Number 12 Looks Just Like You Essay In the episode, Number 12 Looks Just Like You, Marilyn Cuberle is a young girl turning 19, allowing her to go through the transformation process. A heavily flawed and terrible system, the transformation is a processes to extend the lives of people and make them look what seems beautiful for their society. It is common for all humans to go through this process at the age of 19. Despite this, Marilyn is far from happy with this process, thinking it destroys character and integrity. Her thoughts are overran by a barrage of people encouraging her to do the transformation. This suggests the idea that supporters of what is considered “normal” will always outlast and outspeak any challengers. Unfortunately for …show more content…
Marilyn is told many times by people close to her that undergoing the transformation will make her beautiful and powerful, whereas if she doesn’t she will be unattractive and unappealing. “But afterwards, you'll be beautiful.” (Number 12 Looks Just Like You). Lana mentions to Marilyn many times that the transformation was the best decision she ever made and she was very ugly before going through the process, despite Marilyn thinking she was beautiful even before the process. Marilyn’s good friend, Valerie, also tries to convince her to undergo the transformation. She brings up Marilyn’s family and her own, she also mentions how painless and easy the process is. The high praise put onto the transformation process cause people in this society to be brainwashed into believe anyone who does not undergo the transformation is ugly and foolish. Not wanting to be labeled as such, many people, including Marilyn and her father, decide to undergo the transformation against their heart’s desires. Although transformation improves physical appearance and allows humans to live longer, it deprives people of basic life experiences that are necessary to enjoy it. If you have forever youth, you would not cherish your youthful years as much as if it had a limit. If everyone looked perfect and extraordinary then no one would be beautiful, instead …show more content…
If everyone close to you is nudging and complaining about a point they are trying to make, you would be guilted into giving in to the complainer to avoid further conflict. This is exactly what happened to Marilyn Cuberle and her father. Nearing the age of 19, Marilyn frantically objected to the transformation and badmouthed it. To Lana’s discontent, she was forced to see a doctor because it was so abnormal to dislike the transformation that Lana thought she might have a brain disorder or disease. “You see, the poor child says to herself why should i be so hideous? So awkward, oversized, unbalanced, so full of revolting skin eruptions.” (Number 12 Looks Just Like You). After discovering there was nothing wrong with her, the doctor realized she really disliked the transformation and had many people, including Lana, Valerie, and Sigmund, try and persuade Marilyn and brainwash her into wanting to go through the transformation process. Marilyn is then forcefully held in a room with only a bed until she decides to get the transformation, the doctor claims it is for research purposes, but it is obvious that the masterplan is to keep Marilyn captive and brainwashed until she agrees. People can only go so long under harsh circumstances before they finally give in. Marilyn falls into the trap she predicted when she said: “And the nicest part of all, val- i look just like you.” (Number 12 Looks Just Like
Transformation is present in both Mad Shadows and Beauty and the Beast. Transformation and change go hand in hand in order for suffering to be understood. Suffering is understood throughout Beauty and the Beast when an evil fairy transforms the handsome prince into a hideous beast, in order to teach him a valuable lesson. The prince, “. . . remained in [the form of a beast]. . .” (41), which reflected his ugly behaviour, to teach him that there is more to life than just appearance. Therefore, he was ultimately punished for his temper and shallow behaviour. It was only when Beauty acknowledged that, “it is neither good looks nor great wit that makes a woman happy with her husband, but character, virtue, and kindness. . . .” (40). Beauty realized the importance of virtue and the transformative power of love, which freed the prince from his curse, and in the end he acknowledged the value of essence over appearance. Suffering is understood in Mad Shadows when Louise, a selfish mother, who is mesmerized by her beauty, develops a deadly disease, “Cancer! Cancer of the cheek!” (93). It is only then that she begins to accept that her pride, her beauty, is fading as the cancerous puss on her face, portrays the vile, self-centered and ...
In this society everyone is obsessed with beauty. And the Uglies are the people between the ages of 12 and 16 they live in a remote community far from the beautiful people. In this community the Uglies anxiously wait for their 16th birthday. At the age of 16 they go through a mandatory plastic surgery in order to live up to society’s standards. After they go through plastic surgery they will be known as pretties, and they will also live with all of the other gorgeous people.
...many ways that people try to alter themselves in order to be accepted. For Example: apparel, beliefs, language, and even actions. Most popularly amongst these which happen in real life and also the novel, falls appearance and action. Typically people change their appearance when they are insecure about their looks and alter them to fit in with their desired crowed. Unfortunately many also go to the extreme of modifying their actions. This is far more serious because it often results in irrational behavior done simply to be a part of a preferred social group.
