Conforming Identity And Mannequins Give Shape To A Venezuelan Fantasy
Sophia Martinez
Professor Ahn
English 114b
Conforming Identity
Identity is one concept that is easily influential, though it can be destroyed by society. There are aspects that strengthen who we are as an individual, or weaken by conforming to society’s pressured expectations of how and who to be in life.In the novel, Uglies by Scott Westerfeld, and in The Twilight zone episode “Number 12 Looks Just Like You”, identity is weakened when it comes to society’s values. In the articles “It’s a Personal Choice” by Dorris Day and “Mannequins Give Shape to a Venezuelan Fantasy” by William Neuman, both mention how woman change their appearance in order to fit into society. Individuals feel the need to be accepted by society, even if it means changing who they truly are. Today’s society has mirrored images of a conformed identity rather than …show more content…
having individual identities.
While unrealistic expectations of who and how to be are pushed, people feel the need to conform. Thus making everyone similar rather than being different, being an individual.
Most individuals feel the need to fit in or to follow society. With the constant judgment of who and what to be in life is difficult while trying to stay true to ones self. Although there are individuals who prioritize their self- identity, there are many others who prioritize fitting into society. When compared, fitting into society is much easier than separating your self from others and staying true to ones own identity. Those who go against society and stay true to who they are tend to become isolated in a world where everyone is a mirrored image of society’s identity. In Uglies, people are not valuable because of their own ideas, but following what society wants. In the episode “Number 12 Looks Just Like You” from The Twilight Zone, the character
Marylyn lives in a society where everyone is forced to alter the appearance at the age of 19. Marylyn refuses to change herself in order to be like everybody else. When she complains, she is told, “what you need is a glass of instant smile”. Everything is altered, especially something as simple as a smile. In this episode once the characters proceed with the surgery their personalities are stripped away and they become robotic like human beings. No emotions, no personality just beauty and appearance. Marylyn is a smart, brave and creative young woman though she is considered an outcast because she wants to be her natural self. Though once she is pressured to conform she ends up loving it. This storyline is very relevant to today’s society where celebrities, media, and style are pressured on individuals. Individuals want to conform what society says is good enough. They see their true self as less when being compared to the unrealistic expectations that society puts out. The constant pressure of fitting into society is destroying individual’s self-identity
Society has a huge influence on our identity that makes individuals lose a part of themselves. Everything that media puts out there suggest that we have to be a specific way in order fit in with. In the book Uglies, the character Shay experiences these problems. Especially with the wall screen that Tally, her friend, was messing with to make her “morph”. Tally was fixed on the idea that even though your appearance will change you will still be the same person. Though shay thought different, in her perspective the “morphs” were “some committee’s idea of her.” (Westerfeld 44). Even though having the surgery is what everyone wanted. It was something that Shay knew was wrong. This is because she knew she would lose herself within the society of artificial beauty. Shay was frustrated with the photo-shopping way of the wall screen, “Making ourselves feel ugly is not fun.” (Westerfeld43). This is a problem in Prettyville and in today’s society. Individuals have to deal with who they really are versus what society makes them to be. Unlike the Prettyvile in the book Uglies, Shay did not think highly of beauty being the most important aspect in life. If the “uglies” did not get the surgery, then they weren’t part of the New Pretty society. They were isolated from that society and seen as outsiders. The Smoke is where people went to get away from Prettyvile and their expectations. When Shay was a Smokey she was considered a threat to the Special Circumstances. Though when they turned her into a “pretty” she was no longer a threat, being socially accepted because she conformed to their expectations of how