Beaury by Susan Santog: Summary and analysis.
In this article, you can find the summary and analysis with some questions and their answers based on the curriculum of Tribhuvan University, BBS II, Business Communication, Visions.
Beauty
- Susan Sontag
In this
essay, Susan Sontag portrays how
a woman's beauty has been degraded while being called beautiful. Over
the years, women have been
regarded as the fairer gender. Susan discusses various implications of
beauty, specifically for women. She argues that women should not significantly
value their outlooks rather than their abilities (inner beauty).
According
to the essay, ancient Greek society placed an enormous amount on inner beauty.
It would be better if
inner beauty or talent were matched by outer beauty.
Sontag
provides a clear analogy for her views on the value of a woman. For the Greeks, beauty was a
virtue: a kind of excellence. She effectively compares the Greek concept with
her idea of what people assume today. It is surprising when a beautiful girl is
also talented, intelligent, and so on. Many people would like to agree that intelligence, talent, goodness,
and outer beauty are rare combinations. However, others could argue that
intelligence, talent, and goodness are also rare in ugly people.
According
to Sontag, in patriarchy, women are valued too much for their looks and too
little for other qualities. Beauty has become something essential to a woman's
character. The contrast between the importance of beauty to men and women has
given beauty a mixed reputation. Women now must be beautiful. Sontag uses this opportunity to
describe the challenges faced by Women to be beautiful. Beauty, thus, becomes a
form of self-oppression.
In this
way, throughout the essay, Sontag continuously compares the standard of beauty of a woman to that of men. She brings up the fact that women are beautiful, but men are
handsome. Besides just focusing on outer beauty, women should also be
critical of the concept of beauty given by society. She thinks that the success and achievement of
women through hard work should also be taken as beauty. In the name of beauty, women are exploited
and dominated in society.
1. What is
the conventional attitude about beauty that Sontag seeks to discredit?
Ans: The conventionally used
beauty signifies the attraction of physical appearance. In Greek, beauty has
been distinguished as inner beauty (intellect) and outer beauty (facial
attraction). The author seeks to discredit this outer beauty because it has devalued
the concept of beauty which signifies the wholeness, excellence, and the virtue
of humans during the classical time.
Sontag wants to revive the old Greek concept of inner beauty. Socrates's disciples had observed the inner beauty in him although he was ugly in look.
2. If
beauty is a source of power, why does Sontag object to women's striving to
attain it?
Ans: Beauty is a form of
power. A female is always looked at with a suspicious eye even if she has a
good rise in work, politics, law, medicine, business, or whatever. She is
always under pressure to confess that she still works at being attractive. This
power is not the power to do but to attract. As a result, women's striving to
attain it makes them feel inferior to what they are. They cannot choose this
power freely on their capacity is always under social censorship. That's why
the author objects to women's striving to attain beauty.
3. What
change in attitude do you think Sontag wants to bring about in her female
readers? In male readers?
Ans: Sontag wants to bring a
complete change in attitude in her female readers. The conventional attitude on
beauty has confined women's potentiality. The author wants to emphasize inner
beauty- vision and wisdom, which is long-lasting and more fruitful. A woman
should not limit them to being beautiful outwardly. If they only focus to be
beautiful, it will certainly make them more inferior and dependent on the male.
Sontag holds the view that without being beautiful too, women can compete with
males.
Similarly, male readers too should not see females as sex objects. They should view them as they see males. They should always think that males and females are mentally and physically similar.
4. What is
your personal definition of beauty?
Ans: Beauty is in the eye of
the beholder. Beauty is everywhere and, in every object, but the matter is how
we look. It can be found in a person, place, and nature.
5. Give
two examples of people who fit your definition of beauty. Discuss their traits
and characteristics related to your definition.
Ans: The word
"beautiful" holds more meaning to it than you would think. If people
have two types of beauty: inner and outer, they are the luckiest person in the
world. Personally, I find two types of beauty in Rajesh Hamal and Mother
Teresa. Both of them hold the definition of two types of beauty. Hamal is a
megastar of Nepali movies who is very studious and well known in Nepali
society. As he is, Mother Teresa was the founder of the Order of the
Missionaries of Charity.
6.
Sontag's claims about the place of beauty in a culture applicable to Nepali
culture as well? Explain your answer.
Ans: Yes, it is applicable
in Nepali society. Only facial beauty in the lack of inward talent is hollow.
Females also should involve in productive jobs and stand on own their legs.
They should make their own identity and involvement in politics. They should
not bear patriarchal domination. They should think that what males can do, they
can also do better. I think that biologically they are different but socially
they are similar. So, they should cut off thinking that they are weaker but
should admire thinking the mother of the world.
7.
How are women "Damned if they do ... And damned if they don't"
(9)?" Explain.
Ans: The quoted line,
"Damned if they do ... And damned if they don't" means that female is
blamed in both condition if they do have beauty if they do not have beauty. To
smarten, for a woman, can never be just a pleasure. It is also a duty. It is
her work. If a woman does real work, she is always under pressure to confess
that she still works at being attractive. The writer says that as she keeps up
as one of the fair sex, she brings doubt her very capacity and talent.
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