Perfectionism
The Oxford English dictionary defines perfection as “the condition, state or quality of being free or as free as possible from flaws or defects”. This definition has been taken by society, which has then been included to the massive amount of expectations women should have, in order to experience perfection. In the novel Beauty Junkies author, Alex Kuczynski goes around the world to show how plastic surgery makes people insane. Also, in Vanity Fair, Rebecca Sharp manipulates everyone, including her own husband, by seducing every other man so they would give her money. Consequently, what can be noticed by the two novels is that with the aid of manipulation, including seduction or getting surgery, women can eventually find themselves at the top of society. However, the downside to being at the top of society is that it causes ill health and loneliness. Therefore, one may notice that in the novels Beauty Junkies and Vanity Fair the need for fame and wealth caused the women to manipulate others with their appearance and body, which later caused them to harm their health or to be lonely; as a result, society should stop the amount of pressure they have on what perfection is for women.
When women reach the top of an obsession to have a supposedly perfect life, it has been noticed to be the result from having manipulated others with their surgery-done face. In Beauty Junkies, Alex Kuczynski explains how a, “…face-lift…returns [the] tautness of youth [and how] a liposuction… molds girlish [thighs] out of a flank stippled in cottage-cheese-like fat,” (Kuczynski 86) and since having a flawless face has been considered to be looking younger, women get several surgeries done and manipulate society into thinking that they look young at such an old age. A plastic surgery clinic in Puerto Rico has even manipulated women into thinking that “people are [always] unhappy with the way they look [and that] plastic and cosmetic surgery can give [them] the nose, face, or body [they’ve] always wanted. [The] Puerto Rico Cosmetic Surgery Directory can help [them] get in touch with plastic and cosmetic surgeons in Puerto Rico [who] will… help [them] reach [their] goals.” (“Puerto rico cosmetic).
The Essay on A Womans Role In Society Is Primarily That Of A Wife And Mother Do You Agree
A womans role is primarily that of a wife and a mother do you agree? The big debate about a womans role, and place in the society has been going on for a long time, and is still continuing. Women have been fighting to be able to stand on the same podium as men for over decades of years. However, I do agree with the given statement that the primary role of women in the society is to be a wife and a ...
This shows us that certain women are easily persuaded by surgery clinic’s who influence them into thinking “every single woman gets surgery, so why not me?” Due to this manipulation, it will lead to obsessive behaviours, since after they get the “nose, face, or body” that everyone has the need for more enhancements or uplifts will eventually become natural for them. Therefore, women may be noticed to use manipulation in order to reach the top of society.
Women not only use their appearance to manipulate others but also use their seductive manner to manipulate wealthy people in order to gain part of their wealth. This is proven when Rebecca Sharp, from Vanity Fair seduces Lord Steyne, a wealthy man, in order to repay an old friend as well as gain more wealth. Although she is married she does not share part of the wealth with her husband but instead continues her small affair with Lord Steyne. The shameful, promiscuous manner that Rebecca displays has been the cause for her increase in social status, because after entertaining Lord Steyne, she begins entertaining larger parties. This social increase would not have happened if it were not for the small affair that occurred with her and Lord Steyne. This manipulation can also be found in other parts of the world, including Japan where Geisha’s were required to become “waitresses, bar girls, café girls, and resolutely cherry prostitutes [with no pay],” and live in, “squalid little houses above fetid ditches where mosquitoes [swarm]” (Downer 177).
The Term Paper on Breast Implants Women Surgery Woman
Breast Implants In the early 1980's breast implants began gaining popularity, but they have been on the market since the early 1960's. They were invented by plastic surgeons Cronin and Grow. Dow Corning began manufacturing them commercially in 1962. Today over two million women have undergone breast augmentation surgery. There are many negative consequences that may arise from the surgery, and ...
Since Geisha’s were not paid, and this work was done to get known, the only source of “income” for these young women were tips, which is based on how much a male customer liked or enjoyed their presence. To get a customer to feel this way, they would have to use their seductive manners in order to manipulate them into giving them more money. Therefore, both novels show two different ways in which women can reach the top of society. Both methods of manipulation relate to each other because in both scenarios the woman somehow manipulates either society or the people in society into thinking that they naturally have a flawless face or that they are in need of money; and in the end, the women end up having a higher social status because of it. With the help from different manipulations, including their seductive tactics or their surgery-done face, the result is that women reach the top of society; however, the after-effect to this is a continuous obsession that is far more dangerous than the actual surgery.
Although it can be agreed that the appearance people at the top have seem to be perfect, this assumption is completely different from the ill health most of these people endure. In Beauty Junkies the author explains how one lady “drinks Penta water…which is supposed to be more effective at hydrating the body than any other water. She takes vitamins everyday…and she drinks a cup of probiotic blue-green algae each morning…her makeup [when she goes out] is applied by a professional…She has her eyebrows tweezed and tinted every week [and how] she sees two or three plastic surgeons about three times a year…” (Kuczynski 127).
