Maybelline Morales
ENG. 312 Fall 2009
Professor Wexler
A Plastic Society
This fall in my English 312 course with the assigned readings, class discussions, and films I learned about varies different aspects in which we can view and analyze our society. Throughout this semester I was introduced to new views which I wasn’t aware before. From lengthy to short articles to books, they all provided useful information which I will carry with me. I have always felt that our society focuses too much on physical appearance of people rather than their accomplishments and moral values. Our society has become very materialistic the more we have the more we want it is getting to a point where greed is taking over people’s daily decisions. The problem is that many people don’t see themselves as greedy or materialist but rather normal. This brings me to one important topic I feel we need to address which is plastic surgery.

Plastic surgery is beginning at a very young age for many people. People see plastic surgery as something normal because it is becoming very common for people to get plastic surgery. With hopes of achieving a body, nose, chin, cheek bones, lips that resemble those of their favorite models and actresses they see in television people put their lives in danger. It amazes me how quick young girls are getting plastic surgery without hesitating. I know a lot of people who have had plastic surgery, when I ask them why they got it I always seem to get the same response saying that “I look better and it makes me more confident about myself”.



It saddens me to know that the only way that we can feel good is by getting plastic surgery and trying to look like someone else. In the mist of plastic surgery people are losing their own identity. I personally feel we were all born with different characteristics, shapes, morals which define who we are but, how can we achieve that if we have many people trying to be the same person? Why should we feel that we don’t fit in the norms of society and why do we judge on appearance many times? Why should models have to be at least 5’7 tall? Why is someone who is skinny praised or given more respect than someone who is “overweight”? These are some of the questions I have had for many years and I have determined myself to find out why our society is becoming plastic.


A very important factor that will help people stay away from plastic surgery is accepting who they are mentally and physically. We need to understand we are all special in our way, and have a uniqueness that makes us who we are. I feel that life is too short to be trying to live it to the expectations and identity of others we only have one life to live so we should live it the way we are and be happy with what we have because beauty doesn’t last forever but a good heart and knowledgeable mind can go a long way. If people were as concerned with their education as they are with their appearance we would like in a society that is not so materialistic.
I remember when people had surgery for medical emergencies. Now I hear about cosmetic surgeries more often than medical emergency surgeries.
I personally would not have cosmetic surgery not only for the fact that I am terrified of needles and faint every time I see blood but because I don’t see that as a solution to improve my physical appearance because I am happy being 5’2.5 and 111lbs because no matter how much milk I drink I won’t be 5’7 and I know I am different and I like it that way. I have seen my mom have back surgery for health purposes and I saw firsthand how much she suffered and how much my brother and I suffered seeing her in the hospital for a month and a half. I don’t understand why people are so eager to go through so much pain just to change their appearance. It makes me think if they would have the same perspective if they saw all the suffering people encounter in surgical performances.
One of the most common types of plastic surgery today is breast implants. While reading the article “What women want (in a boob job)" in a health magazine I read something that caught my attention it stated that “More than 350,000 women get breast implants every year, making it the most popular kind of plastic surgery. No surprise there. But a new study in Aesthetic Surgery Journal shows that most women still get saline implants, despite the return of silicone in 2006 after 14 years off the market due to safety concerns.” I found this interesting because although a product has been removed for safety reasons woman are still getting it and what is worse is that doctors are still using it. Many women put their lives in danger everyday just to change their physical appearance.


While reading the article by Sarah Bird "Mammary Dearest" I was intrigued because it addressed aspects that many women face on daily bases. In this article “the author admits that wearing such clothes enabled her to realize the impact of the breasts of women on the society.” She made many good points for example she says “I had demonstrated beyond the shadow of a doubt the new and unparalleled might of the mammary.” The breasts have become very powerful they can deviate the attention from the audience if they are overtly exposed. This shows how many men and women focus rather on the appearance than the actual moral value of the person. Although it is hard to that today we are being judged more on our physical appearance rather than our values and knowledge it is very true.

