OK, quick question. Who the hell decides what makes a person beautiful and what makes a person ugly. Seriously though. Also, who the hell decides that we all have to agree to this standard of beauty. You know when I read the question "Is race a social construct?" I scoffed and didn't think much of it. But after much research i concluded that race is indeed a social construct. Now if someone were to ask me "Is beauty a social construct?" I wouldnt research it at all because the answer is obviously yes. The concept of beauty and reaching the perceived standard of it has ruined many lives and made many people feel terrible about themselves. We are constantly being bombarded with how we should look and what we should wear by society. Billboards, movies, television, and advertisements all perpetuate the backwards standards about beauty that we all have to live with.
The Bluest Eye delves into the emotional effects that these beauty standards can have on people. "Each night, without fail, she prayed for blue eyes" (page 46) Pecola wishes and wishes for blue eyes and she hates herself because she doesn't have them. This is a terrible thought and a terrible feeling. Imagine hating yourself because of how you look. Something you have no control over. There are times when everybody thinks this. Sometimes I wish I was taller but at the end of the day I can't control that and I'm happy. For other people though, they don't realize that and they start to hate themselves over what they can't control. To solve this issue I think that there needs to be more emphasis on self love instead of the same old standards everyone strives for.
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