Commentary on Beauty Essay

In the story Beauty Susan faces problems with her mom and having to deal with a baby. Susan is the daughter who never feels like shes good enough for her mother. Susans mother is a very controlling person that treats her like a child. Susan wants to be free and take control over her own life her mom treats her like child. Susan is a grown woman and wants to take control of her own life. Her mother talks about her looks, is very controlling, and looks down on her. Susan will never live up to her mothers expectation of being a perfect figure like the dolls.

In the story Susans mom is very critical of her looks. Susans mother has this idea of the perfect figure. She calls Susan mom tells her that she looks bad. Even when Susan takes her time and fixes her hair up to look nice her mom tell her that it doesnt look good and its not good enough. She also goes on to tell Susan that she is out of shape and has a big bottom. This makes Susan and her mothers relationship bad. With Susan expecting a child she knew she mother wouldnt approve of it.

Susan mother was also a very controlling person. Susan never got to live her own life. Susan mother tell her that her first marriage wasnt valid. She tells Susan what to do around the house. She even cooks her breakfast every morning; this is odd because Susan is in her 30s. Even when Susan tells her mother that she is going to California she says it would be a good thing but in the back of her mind she doesnt want her to leave the house. Her mother wants to control her life.

Susan also feels that her mother looks down on her. She mother is obsessed with Barbies and how perfect they are. The Barbies are a representation of what her mother wants her to look like. Susan knows that she is expecting a child that her mother wont approve of. On top of that having a baby will mess up her figure. She is afraid that her mother will makes things worse so she decides to leave. The dolls are a representation of how she would like her mother treat her. Her mother treats the dolls like there the most precious things in the world but treats her like she less than that the dolls. The dolls where bought for Susan but she can only play with two of the lesser dolls named Tammy and Jenny. Susan bashes the dolls; they are eyeless, and beloved. Susan treats the dolls exactly how her mother treats her. Even when Susan told her mother that she was going to California and taking the dolls she only wanted the dolls to stay.

Susan is in the situation no one should be in. Her mother is very negative to her. She calls her out on her looks. She also is a very controlling mother and looks down on Susan. Susan is faced with her moms negativity and having a child. With all this weight on her shoulders she finds then strength to be strong. She finally goes to California, which was the first step to being independent. Another big step she took was to throw the dolls out the window while she was driving. This was a big step because it showed she finally realized that you dont have to have this perfect figure to be happy with yourself.