Throughout history, women have constantly faced a challenge: to choose if they want to be either beautiful or intelligent. This dilemma seems so unfair and untrue yet consistently troubles and affects the lives of the majority of women. In The Beauty Myth, Naomi Wolf tells us that even in ancient Greek mythology and Victorian novels, the two main female characters are categorised: "one being the winner and one loser in the beauty myth" (60). She says that the heroine has always been either beautiful or intelligent/brave. Not only can she only embody one of these characteristics but she must also take place in a constant "battle between the overvalued beauty and the undervalued, unglamorous but animated heroine" (60). The author purposefully introduces a serious division between these traits because, unfortunately, is what attracts male audiences; this inevitably enforces women to believe that they can only ever be either pretty or smart.
In the working world, which I have previously written about, women face the daily challenge of how to walk the blurry line of appropriate dress. They are subject to radical judgement solely due to a piece of fabric on their bodies that we call clothes. If a woman dresses formally and fashionably, she is accused of not taking her profession seriously and focusing on her appearance rather than her work. However, if a woman doesn't put care into her outfit daily she gets accused of not caring about the work environment she belongs to and is also called ugly and unfashionable. Wolf also discusses this and says that regarding professional jobs "[women] can be dismissed as either too pretty or too ugly"(69).
However, the most important aspect of this discussion is its cause: men. In A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, Mary Wollstonecraft discusses men's thoughts about women's beauty and intellect. She says that women "displaying intellectual beauty may be overlooked or observed with indifference" (50). She says that in men's opinion, maybe not so much in our present day, women's beauty is far more important in the fields of comparison. Men, generally, are jealous and egotistical beings who constantly compare their 'prizes'. Wollstonecraft indeed says that men "find their happiness in the gratification [of other men]" (50).
In addition, society's training has shaped men's thoughts. Wolf says that due to a man's pop culture education, "Men are visually aroused by women's bodies and less sensitive to their arousal by women's personalities"(152). However, for a man to enjoy beauty and be sexually attracted to a female isn't wrong at all. Wolf discusses that the issue is that as a result of the constant pursuit of beauty, men can no longer be drawn to intellectual, friendship (or any other quality except beauty).
"What becomes of the man who acquires a beautiful woman, with her "beauty" his sole target? He sabotages himself. He has gained no friend, no ally, no mutual trust: she knows quite well why she has been chosen. He has succeeded in buying a mutually suspicious set of insecurities. He does gain something: the esteem of other men who find such an acquisition impressive." (174-175)Wolf tells us how the choice that women face between pursuing beauty or other qualities has triggered views that prevent women from wanting to embody beauty-less qualities because men actively chase beauty over anything else.
As Naomi Wolf said, "The beauty myth posited to women a false choice: Which will I be, sexual or serious?" (273). In my opinion, it is absolutely false that a woman must choose between beauty and intellect. A modern day female must ignore this ridiculous decision and realise that a combination of these qualities is not only possible, but beautiful. One must also note that it isn't necessary to find a balance between beauty and intellect, for there should no limits to your care for appearance or your intellectual capability, and that you should strive to your full potential. So, in all, of course intellect doesn't take away from your beauty, and vice-versa. In fact, it compliments it.
Goodnight, World.
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