We all are unique in a different way; our body is different just like our face color. Thin, fat, thick, or over weight each one of us is different from everyone else, this is what make us individual. By changing your body it’s like taking away your identity and personality. The author suggest that plastic surgery is being done from one women pulled from exactly the same face structure and mostly they all look the same. Most people think when they get cosmetic surgery done they’re becoming in with their own ideas on what they wanted to look like, but if you really think about most people undergo surgery hoping to look better and to look way different that they use to. It is unfortunate because one shouldn’t feel the need or necessary to alter their face or body to look more beautiful or perfect. People should have a surgery to change their inside instead of outside. Most of the things we do are to feel included and to feel like someone is paying some attention to us. Society don’t really pay attention or care about that one fat girl who sits in the cafeteria by her self with a big nose and an ugly face, but that girl with a long hair, a perfect smile, and face structure is one that everyone remember. It is just so unfair and sad that society have to tell us what beautiful and what
Slater believes that going through a surgical procedure to change themselves, ruins the authenticity of their true “self.” The authenticity of a person is who they are when their personality has not been hindered artificially. If a person changed who they are because they have learned something, then that is still authentic. But Lauren Slater introduces the idea of changing who you are through surgery and that is basically being molded by someone else to be a different person. Lauren Slater’s story speaks about a person being changed into who they are not. In her story she speaks about how a man went into surgery and his whole self had been changed. Mario became a whole new person from being in surgery. She does not believe that one person should have to go through surgery to become a whole new person because people are the way they are for a reason. Slater shows her disapproval for this type of surgery by using grotesque terms to define the surgery like “gruesome,” “twisted,” and “grinds” (Slater 239) This shows the fact that she views the surgery and ruining a person by cutting them up. Slater views this surgical procedure as inhumane because it is stripping a person of who they are and what they do. Mario might have been raised one way,
Beauty isn’t what will allow you to succeed; it is the amount of hard work and dedication that you give to accomplish your goals. Kelley gives three main reasons to support this claim; the standard will change, the opportunities for women are growing without the help of beauty, and that it is important to not let yourself get to a vulnerable state. The reasons may seem a little vague but the author gives enough evidence to support them, which gives the reader the opportunity to develop a new meaning of beauty. For the last reason Kelley is presenting an argumentative idea that contradicts what she has said, but still ties in with what she has to say about the “standard”.
In such a cruel society young woman tend to feel pressured with keeping up a perfect image or appeal just to please everyone around them. The speaker in this poem is third person, the audience is very clear focusing on society and parents raising young girls. The overall theme is how society has a standard of how pretty someone is. It causes woman to feel pressured into looking and acting a certain way. A “girl child” is born and once she hits puberty, she is humiliated for what other people point out and see as her flaws. Soon she tired of trying so hard to be what she was not. She eventually got what she wanted which was to look pretty, though it cost her own life. In this eye opening poem “Barbie Doll”, Marge Piercy gives a great representation of how society’s view affects a young woman’s self-image using similes, gruesome symbols, and strong irony.
The image has a huge effect in society. A celebrity’s image can characterize, shape and circulate societal myths in Hollywood. Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, singer, and model. People think her figure and beauty make her become a popular icon and sex symbol in the 1950s. When people talk about the name of Marilyn Monroe, a blonde beautiful sexy female's image will appear in people's minds. What has the beauty standard shown us through Marilyn Monroe in the mid-20th century? Besides the beauty what other things did she need in order for her to be famous at that time? Marilyn Monroe's status as a sex symbol has influenced many artists since her time, even though the beauty standard has been different since then. If we look at the celebrities today, we can find many imitators of Marilyn Monroe: Madonna, Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, and even Lady Gaga. They do this not only because of marketing and media needs, but also because people today still “worship” the image Monroe created. A half-century has passed since Marilyn Monroe's death, so why is she still relevant today? As time has passed, Marilyn Monroe's image is becoming even more meaningful and valuable. Think about the image she has created, the main point I want to study is: how does a woman who passed away at thirty-six years old, after starring in only a handful of movies, has such on the impact on women, especially young women, in the 21st century? To find the answer of how she has an impact on young women today will also show how some of the young celebrities today became successful.
