Expert: Dylan Thompson - 11/30/2006

Question
I was reading this book called A Woman's Beauty: A Put Down or Power Source by Susan Sontag but then I wasnt able to find and understand what is the trap that the authors says that women find themselves in?

I've been reading this book a lot of times already, but still I'm having a hard time understand what is the trap is all about. Hope you can help me. Thanks


Answer
I will take a look, but my guess is that the trap runs like this.

Society tell women to be a beautiful as possible.
Women Try to do this.
Men call them frivolous and stupid and therefore unfit for X (you fill it in)

Thus Beauty is a put down for women, but it gets more complicated than that. Because women are also told that it is Ok to use their looks etc. to control men... Men dont like this and do bad things to women. Thus again, women are caught.

the authors probably conclude that Women must ignore what soceity says and 'be themselves'

which raises the question in my mind. What is more truly oneself. the uncared for and unkempt person that looks back at you in the mirror at 6am... or the cared for and beautiful one that is there after you have desplaied your personality in how well you have taken care of yourself? i think that the book is founded on a fallicy. a false dilemma that women are supposed to be trapped in. but there is a middle way... to be beautiful and charming, and yet not use it to your own advantage, or think any more about it than the time it take to get ready. this is the way out. Now Susan Sontag might come to this conclusion, I dont know. But the trap is probably what I just outlined.

I will take a skim through the book if it is at the library here. and then I'll send another reply if you want...
DJT