Bartky (p.) states that we are born male or female, but not masculine or feminine. Femininity
             is an artifice, and achievement, "a mode of enacting and reenacting received gender norms which
             surface as so many styles of the flesh.
             In today's society there does seem to be a significant rise in disciplinary practices that produce a
             body which in gesture and appearance is recognizably feminine (p.). However; the female figure
             has changed over time and nowadays women are striving more for the look of slimness bordering
             on emanciation (p.). But think back to the eighteenth century when the larger woman was
             considered the norm of beauty, and now this massiveness, power, and abundance in a woman's
             body is met with distaste. Thus, remaining a female preoccupation with appearance that is almost
             I challenge every woman to ask themselves this question, "does having a beautiful of sexy body
             really gain them any respect or social power?" Sure, they may use their bodies to attract male
             attention, using this admiration to compensate for their inferior self- esteem, yet the sad irony is that
             the more energy a woman expends focusing on her body as an object of admiration, the less real
             contact with her body she will have.
             Women's preoccupation with appearance is psychologically damaging. But cultural ideas about
             femininity make it extremely difficult to distinguish self affirming behavior from that which
             contributes to our persona, or our false self. Each time we try to create a feeling of being "feminine"
             we involve ourselves in the production of something artificial- a performance. In fact, when we say
             to ourselves, "fix the flaw," we only reinforce our perception of ourselves as being damaged and not
             My own experiences throughout my life thus far, perpetuate this very notion of wanting and
             striving for outer beauty, rather than inner strength
             ...