Kelly Hales WST 3015
February 17, 2010
Nina Perez
Word Count: 482

Body/Sexuality

The film Penelope has several different lessons behinds the actual plot. Penelope, a lovely young woman, was born with a curse considered hideous by the entire town and even her very own mother. She was born with a nose that looked very similar to that of a pig’s nose which was considered hideous to the entire township. It has been stated that "within western thought, female bodies are viewed as deviant and inferior" (Kirk and Okazawa-Rey 207). It is easy to assume that the citizens in the town feared Penelope because of her physical imperfection. The only way for the curse to be broken (and for Penelope to appear "normal" again) was for her to marry or find love with a gentleman of "her own kind".

Penelope was experiencing several forms of oppression from her very own mother, who was supposed to love and encourage Penelope to love herself for who she is. Instead, Jessica Wilhern, Penelope’s mother insisted that she find love as quickly as possible to break the curse. She incessantly hounded Penelope for her outward appearance that she could not change on her own. Penelope appears hopeless and extremely self conscious because of the statements made by her mother and the people residing in the town. It is stated that "most teenagers are sensitive to peer pressure and find it difficult to resist or even to question the dominant cultural messages perpetuated and reinforced" (Kilbourne 231). It is obvious that Penelope would have difficulty resisting the messages instilled into her even she tried. Her mother also insisted that Penelope was not of the upper class if she did have her beauty, which is another form of oppression placed onto the young woman.

Penelope’s only female role model was her mother who in fact was quite corrupt. She destroyed Penelope’s idea of self worth and degraded her with the constant reminder of a loveless (and homely) life. Luckily, toward the end of the film Penelope meets a woman who teachers her that she can be herself and enjoy her life. This woman essentially is the key factor that helps Penelope break the curse. By learning to love herself, Penelope breaks the curse that kept her hidden from the world for so long. It is interesting to see that Penelope’s mother is interested solely in love and beauty, while her happy friend is interested in living in the moment.

I appreciate that this film is selling the idea that regardless of outward appearance we should learn to love ourselves. It is more of a curse to worry ourselves with a slight imperfection than to care for ourselves for who we really are. It also is selling the idea that we can love others more freely when we love ourselves. In the film Penelope, she is freed from the curse by loving herself, which in turn helps her find love with Max.

Resources:

Kirk, Gwyn. "Women's Bodies, Women's Health". Women's Lives Multicultural Perspectives 2010: 207-224.

Kilbourne, Jean. ""The More You Subtract, the More You Add"". Women's Lives Multicultural Perspectives 1999: 231-239.