Woman's Beauty Susan Sontag Analysis

When it comes to us women wearing makeup, it seems like we are shamed if we do, and shamed if we don’t. Although, the face powder in Renaissance era were harmful to skin, I am still glad that they came up with the idea. Without the Renaissance’s idea of face powder, Mr. Max Factor would not have invented the pancake foundation. Half of my makeup collection are: cake foundation, liquid foundation, face powder, setting powder—you name it. What can I say? Perfect skin ideal is hard to emulate, especially if you are genetically prone to acne. Nevertheless, it seems as though, whether you embrace the significance of makeup or choose to step out of the house—"bare-faced," you will be criticized either way. Because one day you attended a family gathering

Through each generation, makeup symbolizes how women are superior, however, society today has misinterpreted the intentions of makeup believing that it is a response of the lack of confidence and there are these accusations made of it promoting false advertisement. Currently, these statements provoked some makeup artists to come together and create a challenge called #ThePowerOfMakeup, as an act of protest to spawn the true understanding that makeup is not an excuse for women, or men, to cover up their inner beauty from society. Therefore, the controversy is whether the introduction of makeup has become an option for women to mask their insecurities or is its considered an artistic way for people to express their individuality. Nevertheless,

Explanation: Sontag discusses the endless battle women face with beauty. By showing that the term beauty “has accumulated certain demeaning overtones” (Sontag 238), she shows the negative connotation beauty has now received and explains

Makeup wasn’t the easiest thing to find or create. The things makeup contained back then will leave you breathless. I wouldn’t have imagined that makeup used so many different things through history. Makeup has a lot of steps to it than just applying it on your face. Makeup seems like it’s nothing but it has a lot to it especially history because it has changed a whole lot over time. It hasn’t only changed by the ingredients but the colors and designers as well as time keeps going by new things also come out.

In "A Woman's Beauty: Put-down or Power Source," Susan Sontag portrays how a woman's beauty has been degraded while being called beautiful and how that conceives their true identity as it seems to portray innocence and honesty while hiding the ugliness of the truth. Over the years, women have being classified as the gentler sex and regarded as the fairer gender. Sontag uses narrative structure to express the conventional attitude, which defines beauty as a concept applied today only to women and their outward appearance. She accomplishes this by using the technique of contrast to distinguish the beauty between men and women and establishing a variation in her essay, by using effective language.

Accordingly Makeup can be used for many things. The ancient Egyptians used makeup made from oils and cream to help clean and

Political activist and novelist, Susan Sontag 's moralizing article, "A Woman 's Beauty: Put-Down or Power Source", originally published in Vogue in 1975, explores the double standards forced upon the modern day woman in hopes to leave a mark and open the eyes of the world. Sontag exposes the standards and consequences of beauty in the modern age, illuminating how being beautiful is now a trap in society. Through ethos, logos, and pathos Sontag reveals the twisted reality of gender stereotypes that still haunt women almost fifty years later.

Margaret, who was from the oldest generation, noted that when she was young, makeup was something that women were expected to wear when dressing up. When I inquired if she still felt this way, she agreed. “I wear makeup on occasion, normally when going out to the bar and socializing with friends or on dates.” (S, Margaret). According to Black, women from this generation used makeup as a tool to accentuate their feminine features. She explains “Young women in the 1950s saw experimenting with appearance as a vital element to their own developing sense of femininity” (Black 36). What she is saying is that during this period in history, women used makeup as a way to emphasize their feminine characteristics. Another shift in the way we understand beauty standards happened in the generation that Susan was born; during this time people began to recognize these change as a byproduct of our culture. “It is during the 1960s and 1970s that the fashion and beauty industry begins to receive political critique. Prior to this date, although we sometimes see resistance to the use of cosmetics, and criticism on moral grounds, the area of 'beauty' had not been viewed as a legitimate political concern. The phrase 'the personal is political' is an echo of the way that appearance could no longer be seen simply as an individual, or unimportant

Throughout time the world’s perception of makeup has always been seen as a way for women to enhance their facial features, a way to feel more accepted into society, and as a way to gain the attention of another individual. Society has set specific standards that women and only women can wear makeup. Although in theater productions it was socially acceptable for men to paint their faces, it was not encouraged that men use their cosmetic abilities outside of performances. Many cultures have drilled the idea into their son’s heads that they cannot wear or play with makeup because they would lose their masculinity. Applying makeup was never seen as a way of self expression, but that a woman's natural beauty wasn’t good enough and that her

My aunt’s argument is that it’s ok for girls to put on makeup because they see their mothers putting on makeup so these young girls just want to be like their mother’s. I can see where she coming from because the product doesn’t really contain real makeup it all digital but what if they want the real thing what will happen? My argument is still strong because I worry that mother of this generation is raising these young girls to measure their self-worth based on what’s on the outside and not what’s in the inside.

The social sciences became so pervasive in the twentieth century they not only produced new additions to medical discourse, but completely shifted the means of enforcing power. The emergence of individualism and the importance that was placed on one's essential and core identity made it so power that was once externally imposed by physical punishment only, began to enforce itself by way of the individual. The internalization of surveillance, domination, and discipline created a society of self policing individuals. This self policing behavior is most evident among women, and unlike the bodily protest against domestic expectations and other inequalities; it is the internalization of these oppressions, however ultimately manifesting as illness

In Sontag’s “A Woman’s Beauty” the structure the author uses for the story has a dramatic impact on the readers. In the story, Sontag structures the essay base on many historical events and other religious ideas to support her idea, how a woman sometime is only judge by her appearance. Specifically, Sontag uses three ideas in the story to support her argument. First is in history what the Greeks believe in a woman’s beauty. Second, Sontag discuss about how the Christian religion plays a major role in shaping how a woman is judge only base on her beauty. In the end, Sontag talks about in today’s society how woman are still judge by her beauty. However, in the end Sontag mentions how the society should stop judging a woman only base on her beauty.

The concept of femininity is associated with beauty. As sontag explains, “A beautiful woman, we say in English. But a handsome man”. Sontag discusses how beauty used to be a word that described the whole being and addressed both sexes but has morphed into a charged word that focuses only on the outer self and is usually used toward women. This change in language

“Makeup has been used to enhance the beauty of both men and women for over thousand years. It its through teaching others how to apply makeup, we can strive to help others feel comfortable and confident in their own skin. Wearing makeup help embrace our natural features and may also help express the ideas in a creative way like art.”

Makeup has been around since the 1800s, but the “in” style changes from generation to generation. The 21st century has been the era with the most technological advance. This has allowed anyone with an idea on what makeup look is the best to share via a “vlog”, social media, and many other avenues. This advancement in technology has been the source for many debates on how someone should apply his or her makeup. From contouring and highlighting, to bold eyebrows, to bright colors, the 21st century has been an era about exploring and playing all while accepting everyone’s unique makeup style.