Beauty In Nathaniel Hawthorne's 'The Birth-Mark'

“The Birth-Mark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne can be described as showing the general idea of beauty during the time it was written. His short story shows beauty through the eyes of others. His wife said that he “can’t love what shocks him” (1121). “People say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I say that the liberating thing about beauty is realizing that you are the beholder” (Salma Hayek). Every day commercials advertise unrealistic body image. Commercials are not the only culprits. Mass media such as television shows also portray women and men with fit bodies and nicer appearances than the average citizen. Commercials and mass media promote a limited body standard which causes a negative outlook in teen body image as well as lowers self-esteem.

This is stating that today's media is based off as a specific appearance which is bias and should be promoting that teens should be embracing their natural beauty. “One study reports that at age thirteen, fifty-three percent of American girls are “unhappy with their bodies, this grows to seventy - eight percent by the time girls reach seventeen” (SafeTeens, National Eating Disorder Association). Teens should be learning that the way that they look does not describe what kind of person they are or how successful they’ll become. The media continues to advertise beauty product to promote covering up specific flaws, whether it’s someone’s eyes, nose, mouth or body. Mass Media programs should be encouraging teens to love who they are and what they are given. This kind of advertising can cause eating disorders in children.

Today's version of this can be trade marketed in TV shows. The television show by the name of The Twilight Zone released an episode to a similar extent. The name of the episode was “Eye of the beholder.” It displayed the human perception of beauty with a twist. The “Ugly” was the norm and Normal people were seen as outcast (Twilight Zone). They

Elvis Presley had a big influence on male beauty standards. He changed the way a lot of males styled their hair. Men started wearing their hair in pompadours and they also changed the way they dressed. Elvis Presley was a seen as the Lady GaGa of his time (Men Style). A lot of males looked up to him. “He was the guy the guys wanted to be, and the guy the girls wanted to date,” said Kevin Kern, the director of public relations for Elvis Presley Enterprises (Men Style). As for female celebrities, they play both positive and negative parts in how people view themselves. Marilyn Monroe is a woman from around the same time period who played a big role in the body image movement. “Marilyn Monroe and other notable women of the 1950s have suddenly switched from being models of women to role models for women” (Body Positivity). Even though Marilyn Monroe was seen as a sex symbol during her time, she actually opened a door to new body standards. Woman wanted to be accepted for their body and show off their curves. Celebrities today that influence body image are Beyoncé Knowles and Kim Kardashian. Beyoncé Knowles is known for being a strong and independent woman. She is not afraid to show off her womanly figure. She influences young girls to accept their bodies for what they are. She sets some realistic beauty standards. On the other hand, Kim Kardashian is curvy with a small waist and a