It is not novel for members of a society to be preoccupied with the appearances of themselves or of others. Since the Ancient Greeks, humans have struggled with the importance of aesthetic appeal. In the 1920s, the ideal woman was seen as one who was slim, beautiful, age-less, and successful. It was believed that women had to be pretty in order to find a mate, or they would risk losing a potential husband. However, this is a main factor in evolution. It is a part of natural selection for animals to pick a mate based on their appearance, because then the desirable traits get passed on to their offspring for survival. Although it is natural to find a certain type of person attractive because it will give the offspring a better chance at survival, …show more content…
Some of the effects of the emphasis on physical attractiveness have been "a rise in eating disorders, early sexualization, low self esteem, and depression" (Mohammed 1). People who are seen as attractive are given certain benefits just for their looks. For example, in Frankenstein, when the Frankenstein family sees Elizabeth, Victor says, “The four others were dark-eyed, hardy little vagrants; this child was thin and very fair. Her hair was the brightest living gold, and despite the poverty of her clothing, seemed to set a crown of distinction on her head. Her brow was clear and ample, her blue eyes cloudless, and her lips and the moulding of her face so expressive of sensibility and sweetness that none could behold her without looking on her as of a distinct species, a being heaven-sent, and bearing a celestial stamp in all her features” (Shelley 1.48). The only reason that Elizabeth captures their eye is because she is pretty, looks like royalty, and represents the ideal image of beauty. Because of her beauty, she is adopted by the Frankenstein and goes from poverty to nobility. The monster, on the other hand, has a very different fate because of his appearance. After months of living near and admiring a family, he decides to show his face to the father, who is blind. The father welcomes him warmly, but when the rest of the family comes back, they treat him with violence and disgust. “At that instant the cottage door was opened, and Felix, Safie, and Agatha entered. Who can describe their horror and consternation on beholding me? Agatha fainted, and Safie, unable to attend to her friend, rushed out of the cottage. Felix darted forward, and with supernatural force tore me from his father, to whose knees I clung, in a transport of fury, he dashed me to the ground and struck me violently with a stick” (Shelley 15.289). The family that the monster had loved so dearly and
It is scientifically proven, that people prefer attractive people. Appearances help millions of good-looking men and women across the country advance in their careers, get free drinks, and receive more opportunities. But, Mary Shelley juxtaposes the physical deterioration of Victor as her novel, Frankenstein, progresses and the creature’s ugly physical appearance and the motif of clouds juxtapose with birds to argue that appearances may be deceptive. She argues through the juxtaposition of Victor and the creation’s death that ultimately it is through death, one of nature’s devices, that allows us to see the character of a person. Shelley juxtaposes the physical deterioration of Victor with the ugly appearance of the creation to prove that time will reveal a person’s character.
Most of the time in our society, we judge the people by their appearance. The important thing that most of the attractive people should know is that no one chose to be born ugly or not. Being attractive doesn't mean being physical looks good. Also, we need to consider that sometimes the most attractive people have the worst manners ever. Usually, they are smugglers and have bad behaviors. But we have to admit that we made that mistake. We have given value to the beauty and neglected morality. For me, appearance is not everything, because if I am communicating with somebody, I need him to be respectful to me, as I am respectful to him. I am not saying that the attractive people disrespectful, but a lot of them have sick thoughts. They think
Throughout our existence, there is one emotion that we all must have or at least experience and that is compassion. The gothic novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley introduces appearance vs. reality. However, we get to know that Victor Frankenstein comes from a respectable family and ideally good. As time passes he goes on to pursue his education. Frankenstein created what he thought would be beautifully turned out to be horrendous. Then on we notice a reaction from Frankenstein and flees as a result. People judge or judged based on appearance. Like everyone else, we want to be accepted, we want to be of value. The monster yearns for it but being the way that he is, it made it much harder for him to reach.
The major theme in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is the great emphasis placed on appearance and acceptance in society. In modern society as well as in the society of Frankenstein, people judge one solely on their appearance. Social prejudice is often founded on looks, whether it is the color of one's skin, the clothes that one wears and even the way a person carries himself or herself. People make instant judgments based on these social prejudices. This perception based on appearance determines the behavior towards the person. In Frankenstein, the society of that time is similar to our own today. It is an appearance-based society, and this topic is brought to the limelight by the hideous figure of Victor Frankenstein's monster to a common human being. Every human in society wants to be accepted in an intellectual way, regardless of his or her physical appearance.
Humans find it far too easy to make judgments based upon the outward appearance, deeming one individual to be of lesser value than the other because of society’s standards. However, when the true character of a person is brought to light, any previous assessment becomes highly questionable. In the novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley leads readers to inquire as to who the real monster is through the conveyance of both Victor and the creature’s differing perception of women.
