In today's society, whether it be through media or simply through standards ingrained in society, the imposition of beauty standards is increasing by the day.
There are just too many girls who watch the Victoria Secret Fashion Show while eating ice cream, and then suddenly vow to never eat it again and hit the gym the next day.
Or buy the 'one size fits all' garment just to find out that only a girl with a cookie-cutter body shape will ever be able to fit in it.
And of course the classic "nude" look that's only nude for those with pale skin.
I myself have witnessed the effects of these unfair beauty standards. Just recently an Indian friend of mine claimed that her grandmother doesn't accept her still (she's 16 years old) just because she has a darker complexion. That is completely unfathomable to me. Skin color is totally out of control and everyone shade and hue should be appreciated. It broke my heart to know that my friend who is the sweetest girl I know well "she would never know her beauty" (46-47).
Similarly, in The Bluest Eye, Pecola never saw herself as beautiful. She always compared herself to beautiful white girls like Maureen Peal and longed to have blue eyes. Unfortunately, she let her physical appearance define her; Pecola considered herself fit for her dysfunctional just because she felt that she belonged there due to her appearance. Later on, the girls lust after Shirley Temple's and Mary Jane's appearance: the typical blonde hair, blue eyes. However, they fail to remember that beauty lies in the eye of the beholder.
more importantly the day our society looks past physical beauty to instead critique people by their nature and attitude, girls like my friend will never deem themselves ugly again.
There are just too many girls who watch the Victoria Secret Fashion Show while eating ice cream, and then suddenly vow to never eat it again and hit the gym the next day.
Or buy the 'one size fits all' garment just to find out that only a girl with a cookie-cutter body shape will ever be able to fit in it.
And of course the classic "nude" look that's only nude for those with pale skin.
I myself have witnessed the effects of these unfair beauty standards. Just recently an Indian friend of mine claimed that her grandmother doesn't accept her still (she's 16 years old) just because she has a darker complexion. That is completely unfathomable to me. Skin color is totally out of control and everyone shade and hue should be appreciated. It broke my heart to know that my friend who is the sweetest girl I know well "she would never know her beauty" (46-47).
Similarly, in The Bluest Eye, Pecola never saw herself as beautiful. She always compared herself to beautiful white girls like Maureen Peal and longed to have blue eyes. Unfortunately, she let her physical appearance define her; Pecola considered herself fit for her dysfunctional just because she felt that she belonged there due to her appearance. Later on, the girls lust after Shirley Temple's and Mary Jane's appearance: the typical blonde hair, blue eyes. However, they fail to remember that beauty lies in the eye of the beholder.
more importantly the day our society looks past physical beauty to instead critique people by their nature and attitude, girls like my friend will never deem themselves ugly again.
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