The perception of beauty by society has been changing in the course of history. Thus, it was treated as a virtue by ancient Greeks, considered unnecessary in the context of Christianity due to focus on moral values, and finally became a power in the contemporary world. Nevertheless, Susan Sontag argues that beauty became a trap for women who are ready to sacrifice much to achieve excellence as they see it.
Present-day women long for perfection. They are eagerly looking for flaws in their appearance and are ready to work on correcting them in every possible way. In fact, many women lose their identities in the chase for perfect looks. Probably, it is a hazardous impact of society, which shifts values and inner beauty does not mean much compared to a “cover” that is expected to be as perfect as possible. In that way, the concept of beauty became associated only with outward appearance.
One of the problems related to this treatment of beauty is that women do not percept themselves as a whole but tend to evaluate every fragment of their bodies looking for perfection. Evidently, they find something that can be considered a defect like big ears or curved nose or fat hips. Nevertheless, contemporary women are lucky to have cosmetic surgery at their service. A certified doctor will provide consultation, and a perfectly shaped smiling nurse will bring a portfolio with magic transformations from beasts to beauties.
Certainly, the availability of cosmetic surgery makes many women want to change even despite the high cost of such procedures. On the one hand, a desire to be beautiful can be understood. On the other hand, self-perfection becomes a major activity for some, and other interests lose their priority. Women are trapped by a desire to meet some invented demands on their bodies, faces, and hair.
There is a question if anything can be done to defend women and to secure their right to get out of the trap of beauty, thus refusing to do cosmetic surgery. It is a controversial issue due to the following reasons. Evidently, every person has a right to live and do everything with the body or face. Still, mass hysteria about perfection among women becomes dangerous because they become focused on or even obsessed with the idea of improving their appearance until they are satisfied with the image in the mirror.
The actions that can prevent women from doing cosmetic surgery and release them from the trap of beauty should be complex. First of all, the idea of the diversity of beauty should be taught from early childhood. It is necessary to explain that there can be a beautiful face, a beautiful soul, or a beautiful flower. Secondly, it should be explained that not everything that is beautiful is good as well as not everything that seems ugly is bad. In addition, there is a need to develop the value of the individual self in people with a focus on differences that make every person unique.
Overall, the essay by Susan Sontag makes people re-evaluate the concept of beauty. Due to the provided approaches to beauty at different times, it becomes possible to see that attitude to this concept changed much and is likely to change further. Therefore, there is an opportunity to influence society and avoid the perception of beauty only as something a physical attribute of women but shift the focus to understanding the value of diverse beauty.
Works Cited
Sontag, Susan. A Woman’s Beauty – A Put Down or Power Source. 2018. Web.