Emma
“I didn’t expect that from her.”
It’s not unusual to bring up the looks and aesthetics when talking about the stereotypes of womanhood. What frustrates me is the muddling up of the inner and external virtues. The art history and the pictures that we face daily in the media teach us in detail, how exactly does an angelic or an innocent woman look like. Most people can easily see with their mind’s eye the stereotypical looks of a good girl. In general, the feminine beauty and the charms correlate in our minds with the virtue of GOODNESS.
What do the looks have to do with kindness and morality? Our deeds define us. In my nightmares I am no more defined by my personal conduct: the agreeable looks, the young age, the smile and all kinds of external factors will do! In that cynical universe one can be as toxic and nasty as one likes, as long as the beauty and the image of decency prevail. The mental effort and growth wouldn’t matter, after all.
MUAH: Kristiina Karvonen