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BeautySusanSontagFortheGreeks,beautywasavirtue:akindofexcellence.Personsthenwereassumedtobewhatwenowhavetocall--lamely,enviously--wholepersons.IfitdidoccurtotheGreekstodistinguishbetweenaperson'sinsideandoutside,theystillexpectedthatinnerbeautywouldbematchedbybeautyoftheotherkind.Thewell-bornyoungAthenianswhogatheredaroundSocratesfounditquiteparadoxicalthattheirherowassointelligent,sobrave,sohonorable,soseductive--andsougly.OneofSocrates'mainpedagogicalactswastobeugly--andteachthoseinnocent,nodoubtsplendid-lookingdisciplesofhishowfullofparadoxeslifereallywas.TheymayhaveresistedSocrates'lesson.Wedonot.Severalthousandsyearslater,wearemorewaryoftheenchantmentsofbeauty.Wenotonlysplitoff--withthegreatestfacility--theinside(character,intellect)fromtheoutside(looks);butweareactuallysurprisedwhensomeonewhoisbeautifulisalsointelligent,talented,good.ItwasprincipallytheinfluenceofChristianitythatdeprivedbeautyofthecentralplaceithadinclassicalidealsofhumanexcellence.Bylimitingexcellence(virtueinLatin)tomoralvirtueonly,Christianitysetbeautyadrift--asanalienated,arbitrary,superficialenchantment.Andbeautyhascontinuedtoloseprestige.Forclosetotwocenturiesithasbecomeaconventiontoattributebeautytoonlyoneofthetwosexes:thesexwhich,howeverFair,isalwaysSecond.Associatingbeautywithwomenhasputbeautyevenfurtheronthedefensive,morally.Abeautifulwoman,wesayinEnglish.Butahandsomeman.Handsomeisthemasculineequivalentof--andrefusalof--acomplimentwhichhasaccumulatedcertaindemeaningovertones,bybeingreservedforwomenonly.ThatonecancallamanbeautifulinFrenchandinItaliansuggeststhatCatholiccountries--unlikethosecountriesshapedbytheProtestantversionofChristianity--stillretainsomevestigesofthepaganadmirationforbeauty.Butthedifference,ifoneexists,isofdegreeonly.IneverymoderncountrythatisChristianorpost-Christian,womenarethebeautifulsex--tothedetrimentofthenotionofbeautyaswellasofwomen.Tobecalledbeautifulisthoughttonamesomethingessentialtowomen’scharacterandconcerns.(Incontrasttomen----whoseessenceistobestrong,oreffective,orcompetent.)Itdoesnottakesomeoneinthethroesofadvancedfeministawarenesstoperceivethatthewaywomenaretaughttobeinvolvedwithbeautyencouragesnarcissism,reinforcesdependenceandimmaturity.Everybody(womenandmen)knowsthat.Foritis“everybody”,awholesociety,thathasidentifiedbeingfemininewithcaringabouthowonelooks.(Incontrasttobeingmasculine----whichisidentifiedwithcaringaboutwhatoneisanddoesandonlysecondarily,ifatall,abouthowonelooks.)Giventhesestereotypes,itisnowonderthatbeautyenjoys,atbest,arathermixedreputation.Itisnot,ofcourse,thedesiretobebeautifulthatiswrongbuttheobligationtobe----ortotry.Whatisacceptedbymostwomenasaflatteringidealizationoftheirsexisawayofmakingwomenfeelinferiortowhattheyactuallyare----ornormallygrowtobe.Fortheidealofbeautyisadministeredasaformofself-oppression.Womenaretaughttoseetheirbodiesinparts,andtoevaluateeachpartseparately.Breasts,feet,hips,waistline,neck,eyes,nose,complexion,hair,andsoon----eachinturnissubmittedtoananxious,fretful,oftendespairingscrutiny.Evenifsomepassmuster,somewillalwaysbefoundwanting.Nothinglessthanperfectionwilldo.Inmen,goodlooksisawhole,somethingtakeninataglance.Itdoesnotneedtobeconfirmedbygivingmeasurementsofdifferentregionsofthebody,nobodyencouragesamantodissecthisappearance,featurebyfeature.Asforperfection,thatisconsideredtrivial----almostunmanly.Indeed,intheideallygood-lookingmanasmallperfectionorblemishisconsideredpositivelydesirable.Accordingtoonemoviecritic(awoman)whoisdeclaredRobertRedfordfan,itishavingthatclusterofskin-coloredmolesononeneckthatsavesRedfordfrombeingmerelya“prettyface.”Thinkofthedepreciationofwomen----aswellasofbeauty----thatisimpliedinthatjudgment.“Theprivilegesofbeautyareimmense,”saidCocteau.Tobesure,beautyisaformofpower.Anddeservedlyso.Whatislamentableisthatitistheonlyformofpowerthatmostwomenareencouragedtoseek.Thispowerisalwaysconceivedinrelationtomen;itisapowerthatnegatesitself.Forthispowerisnotonethatcanbechosenfreely----atleast,notbywomen----orrenouncedwithoutsocialcensure.Topreen,forawoman,canneverbejustapleasure.Itisalsoaduty.Itisherwork.Ifawomandoesrealwork----andevenifsheclambereduptoaleadingpositioninpolitics,law,medicine,business,orwhatever----sheisalwaysunderpressuretoconfessthatshestillworksatbeingattractive.ButinsofarassheiskeepingupasoneoftheFairSex,shebringsundersuspicionherverycapacitytobeobjective,professional,authoritative,thoughtful.Damnediftheydo----womenare.Anddamnediftheydonot.Onecouldhardlyaskformoreimportantevidenceofthedangersofconsideringpersonsasplitbetweenwhatis“inside”andwhatis“outside”thanthatinterminablehalf-comichalf-tragictale,theoppressionofwomen.Howeasyitistostartoffbydefiningwomenascare-takersoftheirsurfaces,andthendisparagethem(orfindthemadorable)forbeing“superficial”.Itisacrudetrap,andithasworkedfortoolong.Buttogetoutofthetraprequiresthatwomengetsomecriticaldistancefromthatexcellenceandprivilegewhichisbeauty,enoughdistancetoseehowmuchbeautyitselfhasbeenabridgedinordertopropupthemythologyofthe“feminine.”Thereshouldbeawayofsaving