Introduction
People often say that beauty is something subjective. However, some people tend to forget about the complexity of the concept. What is a beauty? For some, it is a set of specific physical features, whereas it is a set of personal qualities for others.
No one can tell exactly what beauty is. Nonetheless, it is clear that beauty (with all its facets) plays a very important role in people’s lives. Numerous artists have tried to find the answer to what beauty is and managed to come up with an important finding that beauty is something all people long for.
A Novel
One of the most significant fiction works on beauty is Picture of Dorian Gray, where Oscar Wilde explores the essence of beauty and its value. Dorian, the protagonist, chooses to preserve his physical beauty but forgets about the beauty of his soul. Notably, the author believes that people’s appearance is a mirror where their sins can be traced (Wilde 70).
According to the author, a person with the face of an angel can be virtuous and cannot be sinful (Wilde 70). It may seem that Lord Henry is a promoter of sin, but he turns out to be in his search for the beauty of a person’s soul. Therefore, Oscar Wilde revealed people’s desire to reach perfection (or beauty is another word for this) of a human soul.
A Film
One more example of this search is the film Beastly (2011). In the film, a popular attractive and rich young man is very arrogant. He loses his attractiveness but acquires something really important, his beauty or rather beauty of his heart. In this film, the filmmakers try to find the balance between the beauty of body and heart, and the final scenes show that the balance can exist (Beastly).
Of course, the main character has to lose his physical attractiveness to open up and understand his soul. Importantly, the film shows that beauty is not confined to appearance as people are truly beautiful when they have beautiful hearts and souls. Moreover, it is stressed that a person becomes more beautiful as beauty comes from inside.
A Song
Finally, singers often try to find the answer to the eternal question concerning beauty. Christina Aguilera sings about standards of beauty and concludes that true beauty is something that makes a person come to terms with him/herself as people are “the song inside the tune” (“Christina Aguilera”).
The song is related to physical beauty, but it also shows that people strive for beauty. The singer explains that people need it to feel complete and happy. Hence, it is possible to state that beauty makes the world go round as people long for it.
Conclusion
To sum up, it is important to stress that people reveal their longing for beauty through numerous media. Novels, films, and songs are concerned with the role of beauty in people’s lives.
It is still unclear what is beautiful and who can judge, but it is clear that people cannot live without beauty. It makes them feel happier, and it adds meaning to their lives. It may be irrelevant to define beauty and set certain standards as it is more important to enjoy the beauty of the world.
Works Cited
Beastly. Dir. Daniel Barnz. Brentwood, LA: CBS Films. 2011. DVD.
Christina Aguilera Lyrics 2014. Web.
Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. Novato, CA: World Library, 2009. Print.