Beauty

Conventional attitude about beauty that sontag seeks to discredit?
The conventionally used beauty signifiesthe attraction of physical appearance. Beauty has been distinguished as inner beauty(character intellect and vision) and outer beauty(facial attraction, physique or sense of proportion of the body) which is attributed to women only. The author seeks to discredit this outer beauty because it has devalued the concept of beauty which signified the wholeness, the excellence and the virtue of human during the classical time.
Sontag wants to revive the old Greek concept of inner beauty. Soctates diciples had observed the inner beauty in their teacher although he was ugly looking person.

If beauty is a source of power, why does sontag object to wone’s striving to attain it?
Beauty is a form of power. She always looked at with suspicious eye even if she has good rise in work, politics, law, medicine, business or whatever. She is always pressure to confess that she stills works at being attractive. This power is not the power to do but to attract. As a result, women’s striving to attain it makes them feel inferior to what they actually are. They can not choose this power freely on her capacity is always under social censorship. That’s why the author objects women’s striving to attain beauty

What change in attitude do you think sontag wants to bring about in her female readers?
Sontag wants to bring a complete change in attitude in her female readers. The conventional attitude on beauty has confined women’s potentiality. The author wants to emphasize inner beauty- vision and wisdom, which is long lasting and more fruitfull. Woman should not limit their to be beautiful outwardly, if they feel that to be or to try to be beautiful is their aim in life. It will certainly make them more inferior and dependant to male. Without being beautifuk too women can act as complemently as males. She has been able to generate sympathy for women from them.

What do you think sontag is saying to beautiful women? How do you think they would respond?
Sontag is advocating for the inner beauty which is considered to be more important than outward beauty especially for women. Our Society always teaches women to be fair and beautiful. SO, most women think that their only aim and responsibility is to be beautiful. Such a concept has not only degraded women’s dignity but has also made them inferior and dependent. The author is telling these women to think over the uselessness of outer looks. Their beauty should not be used to attract men. They should be excellent, competant, independent thoughtfull in order to revive the ideal valve of beauty and preserve their identity in the society. WOmen should not be flattered by men.