortunately, society makes it nearly impossible to see our own beauty. Most girls are inclined to take a quick look into a compact mirror or run a few fingers through their hair, sizing themselves up with the nearest advertisement featuring a flawless bottle blonde. Some may go a bit further, running an endless list of insecurities

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay About Cosmetic Surgery

    1103 Words  | 3 Pages

    What do you see when you look at yourself in the mirror? A seed sticking out from your teeth? Bed head from just waking up and sleepy eyes? The truth is every time we look at ourselves in the mirror we can not help but notice some of our imperfections. Whether it is our nose, eyes, lips or ears there is always something. The beauty standard pop culture has today on women is unattainable. Women somehow have to have a thin body, giant chest, big rear, and tiny waist. Unfortunately these are the molds young women in America wish to fit into in order to feel beautiful. The word beautiful has many different meanings, but most interpret it as a physical description. Many young women believe that in order to acquire this beauty standard they need

    Read More

  • Media, Culture: Beauty, Media And Culture

    1927 Words  | 4 Pages

    For a long time, women have been depicted explicitly in media through art, music, and dances (Roelofs 60). The message that has been passed across is that of reducing the status of a woman in society to a sexual object. This reduces the self-esteem of women in society as they are regarded of low social status and immoral behavior in society. It is worth noting that the standard of beauty is not universal and furthermore it is dynamic. ‘Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder’ summarizes this fact. The standards of true beauty vary from one culture to another. From a cross-cultural perspective, beauty is normally associated with all that is good, kind; moral and attractive (Wolf 12). Conversely, the ugly is linked with cruelty, evil, and

    Read More

More about Allure: Can It Be Read at Face Value?

Open Document