Is beauty in the eye of the beholder?
''There was something dreadful, demonic about this woman, but at the same time
enchanting.''
This is a quote uttered by Kitty Scherbatsky when referring to Anna Karenina. Anna
Karenina, the protagonist of the same titled novel, is thought to be one of the most
beautiful fictional women in the world. At least that’s how the great Tolstoy
represented her to readers. But this was his point of view towards his own fruit of
imagination whose beauty he created himself. Although subjective to him, her beauty
was recognized all over the world in the eyes of many. But that was the 19 th century,
and what if Anna existed now, in the present. Would she still be acknowledged as
gorgeous?
Sense of beauty has changed over time. There has been cracked a great strife between
centuries, devouring vintage sense of beauty and setting high standards for our century.
And it’s impossible to bridge this gap. The everlasting odyssey for ideal beauty started
with the beginning of time, and still goes on. People crave beauty and once they reach it
they yearn of having a vice-like grip over it. But it’s unreachable to most. And what
about famous, or maybe I should say infamous phrase “Beauty is in the eye of the
beholder.” Many would disagree but my outlook on this is positive. I do believe beauty
lies in the eyes of others. Yet, I am not saying it’s irrelevant. Beauty is what lures us in,
drawing a sense of yoke in others by compelling them into admiration. But dwelling
upon this question does no good. Although pleasant to eyes, with beauty comes a huge
aftermath. And that’s greed. People become vain once they realize they have a tight
grasp of it. That’s when they want to keep it to themselves forever. But aging is
inevitable and with time beauty fades away. That’s when people become anguished,
lamenting their lost youth.
This is one of the most frequent motifs in literature. The main female characters are
always stunning young women bestowed with incredible beauty. It’s hard to
comprehend why, but writers almost always kill them off. As the finest example for this,
Anna also perishes. A train approaches and Anna impulsively throws herself under the
wheels, begging God to forgive her all her wrongs, suddenly feeling regret when it’s too
late. The candle of her life is extinguished.
Aleksandra Markovic III/6