With this example, one can see that the amount of care this lady puts toward her body and appearance, in order to stay “perfect”, actually harms her body; the amount of pills she is needed to take every day will eventually damage her kidney. The stress and maintenance that is needed for her to keep the expensive look achieved by several plastic surgeons is something that is far more dangerous than getting the surgery since the surgery alone takes only a few hours but this up-keep in ‘popping pills’ is extremely dangerous since these women have to do it every day of every month of every year. In addition, a psychological website explains how Dr. Devon Charles performed gastric bypass surgery to “a middle-aged [client, which] reflected issues deeper than the medical act alone. While the woman lost some 270 pounds as a consequence of the surgery, the change did nothing to address her underlying issues, which included a relationship with a domineering mother and a related tendency to stay in abusive relationships with men…” (DeAngelis, 2005).
The Term Paper on Overweight Women Discrimination Woman Weight Society
Discrimination is present in our culture today. From racism to sexism, hate and superior complexes of certain groups still stand strong. One of them is the discrimination of women. This wart has always been on society skin and still is prevalent today. Although many steps have been taken to give equal rights to women, it is one of great struggle and is very tough to change old views of some of the ...
This quote explains how getting surgery only masks the flaws that the world sees, but only increases the psychological illness that is underneath the skin. In all, the result from the continuous up-keep done after the surgery will eventually damage not only one’s health, but will also harm one’s friendships with others desperate to reach the top of society.
For that reason that so many women want to get surgery done in order to look more youthful, this surgery also come with not only the harming of one’s health, but also comes with the destruction of one’s company. This is evident in Vanity Fair when Rebecca’s husband, Rawdon Crawley finds out that Becky was hiding money and diamonds from admiring gentlemen, including Lord Steyne and decides to leave her. Word then gets out which causes Becky’s status to drop which then causes her to feel alone resulting in her wandering through Europe. This shows that after having the money and status that Becky always wanted she realizes that without a husband or people to love, life would be extremely lonely, since no one wants to be with someone who would take advantage of even her husband just to get to the top of society. Furthermore, Toni Bentley, a reviewer for the New York Times, commented on an interview that occurred in Beauty Junkies and explains that, “…the disguise of a woman who has sewn, injected and scraped her surface into a masked carapace is only a distraction from her profound, perhaps unconscious sadness. Here the pathos in the Bride of Frankenstein’s agonized cinematic scream finds a brand-new face” (Bentley 2006).
The Essay on The Bane Of Life And Beauty Time
The Bane of Life and Beauty: Time 'For every man, Time is an emptying reservoir; to fret over how much you have left only wastes it.' - Lee Connolly. In every person's mind, a clock is running. A pendulum is constantly swinging and ticking into the future, into the unknown. Every person must, at sometime, recognize Time as a measurement of their own life and not something that can be ignored and ...
Here, Toni points out the message the author is trying to say and how this lady, who constantly takes pills keeps herself busy in order to avoid the topic of loneliness she endures because of her high status. Therefore, the after-effect endured by these women, including loneliness and ill health, is what permeates these women’s lives.
All in all, in both Beauty Junkies and Vanity Fair the desperation to be perfect caused the women to manipulate others in their society with their facial appearance and their sexuality, which later caused harm to their health or the amount of true friends these women have; as a result, society should not only understand the amount of stress these expectations have on women, but should stop it altogether. Also, it can be agreed that women who use manipulation, either in the form of surgery or seduction find themselves eventually reaching the top of society. However, the drawback to this is that this can be very harmful to one’s body and can also cause loneliness. In Beauty Junkies Alex Kuczynski explains that Ellen Berscheid says that “genetic determinism is anathema to Americans, who want to believe everyone is born equal, with an equal chance for a happy life…[however] it’s simply not so. The most important factors governing success in life, her research determined, were sex, height, intelligence, and appearance, factors that profoundly affected life quality as early as nursery school.” (Kuczynski 86).
Works Cited:
“’Beauty Junkies’.” The New York Times Book Reviewer 12 Nov. 2006: 6(L).
General OneFile. Web. 25 Nov. 2011
DeAngelis, T. (2005, November).
Cosmetic surger’ys dark side. American Psychological Association, 36(10), 41.
Downer, L. (2000).
Geisha: The secret history of a vanishing world. London: Headline Book Publishing.
Kuczynski, A. (2006).
Beauty junkies: Inside our $15 billion obsession with cosmetic surgery. New York: Doubleday.
Perfection (1998) In. J. Pearsall (Ed.), The New Oxford English Dictionary (p. 1378, ed. 1) New York: Oxford Press
Puerto rico cosmetic surgery- plastic surgeons in puerto rico. (n.d.).
Retrieved from http://www.the-cosmetic-surgery-directory.com/puerto_rico.html
Thackeray, W. M. (1848).
The Report on How Did the Life of Ancient Greek or Roman Woman Differ from the Life of a Woman in the West Today?
Classical Civilisation thepiggrinder How did the life of ancient Greek or Roman woman differ from the life of a woman in the west today? Women in the modern western culture of today enjoy many more rights than those of ancient Greek and Roman women. Woman in the modern culture of the west today have an unrestricted amount of freedom (often supported by law such as diversity and equality ...
Vanity fair. United Kingdom: Punch magazine.
