Lucy Grealys Masks (Remix 66-72) Essays Example

Physical beauty or lack of it has a great influence on how we see ourselves. The physical state and appearance of our bodies has a direct link to how we think about ourselves and subsequently on our own identity. In relation to Grealy’s situation, our physical appearance seems to control our thinking. Any abnormality on our appearance tends to control our thinking and places the burden of thought and envy for other people whom we think has a better physical appearance than us. Grealy’s deformed face for instance became an issue of concern to her as she grew. The environment around her, especially her friends and classmates and their perception of her appearance as abnormal, tended to dominate her thinking. “I imagined how my life would be if I had half their fortune. Then I would catch myself, guilty of exactly the thing I was accusing others of.”
On the other hand, other people associate with us in a manner that suggests a certain inclination to our physical beauty. There is a common behavior especially among young people to associate with those people they think are having an edge in terms of beauty while avoiding those they think do not possess physical beauty. The situation is further worsened by physical deformities especially those that manifest themselves through appearance. This is due to the stereotyping nature within the society about appearance as a determinant of social class. Those who possess high levels of physical beauty are considered to be among the prevailing social class while those lacking physical beauties are stereotyped as the low class individuals within the society.
In her childhood, Grealy’s reaction to her friends’ mistreatment who mocked her as ugly was through two approaches. In one approach, she would respond through insults. “Much to their bewilderment and to the shock of my teachers, I retorted by calling out to them, “You stupid dildos.”” in another situation, she would decide to avoid their company in social places such as the dining halls. When her guidance counselor placed an option of using her office as during meals, she makes a decision to take the option. In her adulthood, Grealy began to accept her physical state but would opt to wear clothes that would conceal her face so that people do not notice her deformities. She leant this practice during the Halloween festivities. She realizes she could mingle with other people without worrying about her physical state as her face was concealed in a mask. She would choose with the help of her mother, those clothes that would hide the scar on her face. “She looked me straight in the eye: “If you wear something that comes up around your neck, it makes the scar less visible.”
Stereotyping plays a role in how society treats people with disabilities or deformities. The society treats such people as a segregated group that is far from the norm. To change these kinds of stereotyping behavior within society, there is a need to educate the society about the plight of people with physical deformities or disabilities so that the society views them as normal people. Similarly, these community education programs should focus on educating people about the need shun an individualistic culture especially when dealing with society members with physical disabilities or deformities. This would help curb the stereotyping nature of our current society on these people. They should be allowed to live an enjoyable life as much as other individuals within the society.