Date of Award
2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
English
First Advisor
Jinny Huh
Abstract
This Thesis addresses the way European standards of beauty disproportionately affect Black women and Black girls in a Euro-American society. European standards of beauty have detrimental effects on Black women’s overall well-being and self-esteem. The methodology used for this thesis is evidence gathered from memoirs, novels, and collections of essays discussing European standards of beauty and colorism. This thesis addresses the experience of mixed-race people in Euro-American societies. Hair and skin complexion are addressed as features that are used to measure distance from the ideal beauty standard. This thesis includes close readings of The Bluest Eye and Their Eyes Were Watching God. This thesis will outline how Black women have continuously been fighting against European standards of beauty for generations, and how Black women have relied on each other for resilience, community, and strength through practices such as hair pressing, singing, and passing down stories.
Language
en
Number of Pages
63 p.
Recommended Citation
Palladinetti, Marina, "The Disproportionate Affects European Standards of Beauty Have on Black Women" (2024). Graduate College Dissertations and Theses. 1860.
https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/graddis/1860