A Commentary on Beauty

We all have to admit that Hagar’s death was a crazy one. Crying about “why [didn’t Milkman] like [her] hair” over and over again, then slowly deteriorating in health, is definitely something not many people have experienced before in their own lives. (Pg 315, Morrison) It leaves the readers unsure as to how they should feel about her; it’s usually a mix of pity and relief. Pity for how she had to die and the hurt that it caused for Pilate and Reba. At the same time, relief because she was such a nuisance alive, using up all the money her family had and constantly attempting to murder Milkman. However, the thing we, especially women, can relate to about Hagar, is her obsession with her looks, which is what she was so focused on right before she died. Sure, none of us have taken it as extreme as Hagar, and not all women constantly freak out about making themselves look more beautiful, but there are still many who do.

You can probably not say that you’ve never told yourself that you look ugly or that you wish you looked more like this person or that model/actress. It’s something that is always lingering at the back of our minds because that’s what is expected of us. Even if we pride ourselves in having progressed from the time where women weren’t allowed to vote and were thought to be the inferior sex, we haven’t changed much at all. De jure sexism may no longer exist, but de facto sexism does, and it shows in our society, particularly in the media. A prime example is the advertisements for plastic surgery, breast implants, makeup, etc. It may not outright say that women need to look perfect at all times, but then again, where are the ads of makeup for men? What people don’t realize is that this is all, in part, because they are always portraying a certain kind of beauty in the media: big eyes, thin body, large breasts, and plump lips. This lack of diversity in the portrayal of what beauty is, pressures men and women, some who don’t even like skinny bodies or large breasts, into shaping themselves to match what is popular because that’s what is expected of everyone. Everyone has to like this kind of beauty and look this way, otherwise, you won’t fit in.

I think that’s what happened to Hagar. Seeing Milkman make out with another girl, who happened to match the profile of what was considered beautiful during their time period, which was the features of white people, really resonated in her. With her already unstable mind and belief that she should and could get whatever she wants, it’s a no wonder she turned out the way she did.

In the end, beauty is subjective to different people. We all have to realize that at some point and those who already have have to be brave enough to go against the mainstream.