SA4 - Essay Example

The Unnecessary Emphasis on Physical Appearance Despite the emphasis placed on the significance of an outstanding personality, it is evident that modern world judges people based on the physical looks. This is an evident aspect, as the facial appearances of people have determined how soon they find their way into glamour. This has compelled the ones who do not fit into the category of physically beautiful to seek artificial procedures of transforming how they look like. The obsession to look ‘good’ has become a trend evident among many women in the modern society.

The three texts, namely: “Mirrors’, Empires of images” and the “veil” by different offer critical arguments about the significance of the physical appearance in the society. From the article “Empires of Images”, the author exposes the evident obsession of women appearing more physically appealing (Bordo 2). The urge to conceal the adverse effects of age, women have relied on different products and surgical operations aimed at modifying the looks of an individual. The people choosing this path are only acting in response to root social problem that involves the criticality of physical appearance as a criterion to judge people.

It introduces a competitive notion of being flawless and seeking the impossible perfection. This frenzy only occurs because the globe places extreme importance on physical appearance. In this text, only a single example of a celebrity judged according to her personality and competence, while the numerous other examples involve people judged according to their physical appearance, and hence their undying desire to attain a measure of perfection (Bordo 5). Notably, the text by Grealy titled the “Mirrors” also brings out a similar perspective, according to the experience of the author (Grealy 34).

The author accepted multiple surgical operations after the adverse effects presented on the face during the removal of a cancerous tumor. The procedure served to alter the appearance of the author, deforming the face and leaving her physically unattractive. In such a state, the author faced multiple challenges because of the social stigma extended to her because of her physical appearance. It was unfortunate that the society was blind to the inside beauty that an individual had, a factor that compelled the author to accept the multiple numbers of operations in a bid to alter the face and make it more appealing (Grealy 36).

In different residential areas, the author struggled with the evident rejection and isolation because of the physical appearance until she could not have the confidence to peer into the mirror. The comic titled ‘Veil’ also reveals the societal view of the physical appearance. The mother in the story was against the use of veils by her daughter as it concealed her physical beauty, an aspect regarded with a lot of importance in the article (Satrapi 152). Although the mother would eventually veil up towards the end, it was for purposes of passing off as someone else.

The complexity of identity definition as revealed in this story is closely associated with physical appearance. Conclusion Without doubt, the modern society has accorded too much importance on the physical appearance of an individual, while disregarding the individual’s personality. Although character and personality are a better reflection of an individual, the society underestimates this and judge people according to their physical appearance. The three texts discussed serve to augment each other in delivering this global stance concerning physical appearance.

This perspective explains why women are willing to do the impossible in a bid to deliver a beauty statement.Works CitedBordo, Susan. “The Empire of Images in Our World of Bodies.” The Chronicle Review50.17 (2003): 1-7. Web.18 Feb. 2013. Grealy, Lucy. “Mirrors.” Fields of Reading. Ed. Nancy Comley and David Hamilton and Carl Klaus and Robert Scholes and Nancy Sommers and Jason Tougaw. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2010. 33-44. PrintSatrapi, Marjane. “The Veil.” Fields of Reading. Ed. Nancy Comley and David Hamilton and Carl Klaus and Robert Scholes and Nancy Sommers and Jason Tougaw.

Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2010. 148-155. Print