to live. Even if that means losing her self identity. In the article “Mannequins Give Shape to a Venezuelan Fantasy”, William Neuamn mentions that its not just people putting pressure on individuals to look a certain way, the mannequins have taken an unrealistic appearance. The unrealistic ideals of woman come from the head of Miss Venezuala pageant. Mr. Sousa believes that “Inner beauty doesn’t exist. That’s something that pretty women invented to justify themselves.” These mannequins reflect the ideals that woman should be voluptuous. The media has a huge influence on the physical appearance of woman. It’s extremely hard to be ourselves when we are constantly judged. Woman believe that this imitates real life woman though in reality it is just someone’s creation of what woman should look like. Even though there are women who change themselves in order to fit into the unrealistic expectations of society, there are woman who believe that they are happy with themselves the way they are and that is true beauty. Society sees people as chest piece rather than a person. Almost everyone either figured out or is figuring out who they are as an individual. People endure so many problems when they are trying to figure out who they are. Though whil figuring out who they want to be they have to choose which happiness is the right happiness. Many people find who they truly are, though they are socially unaccepted by society. Those individuals who stray away from the mirrored images of society and begin to have their own identity are seen as less. In the book Uglies the “uglies found away around conforming to society by running to The Smoke. The smoke was Shay’s getaway from being pressured into changing who she was. When Tally went to the smoke she realized what was more important. Beauty and the material aspects became less significant and hard work and personality became more meaningful. Tally had to pick where she belonged. Did she belong with Peris and her parents in Prettyville? Where everyone is the same and beauty is the most important aspect or does she belong with David and Shay in The Smoke where personality and hard work is admired. In the article “It’s a personal choice” by Dorris Day mentions a woman getting Botox because it enhances her self-esteem and makes her happier in her relationship, “When you look best, you feel your best.” This woman is convinced that her appearance is unacceptable and cannot achieve happiness until they look a certain way. Even though her husband tells her she is beautiful she still feels the need to go to the extreme to be perfect. This is a problem in society because individuals decide to go with the crowd or to be their own and stand out.
In today’s world we contemplate whether we should fit into society or be ourselves and be and outcast/outsider. The thought of being constantly judged for separating from society expectation is scary to most people. Although people judge us by how we look or how we act does not mean we are that certain way. Straying away from the mirrored image of society individuals
Work Cited
Day, Doris. "It 's a Personal Choice." The New York Times. The New York . Time.Company, 27 Dec.
Neuman, William. "Mannequins Give Shape to a Venezuelan Fantasy." The New York . Times. The New York Times Company, 6 Nov. 2013. Web. “Number Twelve Looks Just Like You.” The Twilight Zone. Writ. Charles Beaurmont. . Dir. Abner Biberman. CBS. Culver City. 24 January 1964. Television.
Westerfeld, Scott. Uglies. New York: Simon Pulse, 2005. Print.
Professor Ahn
English 114b
Conforming Identity
Identity is one concept that is easily influential, though it can be destroyed by society. There are aspects that strengthen who we are as an individual, or weaken by conforming to society’s pressured expectations of how and who to be in life.In the novel, Uglies by Scott Westerfeld, and in The Twilight zone episode “Number 12 Looks Just Like You”, identity is weakened when it comes to society’s values. In the articles “It’s a Personal Choice” by Dorris Day and “Mannequins Give Shape to a Venezuelan Fantasy” by William Neuman, both mention how woman change their appearance in order to fit into society. Individuals feel the need to be accepted by society, even if it means changing who they truly are. Today’s society has mirrored images of a conformed identity rather than …show more content…
having individual identities.
While unrealistic expectations of who and how to be are pushed, people feel the need to conform. Thus making everyone similar rather than being different, being an individual.
