More on Weight

“Why are there are no awards for the girl who starves herself through the Christmas period – refusing all sweetmeats, roasts and liqueurs offered to her – so that she might appear at the January formal in a backless dress and toeless shoes, although the temperature is near to freezing and the snow is heavy upon the ground? Howard, who wore a floor-length overcoat, gloves, leather shoes and a thick college scarf, stood by Emerson’s front gate and watched with real awe the mist of white flakes falling upon bare shoulders and hands, the clothed men holding their near-naked, decorative partners as together they stepped around puddles and snowdrifts like ballroom dancers on an assault course. They all looked like princesses – but what steel must lurk within!” – page 341

I really like this quote for many reasons. I think that it speaks to the idea that women put so much effort into looking good, even if just for one night. The fact that girls “starve” themselves to look like a princess is really saddening to me. I have always been the kind of girl to go against the norm because I like being my own person. This is not to say that I haven’t wanted to look like a princess for a special occasion, but I do not do it for the same reason as described here. These girls are so caught up on society’s interpretation of what is beautiful, not what makes them feel beauty. I think that everyone can find happiness in themselves with some confidence and people that they can count on, but I feel like many young girls these days do not have that. With the help of media, it is “common knowledge” that skinny is beautiful. I always like to see a television show, such as America’s Next Top Model, which tells young girls that it is alright to be something other than skinny. The show monitors the weight of the models to make sure that they are healthy and they even have overweight models which is refreshing.