Cosmetic Surgery And Society's Oppression Of Women

From birth, a body grows and changes at a rapid pace: hair grows, limbs lengthen, and weight increases. At some point in the growing process, women start to hate how their bodies look. They think their weight is too much, their birthmarks are flaws, and their hair is not long enough or the right color. Women try to change how they look instead of embracing it because society encourages them to. In recent years, musicians like John Legend, have been making strides in boosting women’s confidence in their appearances. John Legend’s song “You and I” tells all women they are beautiful through powerful lyrics, a calming melody, and a moving storyline.

For decades, a woman has been chained by the impression her appearance makes on the public. Consequently, “all women suffer over their bodies” so they practice covering up parts of their body not deemed beautiful by society. Makeup makes this practice easier by concealing blemishes. The plethora of cosmetics offered in stores easily hide flaws or allow for a quick change in hair color, but they do not change everything. It takes work to change something such as weight. Some will go to the gym to change fat into muscle, but others will take more drastic measures such as starving themselves, binging and purging, or even getting expensive cosmetic surgery. This desire to change is a “demon...loose in [the] consciousness [that] can’t be easily controlled” (224). What started out as simply wearing makeup or skipping a meal can turn into a