Women and issues dealing with self-perception have gone hand in hand since the beginning of time. Many authors express their points of view about the self-perception of the female sex through various outlets, such as songs, poems, short stories, and even novels. In Susan Minot’s short story “Lust”, she focuses on the notion of self-perception from a female’s point of view in the way her main character acts out in response to her obviously low self-esteem and emotional issues. Sylvia Plath’s poem “Mirror” reflects her opinion of female self perception from the point of view of a mirror that appears to stand the test of time.
In Minot’s “Lust”, the un-named main character chooses to alleviate the stress and mental anguish that comes with low self-esteem by loaning her body to a myriad of sexual partners. In modern psychology they consider this behavior a defense mechanism triggered by a persons lack of ability to deal with reality. The m
In conclusion, these are both excellent works to read for the purpose of entertainment, or to write an essay on. Both pieces take a great stand on the subject of self perception in the female community. By reading both of these works, the reader gets two very good perspectives on a serious subject. These stories also teach the reader a lesson---self respect is priceless, and once it is gone, it takes a lifetime to regain it.
In both of these pieces of literature, the characters use defense mechanisms to shield themselves from reality. Minot’s character uses a more forthright and outgoing vent, while the woman in Plath’s poem uses a more subtle method of feeling better about herself. Comparing these two works, the reader is quick to notice that the character in “Mirror” has much less of a problem than does the character in “Lust”.
Sylvia Plath’s “Mirror” echoes the same sentiment of Minot’s “Lust”, but from a different, shallower
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