Cosmetic surgery is a procedure that is not only taking place in the U.S. but also worldwide. For instance in the article “Beauty by Design” we are informed about the popular cosmetic surgeries in Australia which are breast augmentation, botox and liposuction that are performed on a regular basis. We know people in the U.S are not the only ones with insecure physical appearances and that more and more people worldwide are getting cosmetic surgery. Cosmetic surgery is not being affected so much by the recession in which we have been these past years. The rates of cosmetic surgery are increasing throughout the world.

Every year more young girls are getting plastic surgery although their body hasn’t fully developed. I feel we need to educate young girls and help them boost their self esteem because teenagers are the most affected because they very involved with pop culture. They feel that it is necessary to look, dress like the Hollywood stars, and be a size 1 to fit in to society. The Media is one of the major factors that influence teens, women, and men to get plastic surgery. Who are we to decide how a person should look? and why should people feel pressured to be a certain size to be accepted by society. While doing some research I came across an article in the New York Times called “Seeking Self-Esteem Through Surgery” in which it talked about a young girl named Kristen whom according to her “wanted to look normal”. Kristen didn’t develop the breast she desired and didn’t feel like a woman and since her mom and older sister had gotten breast augmentation when she was sixteen she felt it would be the correct thing to do. As a graduation present Kristen received breast augmentation surgery.
I enjoyed reading this article because not only did I learn about Kristen’s case but also I learned about recent statistics. The article states that “the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery show that the number of cosmetic surgical procedures performed on youths 18 or younger more than tripled over a 10-year period, to 205,119 in 2007 from 59,890 in 1997. This includes even more controversial procedures: liposuctions rose to 9,295 from 2,504, and breast augmentations increased nearly sixfold, to 7,882 from 1,326.”(Sweeney) Not all plastic surgeries bring joy and come out successfully and this article also addresses the cases of two 18-year-olds: Amy Fledderman of Pennsylvania, who died in 2001 of fat embolism syndrome after undergoing liposuction, and Stephanie Kuleba of Florida, who died last spring from complications because of anesthesia used during a breast augmentation and inverted nipple surgery.(Sweeney) I feel that the same way that young teenagers and people are exposed to the positive aspects of getting plastic surgery to improve their physical appearance and self-esteem they should also expose the consequences that come with having cosmetic surgeries.
Cosmetic surgery reminds me that there are so many other things that are more important than getting cosmetic surgery. That brings me to one important novel we read in my English 312 course called “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradburry in which were books were prohibited and people were supposed to be tools of the media and society. I feel that cosmetic surgery and Fahrenheit 451 are similar because in order to fit and be accepted by society they have to look a certain way or not engaged themselves in certain activities. People are obsessed to do everything to fit into the norms of society. I wish less people would engage in cosmetic surgery and appreciate what they have. Guy Montag realized the importance of literature and I would hope people would realize the dangers of cosmetic surgery and learn to love themselves as they are.

The film “Metropolis” shows how deeply affected people are by media advertisements in cosmetic surgery. The film depicted woman obsessed with being young, always getting the latest cosmetic procedures done without thinking twice. It is sad to see to what extremes people are willing to go just to look a couple years younger. From expensive creams to uncertified doctors people are spending their money without hesitating to do some research and educate themselves about everything that is needed and the dangers of looking younger.
Work Cited
"Beauty by design." Choice (0009-496X) (2009): 16-19. Academic Search Elite. EBSCO. Web. 16 Dec. 2009.
Bird, Sarah "Mammary Dearest." Texas Monthly 37.9 (2009): 168-158. Academic Search Elite. EBSCO. Web. 16 Dec. 2009.
Sweeney, Camille. (2009, January 15). Seeking Self-Esteem Through Surgery :[Style Desk]. New York Times (Late Edition (east Coast)), p. E.3. Retrieved December 16, 2009, from ProQuest Newsstand.
"What women want (in a boob job)." Health 23.7 (2009): 22. Academic Search Elite. EBSCO. Mon. 14 Dec. 2009.