Chinese beauty standard is problematic: modern echo of Torni Morrison's the Bluest Eye

  

     Different time period has different definition of beauty in different country. Those standards of beauty always convey the code of generation and feature of the society. In western country, in America, for example, people think blonde, fit and energetic girls with blue or green eyes are the most attractive and charming. That is to say Americans are pursing the beauty of natural figure and healthy lifestyle, while still holding the ideal of superiority of caucasian. During 1960s, Toni Morrison has her most famous book the Bluest Eye published, and doubtfully critiques the properness of beauty standard, which people racially appreciate whites and despise blacks. Toni Morrison argues that public ideal of beauty results in bias and hatred, which seriously hurts the victim, specifically black girl Pecola in the book, who does not  and could never fit into the pool of beauty. Harm due to the problematic standard of beauty is not a unique American case, but has its counterpart in China. Nowadays, the ideal of beauty is problematic in China because women, under the pressure of code of beauty, have no freedom simply to be themselves, but hopelessly try to reach the standard by harming their health and restraining their individual personalities.

  Chinese girls always give people the stereotypes of impression of small, skinny, shy, mysterious and meek. Many people are curious that what is actually the standard of beauty of chinese women. Let’s look 400 years back to Qing Dynasty, which the ideal of beauty during that time period still profoundly affects the current age. Daiyu Lin, one of the main character in A Dream of Red Mansions, which is one of the four most famous books in chinese history and is written by Xueqin Cao in Qing Dynasty, is regarded as one of the most beautiful women in China and still the lover in dream of most chinese guys.  Daiyu Lin is attractive because of her morbid beauty, as Xueqin Cao depicts her:

Her two arched eyebrows, thick as clustered smoke, bore a certain not very pronounced frowning wrinkle. She had a pair of eyes, which possessed a cheerful, and yet one would say, a sad expression, overflowing with sentiment. Her dace showed the prints of sorrow stamped on her two dimpled cheeks. She was beautiful, but her whole frame was the prey of a hereditary disease. The tears in her eyes glistened like small specks. Her balmy breath was so gentle. She was as demure as a lovely flower reflected in the water. Her gait resembled a frail willow, agitated by the wind. Her heart, compared with that of Bi Gan, had one more aperture of intelligence; while her ailment exceeded(in intensity) by three degrees the ailment of XiZi (Chapter3).

Flower Burial- Daiyu

Besides her facial appearance, it is worth to mention that Daiyu Lin is a rally talented poet and writer. One of the most famous scenes in the book is when Daiyu Lin collects the wilting and dead flowers and buries them on the hill, while she sings," Here I am fain these flowers to inter, but humankind will laugh me as a fool; who knows who will, in years to come, commit me to my grave! In a twinkle springtime draws to an end, and maidens was in age. Flowers fade and maiden die; and of either naught any more is known”(Chapter 27). People could not help loving  Daiyu because of her romantic and poetic temperament. Since Daiyu has won so many hearts, women start to imitate her, especially her appearance and behavior, which apparently are the easiest two to learn and copy among all her attractive qualities. Thats how the ideal of beauty spreads out and still functions in today’s society in China.  

                                                                       Flower Burial

      In general, these are three qualities that a chinese beauty has to have: skinny figure, white skin, and big eyes. First of all, a true beauty must be thin. Now I do not mean size 3 or size 4, but I mean very, very thin, more of a size 0 or smaller, which is more a childlike size. Tender, small boned and soft are the ideal of the beautiful figure. The goal of “skinniness” is not only limited in body figure, but also includes long and thin figures, oval and small face, straight and muscleless legs and arms, and thin feet. “ As thin as a willow leaf”,“ as light as smoke”, and “soft, skinny and fragile” are the description of chinese beauty. The second requirement would be white skin, the whiter the better, like china. It is understandable that why Chinese, even Asians, prefer lighter skin. One theory is that a lighter complexion is associated with wealth and higher social status. Those with a better education could stay out of the sun while those from lower social classes, like laborers and farmers, would have had to work outside during the daytime hear. Otherwise, pale skin looks healthier and more flawless than skin that’s tan. Chinese would get age spots and over time their skin will began to wrinkle and sag from too much exposure to the sun. Sun damaged skin is very unattractive. Here are some description of skin in chinese literature: “snowy skin”, “ice skin jade bone”,” pale and soft without any redness”, and “as pale and icy as the moon”. Last but not least, big and bright eyes with a double-fold or crease in the eye lids are the feature of chinese beauty. Chinese guys would describe their lover in dream having “bright and cutesy big eyes, and each glance is like flowing water in autumn, which grab your soul”.

Morbid Beauty

White, Big eyes, and Thin

 


















    Like Toni Morrison cirques American beauty standard during 1960s in her book the Bluest Eye, the ideal of beauty in China is problematic and not healthy because it won’t allow women to be themselves, and brings them incredible social pressure.

