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Edgar Degas Ethos

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To explain stereotyping and objectification, I will use Edgar Degas' art as a case study and explore the darker side of his ballerina paintings. Degas was an artist who studied at the Academy of Arts in Paris in the 1870s and became famous for painting in the impressionist style, particularly for his ballerina paintings (My Modern Met, 2018). However, behind the beautiful façade of his paintings, lies a deeper, darker truth about the exploitation of ballerinas, particularly young girls. The ballerinas in the 19th century entered the academy of dance as young children and underwent aggressive training at the opera dance school. After years of brutal exams, they could be guaranteed long-term employment contracts (Fiore, 2021). These ballerinas, known as "petite rats" (or "little rats"), were vulnerable to social and sexual exploitation by wealthy male subscribers known as Abbons, who held an unequal power dynamic over them. These subscribers objectified the ballerinas, viewing them as mere objects to fulfil their pleasures and take advantage of them due to their poor economic background. …show more content…

Edgar Degas frequently uses ballerinas as the central theme in his works, which challenges the academic traditions of art-making by revealing the behind-the-scenes reality of Parisian life (Edgar Degas, Little Dancer Aged Fourteen, 1878–1881; no date). For instance, Degas' sculpture titled "Little Dancer Aged Fourteen" (1878–1881) showcases the challenges and struggles of young girls aspiring to become ballet dancers, and it was defined as "repulsive," "vicious," and "a menace to civilization" (Edgar Degas, Little Dancer Aged Fourteen, 1878–1881, no date). Degas portrays the ballerinas as youthful, simple, innocent, fragile, and delicate, essentializing them as

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Stereotyping is a very unfortunate occurrence that happens every day in our lives. In the short story, “The Myth of the Latin Woman” Judith Ortiz Cofer talks about her experiences of being stereotyped for being of Latin decent and how she responded to them. Cofer shows us examples of being stereotyped by telling stories of what people said to her or how they acted around her. I noticed use of the rhetorical devices logos and pathos in this text along with the use of imagery to be very helpful in explaining her experiences and the point she is trying to get across to the reader.

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Complete equality represents all aspects of life from intelligence, economy, and appearances. As George and Hazel watched the ballerinas in the television, George took notice of the habitual way they danced as well as the fact that they had to cover their faces so they would not look any better than anyone else. Briefly he thought that maybe the dancers should not be handicapped, but immediately he heard a ringing in his ear. This eliminates the possibilities of unique beauty as well as of talent. There is no freedom for the people to go beyond the government’s implemented boundaries.

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Secondly, equality is not the answer for appearances. Many people are judged on their appearances, this is bad, however if everyone looks the same the world would be very boring. When the ballerinas are performing it is mentioned that some have masks, this is because they are very pretty. Meaning if you not pretty you wouldn’t have à mask which would make you feel bad “Their faces were masked so no one, seeing à free and graceful gesture or pretty face , felt like something the cat drug in” (pg 2) Clearly this example shows that these masks are very unforthcoming.

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“They were burdened with sashweights and bags of birdshot, and their faces were masked, so that no one, seeing a free and graceful gesture or a pretty face, would feel like something the cat drug in” (Vonnegut para. 10). Here it expresses the extremes that society has implemented in the attempt to make everyone the same. The ballerinas are burdened with weights and physical deformities to force them into normality. They are no longer able to express their creativity through dance or to stand out from the crowd. They are reduced to a level far below themselves, and their individuality is

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Stereotyping is defined as fixing or oversimplifying an image or idea of individuals of a certain race, gender etc., however, those assumptions may or may not be true. Stereotypes are hazy generalizations influenced by a number of sources such as, past experiences, media, friends and family. The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met A Girl Named Maria written by Judith Ortiz Cofer offers a philosophical reflection and personal insight into ethnic stereotypes. The author 's assertion- that the media promotes stereotypes- still applies today and is justified through her personal experiences told with logos, ethos, and pathos as well as through my personal experiences.

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