The Beauty Myth Characters

The Beauty Myth Character List

The western women

The first group described is that of Western women. These women are presented as having a relatively easy life and access to everything they might desire. They are also the ones who spend the most on making themselves beautiful, be it buying clothes, make-up, or paying for cosmetic procedures. The narrator criticizes them because they do nothing to fight against the idea that is a woman's job to look good. What is more, they perpetuate this idea and make it harder for the next generation of women to gain independence and freedom.

The men in power

Every man is, in the narrator's opinion, born possessing an innate power that makes it easier for them to become successful and to be financially independent. Often described as emotionless and uncaring, these two characteristics make men successful because it means they do not spend as much time as women carrying about the image they show to the world or whether their actions impact others or not. The narrator praises men for being capable of keeping themselves detached as sees these behaviors as the secret to success.

The virgins

In the past, a woman's most cherished treasure was her virginity. If a woman lost her virginity before she got married, that person was seen as trash by society and was effectively shunned by everyone. The virgins are another group mentioned here and the narrator uses them to show that in the past, men and women were expected to submit to different rules. She also points out that in the past, the women who remained in history as righteous all did it because they decided to remain unmarried and not have sex with any men, thus proving that for a woman, her true power is her sexuality.

The businessmen

The term "businessman" is used here almost as a derogatory term and is used to describe someone who is extremely power-driven and who only cares about gaining as much money as possible. These men are seen as monsters by the narrator and criticized harshly for their beliefs and ideas.

Modern feminists

The last group mentioned here is that of the modern feminists, those who distinguish themselves as third-wave feminists. Such feminists are seen as the first ones who have the power and courage to not follow through with the modern ideas of beauty. Because of this, the narrator praises these women and urges her readers to try and follow their example.

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