Most individuals feel the need to fit in or to follow society. With the constant judgment of who and what to be in life is difficult while trying to stay true to ones self. Although there are individuals who prioritize their self- identity, there are many others who prioritize fitting into society. When compared, fitting into society is much easier than separating your self from others and staying true to ones own identity. Those who go against society and stay true to who they are tend to become isolated in a world where everyone is a mirrored image of society’s identity. In Uglies, people are not valuable because of their own ideas, but following what society wants. In the episode “Number 12 Looks Just Like You” from The Twilight Zone, the character
Marylyn lives in a society where everyone is forced to alter the appearance at the age of 19. Marylyn refuses to change herself in order to be like everybody else. When she complains, she is told, “what you need is a glass of instant smile”. Everything is altered, especially something as simple as a smile. In this episode once the characters proceed with the surgery their personalities are stripped away and they become robotic like human beings. No emotions, no personality just beauty and appearance. Marylyn is a smart, brave and creative young woman though she is considered an outcast because she wants to be her natural self. Though once she is pressured to conform she ends up loving it. This storyline is very relevant to today’s society where celebrities, media, and style are pressured on individuals. Individuals want to conform what society says is good enough. They see their true self as less when being compared to the unrealistic expectations that society puts out. The constant pressure of fitting into society is destroying individual’s self-identity
Society has a huge influence on our identity that makes individuals lose a part of themselves. Everything that media puts out there suggest that we have to be a specific way in order fit in with. In the book Uglies, the character Shay experiences these problems. Especially with the wall screen that Tally, her friend, was messing with to make her “morph”. Tally was fixed on the idea that even though your appearance will change you will still be the same person. Though shay thought different, in her perspective the “morphs” were “some committee’s idea of her.” (Westerfeld 44). Even though having the surgery is what everyone wanted. It was something that Shay knew was wrong. This is because she knew she would lose herself within the society of artificial beauty. Shay was frustrated with the photo-shopping way of the wall screen, “Making ourselves feel ugly is not fun.” (Westerfeld43). This is a problem in Prettyville and in today’s society. Individuals have to deal with who they really are versus what society makes them to be. Unlike the Prettyvile in the book Uglies, Shay did not think highly of beauty being the most important aspect in life. If the “uglies” did not get the surgery, then they weren’t part of the New Pretty society. They were isolated from that society and seen as outsiders. The Smoke is where people went to get away from Prettyvile and their expectations. When Shay was a Smokey she was considered a threat to the Special Circumstances. Though when they turned her into a “pretty” she was no longer a threat, being socially accepted because she conformed to their expectations of how to live. Even if that means losing her self identity. In the article “Mannequins Give Shape to a Venezuelan Fantasy”, William Neuamn mentions that its not just people putting pressure on individuals to look a certain way, the mannequins have taken an unrealistic appearance. The unrealistic ideals of woman come from the head of Miss Venezuala pageant. Mr. Sousa believes that “Inner beauty doesn’t exist. That’s something that pretty women invented to justify themselves.” These mannequins reflect the ideals that woman should be voluptuous. The media has a huge influence on the physical appearance of woman. It’s extremely hard to be ourselves when we are constantly judged. Woman believe that this imitates real life woman though in reality it is just someone’s creation of what woman should look like. Even though there are women who change themselves in order to fit into the unrealistic expectations of society, there are woman who believe that they are happy with themselves the way they are and that is true beauty. Society sees people as chest piece rather than a person. Almost everyone either figured out or is figuring out who they are as an individual. People endure so many problems when they are trying to figure out who they are. Though whil figuring out who they want to be they have to choose which happiness is the right happiness. Many people find who they truly are, though they are socially unaccepted by society. Those individuals who stray away from the mirrored images of society and begin to have their own identity are seen as less. In the book Uglies the “uglies found away around conforming to society by running to The Smoke. The smoke was Shay’s getaway from being pressured into changing who she was. When Tally went to the smoke she realized what was more important. Beauty and the material aspects became less significant and hard work and personality became more meaningful. Tally had to pick where she belonged. Did she belong with Peris and her parents in Prettyville? Where everyone is the same and beauty is the most important aspect or does she belong with David and Shay in The Smoke where personality and hard work is admired. In the article “It’s a personal choice” by Dorris Day mentions a woman getting Botox because it enhances her self-esteem and makes her happier in her relationship, “When you look best, you feel your best.” This woman is convinced that her appearance is unacceptable and cannot achieve happiness until they look a certain way. Even though her husband tells her she is beautiful she still feels the need to go to the extreme to be perfect. This is a problem in society because individuals decide to go with the crowd or to be their own and stand out.
In today’s world we contemplate whether we should fit into society or be ourselves and be and outcast/outsider. The thought of being constantly judged for separating from society expectation is scary to most people. Although people judge us by how we look or how we act does not mean we are that certain way. Straying away from the mirrored image of society individuals
Work Cited
Day, Doris. "It 's a Personal Choice." The New York Times. The New York . Time.Company, 27 Dec.
Neuman, William. "Mannequins Give Shape to a Venezuelan Fantasy." The New York . Times. The New York Times Company, 6 Nov. 2013. Web. “Number Twelve Looks Just Like You.” The Twilight Zone. Writ. Charles Beaurmont. . Dir. Abner Biberman. CBS. Culver City. 24 January 1964. Television.
Westerfeld, Scott. Uglies. New York: Simon Pulse, 2005. Print.