   Vast majority of Chinese women are extremely insecure about their physical appearance, and bear incredible social pressure to be extremely thin. Those who don’t meet nearly unattainable standards of beauty are reminded of it all the time- by parents, friends, teachers, and even commercial advertisements and magazines. Dee Xu, a famous compere and actress once said, a woman whose weight over 110 pounds has no future.On the internet, “lose weight” is always one of the most poplar topic. Girls stops eating for days to be skeletal. Many refuse to eat, or will not touch anything sweet, or claim to be on diet, because they feel or are told by their peers and family that they are too fat (even they are not). Girls go on diet for boys, and fear that if they become fat, boys won’t love them anymore. The process of controlling appetite is so depressive that slight anorexia is common among girls. Moreover, a girl with muscle is a bad thing. So girls are unwilling to participate in sports and P.E. class, in order to be more girlie instead of “athletic”. Under the pressure of improper beauty standard, women have no freedom to enjoy food, and enjoy being themselves.

Translation: " Am I really that fat?""Why he does not like me?" "There is no clothes to fit me."
"There is no future for a fat people.""Sorry, I like skinny girl.""No matter how nice you are, you are still a fatty with good heart.""Hey why you are still eating, you fatty." Girls use this picture to constrain their apetite.

        Cartoon: The Big Girl  "Will you still love me that same like before if I was a fatty."

If you really love me, you won't care if I am fat or not.

   On the contrary of western beauty standard, chinese girls purse light skin- as white as possible. Guys prefer skins smooth and as white as china. In order to be at the higher level of whiteness, girls and women keep them out of sun, keep themselves covered in the summer. The fact is that they would carry parasols with them during summer months. Some are even unwilling to go outside as if they are scared of sunshine. What’s more, some of them even use bleaches to light their skin, which causes all skin problems as they become older. The pursing of pale looking skin is problematic because it makes women scare of sunshine, and act ghostly in the shadow, which is really against human nature. 

White, Big eyes, Skinny

   The ideal of beauty in China is troublesome because it simply makes women feel unconfident about themselves. The first impression is made by the appearance. The judge of facial beauty determines if a guy would like you or not, or a girl would talk to you or not. Therefore, girls and women use makeup and even have plastic surgery to change their appearance in order to grant more people. Makeup and plastic surgery, although changes your facial appearance, would make you instantaneously hate your real identity. Social beauty standard, having big eyes for instance, gives those who has small eyes an invisible pressure, which results in self-deny and self-abased. According to the research, the top one plastic surgeries performed in China is double eyelid procedure, which makes the eyes appear larger. 

 















     Similarly, in the Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison argues that American beauty standard during 1950s-1960s is problematic because it racially regards whites as the absolute untouchable beauty, while despising African American’s ugliness due to their blackness. The beauty standard is indoctrinated and rooted in American’s childhood by reading Dick-Jane story book. As an African American, Pecola is taught to hate herself, while social pressure in form of either ignorance or outrage constructively destroying Pecola’s self-esteem and confidence.  The strong wind of racial bias over beauty standard blows out Pecola’s last self-assurance that she accepts to wear the “cloak of ugliness” without question and keeps “concealed, veiled, and eclipsed” under her mask of ugliness (39). Dealing with her ugliness by wanting to disappear, Pecola would rather not be seen than be seen as ugly. Society has set objective standards of beauty that Pecola does not fit in to, leaving her to be ashamed of her appearance and is unable to see her real beauty. Since she is so sure that physical beauty would win her love and care, Pecola dreams to have blue eyes. Racial self-loathing due to unattainable beauty standard results in self-betrayal. Ironically, Pecola’s dream comes true at the cost of her madness. Pecola has an imaginary friend, who she thinks is very jealous of her blue eyes, which apparently satisfies Pecola’s need for being admitted and recognized. However, Toni Morrison suggests that Pecola’s tragedy would not stop unless the reform of beauty standard because Pecola, although wearing blue eyes, has still not escaped her jealousy of what others possess. Pecola is so insecure about her appearance that she worries that someone else would have bluer eyes than she. The ideal of beauty is problematic that it isolated Pecola from outside world, blaming about her ugliness, and makes Pecola has no freedom to be herself.

     Under either unhealthy or unfair beauty standard, women are easy to get lost in their physical loss. To them, the real identity is distant and near. Problematic ideal of beauty leaves them everyday grief and everyday self-denying. However, women should open up and take courage to face themselves. Just as Daiyu Lin has said, "Flowers fade and maiden die", facial beauty is not gonna be lasting forever. So why no smile to the sunshine and be proud of the kind of person you have been.  Let the rift of light of confidence pierces through all bias and restraint so that the grief due to physical depression may stop accepting being acceptable. And eventually you would refuse to get lost in your “loss”.