Many people today feel like their faces are hideous, and the same can be said for Georgina from “The Birthmark”. Almost any- physical attribute can be considered ugly to oneself, and to others, depending on what the others
Tracy Freeland in Thirteen is the epitome of a person going through the stage of adolescence. All of the surroundings you grow up in affect and help shape the person you become. In Tracy’s case, her identity was formed by her choices with her new friends, and how she chose to explore that new world. It can be seen throughout this film how easily adolescents are influenced by those around them when deciding the type of person they want to be in adulthood.
Maureen, her nanny, whose face is riddled with defects, still inspires Coralie to think that, “she [is] beautiful, despite her scars” (10), despite the imperfections she, herself, posses. Then I realized: Isn’t this the true nature of life? Don’t we often look at ourselves, picking out the flaws that we think others will notice? I do this too often, never once thinking that, in reality, people often don’t notice these imperfections or look down on us for them. For instance, Dove had created a commercial that placed women in a position where they had to describe themselves in front of an artist. Accordingly, other women with whom they had met previously were asked to describe them. Of course, the outcome is completely different, yet many women can’t see that. Due to this blind nature, people often try to remove their faults, alike to Coralie, who “attempted to rid herself of the webbing with a sharp knife…” (19), which seems extreme, however many nowadays go through cosmetic procedures to ‘fix’ themselves too. This struggle of accepting ourselves is by no means new—it is an eternal static that doesn’t seem to
In the essay, “Beauty: When the Other Dancer is the Self,” Alice Walker writes about how she lost her eyesight in one eye due to a childhood accident. Alice communicates to the reader how, when losing an eye, she cared much less about the loss of her eyesight and more about how she appeared to others. In the story, Alice recalls different points where the accident affected her life. To her, the loss of her eye was not just a physical impediment, but a mental one as well. Once she had a surgery to remove the “glob of whitish scar tissue,” she felt like a new person, even though she still could not see. Alice says, “Now that I’ve raised my head,” and can stop holding herself back from being the greatest she can be. Just as Alice is affected by
endlessly trying to find quick fixes for looking and feeling better about ourselves. For instance, have you ever looked in the mirror and didn’t like what was reflected back at you? A lot of people turn to cosmetic surgery to transform their bodies and feel better about themselves. People undergo cosmetic surgery for a variety of reasons. They may want to look younger. They may want to change a feature they never liked. They may want to be skinner or even be healthier. There is a cosmetic procedure for nearly every complaint or dissatisfaction you can imagine. “We, as American’s engage in gluttony, then we lipo the evidence away. We give birth, and then we get a “mommy makeover” to transform our postpartum bodies into sleek youthful ones. When we commit the ultimate sin of aging, we smooth away all evidence of nature’s natural course by paralyzing our faces with Botox” (Essig, 2009). A crooked nose? There’s a cure for that too.
In the article, “Cosmetic Surgery, Suspect Norms, and the Ethics of Complicity” written by Margaret Olivia Little, a case was mentioned about a young boy who has ears that stick out who continuously is being teases in the extent that it taunts the young boy at night and affects his grades in school. The parents want to result in cosmetic surgery to tuck the young boy’s ears in closer to his head. As some may argue that not all cosmetic surgery is made to enhance physical attributes but to actually help someone to stop real life suffering and trauma. Although that argument has valid points, there is a major error in it. Something that is not often thought of is the image that society considers as “normal”. In response to this case Little states, “society surely deserve blame for at least some of the boy’s suffering-not because society has preferences or norms about appearance but because it is immoral in its “enforcement of those norms”. Yes, the deciding to undergo surgery to help the boy live a life without torment from those around him can help prevent mental trauma, however, it is those who set the preconceived image or what is “normal”. Little also mentions that cosmetic surgeries are all revolved around altering their image it look more European. If the Marjory of people want to alter their looks to look a bit more European, it
...e ability to achieve anything in life. Hopefully, readers would learn from this novel that beauty is not the most important aspect in life. Society today emphasizes the beauty of one's outer facade. The external appearance of a person is the first thing that is noticed. People should look for a person's inner beauty and love the person for the beauty inside. Beauty, a powerful aspect of life, can draw attention but at the same time it can hide things that one does not want disclosed. Beauty can be used in a variety of ways to affect one's status in culture, politics, and society. Beauty most certainly should not be used to excuse punishment for bad deeds. Beauty is associated with goodness, but that it is not always the case. This story describes how the external attractiveness of a person can influence people's behavior and can corrupt their inner beauty.