Andrew Peter
English
Draft
Draft
I AM PICKING A NEW TOPIC TO WRITE
In A Woman's Beauty: Put-Down or Power Source Sontag strongly voices her views on gender
roles and the “ideals to which women have subjected themselves to”. The concept of beauty is
not all about the physical aspect of a person. Rather, it is an understanding that gives some idea
or experience to one's mind. According to Susan Sontag, a human activist for over two decades
believes that no matter what women will be judged, be it beauty or intelligent. It’s a never ending
stereotype. However, it’s up to the women to define their own beauty.
The author sees women’s beauty as a curse, a commitment to meet certain standards set by
the society. She merges a story of how beauty was perceived throughout history. Starting with
the Greeks who believed good looks meant attractiveness through and through, she observes that
the influence of Christianity started the schism in the way we perceive beauty today; it created an
irreversible rift between a person’s looks and virtues. Sontag believes that women are scrutinized
and judged based on their efforts to appear physically attractive. They are seen as narcissistic and
shallow should they choose to make themselves beautiful. Their merit can even be in question if
they indeed look attractive. Men, on the other hand, are judged based on their actions and rarely
the looks. They don’t run a risk of being demeaned and discredited simply because they are good
looking. The author’s final observation is poignant, yet powerful, she trusts that women can get
away from this self-limiting standard of femininity if only they accept they are free to define the
new terms.
Throughout her essay Sontag has emphasized the aspect of beauty and goes in depth on the
gender stereotypes established. According to Susan Sontag “To get out of the trap requires that
women get some critical distance from that excellent and privilege which is the beauty, enough
distance to see how much beauty itself has been abridged in order to prop up the mythology of
the feminine”. This quote mainly reveals that women should be able to define their own beauty
and not necessarily follow what the society have defined beauty as. A woman does not need to
be beautiful to be capable. The repetition of beauty emphasizes its significance in the entire text
in which Sontag believes is her central idea in her essay.
“To be called beautiful is thought to name something essential to women’s character and
concerns”. Sontag states how a woman’s beauty is a fundamental aspect in life, and that it is
expected of women to place importance on their beauty. Beauty to Sontag is mainly of a negative
aspect. In today’s society, Sontag says a woman must care about her appearance because it plays
an important role in how successful women are and how society perceives them. Unlike men
who are independent, strong, and have a duty to keep their families financially strong, women
are sensitive, emotional, and should keep the household organized. This was the common
misconception of modern day women. It’s still relevant, however women now a days are earning
top jobs and gained lots of respect.
“We are actually surprised when someone who is beautiful is also intelligent, talented, good.”
The views on beauty between men and women have not changed in a significant way. With our
idea of gender stereotypes, we separate the idea that beauty and intelligence are one. As you can
see, throughout Susan Sontag’s work she describes the stereotypes that come with beauty and
how women are treated unequal. This is still relevant in today’s world and is a stigma in society.
Even though everyone knows what beauty is, many people struggle to define it and convince
others to concur with their views. The idea of beauty is not just a physical appearance of a person
or object. Rather, it is an understanding that gives some perceptual experience to one’s eyes,
ears, intellect, and moral sense. Natural, powerful, real beauty, however, originates from within
the heart of individuals and when it blossoms, it is expressed as a captivating, exquisite, and
alluring spirit that is not easy to contain. That is where certain ideas originate, such as “Beauty is
as beauty does,” or “Beauty comes from within.” Some people are captivated by inner strength
of character. As a result, they may perceive someone to have a beautiful soul. Gender roles have been around for many centuries and will continue to grow with the times,
but not only will they grow, they will continue to transform and certainly for the better. Beauty is
everywhere and inside everyone. Everyone has something beautiful about them. Everyone is
beautiful.