Body image expectations and standards have become such an issue in society that it has reached the point of “mind control”--not literally, but figuratively speaking. The standards that have been created and applied to the female figure seems exceedingly unrealistic, yet those standards and expectations still apply. What women are supposed to look like, according to the media in society, causes women an immense amount of stress and pressure, which can ultimately lead to self-esteem issues and depression. The media and advertisements constantly display and flaunt women with amazing figures-- usually, abnormally skinny or fit-- insinuating that this is what all women look like, or in order to be successful you must look like this.
Such images …show more content…
In Plato’s allegory, one of the individuals in the story, who goes by the name Glaucon, is asked to imagine a cave in which prisoners were placed. These prisoners, who have been in the cave since a young age, are restrained by chains surrounding their feet and neck. These chains are attached to the wall in front of them, preventing them from any movement. Behind the prisoners is a low wall and immediately behind the wall is a large fire. Standing upon the wall are puppeteers carrying and displaying puppets that take the form of animals and human figures. These cause shadows to be cast on the wall in which the prisoners are chained to. The prisoners are fooled by the shadows and begin to believe that they are reality (Jacobus …show more content…
When they reach the outside of the cave, they are overwhelmed and blinded by the powerful light. Some will flee back into the cave, not able to manage the intensity of the outside world; some will wait and become accustomed to this new world; and others will return to the cave only to report to the others of their discovery (Jacobus 869). The allegory and the journey of these prisoners who have grown to know only the world within the cave can be applied to any societal issue in the 21st century. Peg O’Connor, a philosopher and author of The New York Times article “In the Cave: Philosophy and Addiction,” touches on Plato’s allegory and applies it to Alcoholism-- an issue she has struggled with in the
Such images …show more content…
In Plato’s allegory, one of the individuals in the story, who goes by the name Glaucon, is asked to imagine a cave in which prisoners were placed. These prisoners, who have been in the cave since a young age, are restrained by chains surrounding their feet and neck. These chains are attached to the wall in front of them, preventing them from any movement. Behind the prisoners is a low wall and immediately behind the wall is a large fire. Standing upon the wall are puppeteers carrying and displaying puppets that take the form of animals and human figures. These cause shadows to be cast on the wall in which the prisoners are chained to. The prisoners are fooled by the shadows and begin to believe that they are reality (Jacobus …show more content…
When they reach the outside of the cave, they are overwhelmed and blinded by the powerful light. Some will flee back into the cave, not able to manage the intensity of the outside world; some will wait and become accustomed to this new world; and others will return to the cave only to report to the others of their discovery (Jacobus 869). The allegory and the journey of these prisoners who have grown to know only the world within the cave can be applied to any societal issue in the 21st century. Peg O’Connor, a philosopher and author of The New York Times article “In the Cave: Philosophy and Addiction,” touches on Plato’s allegory and applies it to Alcoholism-- an issue she has struggled with in the