While everyone has their own preferences and definitions of what it means to have sex appeal or to be beautiful, collectively as a society, we can state that the beauty standards for men have by and large stayed the same over time. Conversely, the beauty standards for women have changed significantly. What was once considered undesirable is now alluring; what was once resented is now
on a scale from 1 to 3, the importance men gave to good looks rose from 1.50 to 2.11. But for women, the importance of good looks in men rose from 0.94 to 1.67. In other words, women in 1989 considered a man look’s more important than men considered women’s looks 50 years earlier
...uter appearance reflects one’s inner self, but only because society reacts accordingly, making beautiful people able to do good and ugly people able to do bad. Thus, in the debate over nature versus nurture, nurture clearly holds an emphasis. Frankenstein mindfully toys with the idea that men, women and monsters are all brought into this world as a blank-slate, slowly shaped according to experiences. Eerily enough, vengeance is what gives the monster a rather twisted purpose for existing. Victor is no Prometheus, and the unfortunate result of his ambition shows that people are rulers of our own destinies.
In the essay “What Meets the Eye”, Daniel Akst explains scientific facts about the beauty of men and women matters to people. He argues that attractive individuals receive attention, great social status, marries, and gets paid more on a job. One can disagree with Akst’s argument because anyone with the skills and knowledge, despite the appearance, can gain a decent relationship and can get paid well. Akst looks at beauty as if it can lead individuals to an amazing and successful life, but he is wrong. Nancy Mairs’ and Alice Walker’s views on beauty are explained internally and through self-confidence. Both women’s and Akst’s arguments on beauty share some similarities and differences in many ways, and an
One of the main themes in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is the importance of appearance and acceptance in modern society. In today's society, and also in the society of Frankenstein, people judge one often solely on their looks. Social prejudice is often based on looks, whether it be the color of someone's skin, the clothes that a person wears, the facial features that one has and even the way one stands. People make snap judgments based on these and other considerations and they affect the way that they present themselves to one, and also the way that the treat the judged person. In Frankenstein the society of that time is much like our own today. It is an appearance based society, and this is brought to the forefront by the extreme ugliness of Victor Frankenstein's monster to a common human being.
Do not judge a book by its cover. A famous American proverb that says a person’s character cannot by judged by their appearance. A prime example of this is the monster from Frankenstein. On the outside, he has a terrible appearance but he is a kind soul simply looking for a little compassion. He is a victim however due to his monstrous appearance and is left in bitter misery in the story. Both the book and the play present him as a sufferer in a cruel world but ultimately the book does a better job portraying his pain and creating compassion for him. The monster in the book details his suffering in greater detail, is more eloquent and persuasive and also experiences a more tragic ending and as a result a reader feels more sympathy towards him than an audience member would feel towards the monster in the play.
Essay 2 Psychoanalysis is the method of psychological therapy originated by Sigmund Freud in which free association, dream interpretation, and analysis of resistance and transference are used to explore repressed or unconscious impulses, anxieties, and internal conflicts (“Psychoanalysis”). This transfers to analyzing writing in order to obtain a meaning behind the text. There are two types of people who read stories and articles. The first type attempts to understand the plot or topic while the second type reads to understand the meaning behind the text. Baldick is the second type who analyzes everything.
Throughout every individuals life there are experiences of unfair judgments based on someone’s appearance. While this is never a good thing, it is an action that everyone takes part in, whether it is purposeful or not. In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley’s message is very clear as she illustrates the cruel events that take place in a society focused only on outside beauty. The central message that Shelley communicates with Frankenstein, is that while appearance is just one of an individuals many characteristics; it is always a factor they are judged on regardless of all the other qualities they may possess.
Over the years, the monster in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has become universally portrayed in one way: a tall, green-skinned, dumb brute with no language or reasoning abilities. Society has turned the story of Frankenstein into a mere horror story, dehumanizing the monster more than was intended in Shelley’s novel. However, the message of Frankenstein is a far cry from the freak show displayed by the media. While many people may only see Frankenstein as a grotesque story meant to thrill its audience, its purpose goes much deeper as it advocates for the equal rights of women in society.
I would like to begin with the fact that women have always been known to dedicate their time to beauty. Those who are devoted to their appearance most often believe that beauty brings power, popularity, and success. Women believe this, because they grow up reading magazines that picture beautiful women in successful environments; not to mention they are popular models and world famous individuals. Beautiful women are no longer just a priority for most advertising, but we have become a walking target for the working class employers. It is documented that better-looking attorneys earn more than others after five years of practice, which was an effect that grew with experience (Biddle, 172). We cannot overlook the fact that it is always the most popular and most beautiful girl who becomes homecoming-queen or prom-queen. While these are possible positive effects of the "beauty myth," the negative results of female devotion to beauty undercut this value. These effects are that it costs a lot of money, it costs a lot of time, and in the long run, it costs a lot of pain.