Before I begin, I must
ask, is it awkward that both of my blog posts so far have had something to do
with Barbie? I promise, however, that this post I am currently writing will not
be entirely about Barbie. Barbie was my bff in elementary school though so I am
not throwing shade. She's my homegirl. (sorry for my digression) Enjoy.
Barbie: A
blonde plastic girl that is very popular towards young girls between the
ages of 3-6. She has the perfect life and owns a pink house and a convertible.
She has many friends. Barbie does not blink and will stare at you no matter
where you are; she also smiles 24/7 even when you break her head off.
As you can probably tell,
I tend to shed Barbie in a negative light because she is basically promoting
perfection - something that no one can achieve. As I have previously stated,
Barbie is prominent in young girls' lives, and this is when what goes in
the head of a little girl matters the most. Sooner or later, the little girl
will ask, "Mommy, why am I not perfect like Barbie?" and proceed to
burst into tears. Terrible, right? So, all of this to say, no one is Barbie. No
one is perfect and no children's toy/company or what have you should portray a
human being in such a flawless light.
(That was literally
the last thing I had to say about Barbie, I promise.)
My long and slightly unnecessary explanation is to
convey the fact that our flaws, such as body deformities, make us who we are.
In chapter 21 of Thomas C. Foster's, "How to Read Literature Like a
Professor," Foster expresses the notion that people (characters) with
imperfect shapes, in literature, tells us something about them. Not just the
fact that they live with imperfection, but to signify, "some psychological
or thematic point," that the author is trying to get across. Foster
mentions an important element of an author's choice of physical appearance. At
the end of the chapter, he says that it is obviously more pleasant to
introduce characters that have no physical incapability or any imperfections at
all, so when and if he does establish a character with some type of
physical or mental limitation, he does it with rational intention.
Forgive me, for I enjoy
referring to children's films and books because it brings me back to my
childhood filled with a whole lot of hakuna matata and wonderful days. (that
was a lion king reference.) So, for this chapter, I want to talk about the
film, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas". (The real one with Jim
Carey). This movie, if not the best, is one of the greatest stories that
explores physical deformities and how it can be utilized to create and maintain
a character. To make things easier for you and for me, I'm gonna make a list
because who doesn't like lists? (Don't answer. That was a rhetorical
question meant for you to agree with.)
The Grinch: I want to
start by saying that he is green. To further elaborate, he is a ball of green
fur. Now mind you, if you are not familiar with the storyline of this
film, The curmudgeonly recluse Grinch, who hates Christmas, gets super annoyed
with the crazy Christmas festivities of the Whos' of Whoville.
He lives on a mountain by his lonesome to get away from it all. So he
conspires to deprives the Who's of the holiday by stealing everything
even remotely related to the holiday. (ex. all the presents, lights, cars,
trees, you name it.) But soon, he learns the spirit of Christmas, and grows a
heart. Pardon my digression. So all of the Who's have deformed looking faces,
and the Grinch has the same face, but he's hairy and green. The writers of this
story did this on purpose, not to make him the lonely weirdo, but to make
him stand out as the main character.
Cindy Lou Who: She was
the second main character in this story. Cindy had the biggest
teeth you'll ever see, and the most unnecessary hair, but was the
sweetest little girl who was kind to everyone. She was the reason for the
Grinch's newfound appreciation for the Christmas holiday. Big hair and big
teeth were just the added characteristics to establishing her character as
marked for something "big" and great. (get it? cause big hair, big
teeth and she was marked for something big?) I really do think I'm funny
sometimes.
Martha May Whovier: She
had a deformed face, big everything (butt/boobs), and had a weird
attraction to the Grinch. Her "suggestive" physical appearance added
to her having the mysterious fascination with the Grinch.
I think he is quite attractive.
I'm not going to
describe anymore characters because I think you understand the point I am
trying to get across. Sometimes, like in real life, physical deformities
mean nothing. They are just there. I have a scar on my chin for falling over in
the bathroom when I was three but it literally means nothing. Nothing at
all. However, in literature it's different. The author puts things in a
story for a reason. It is up to you to figure out that reason. For me, I always
read stories on the surface and do not realize meanings/themes/symbols till the
end, but I think that knowing those things, whether you pick up on it right
away, or not until you finish the story, is what adds to the message of the
story.
(See, I told you I wasn't going
to ramble about Barbie.)
