The Lady's Dressing Room Essay

The Lady’s Dressing Room The Lady’s Dressing Room by Jonathan Swift is a great example of eighteen-century satire. “The poem was published in 1792” (Real and Vienken pg.39), a great period to bring up women place in society. The poem describes the disgusting things women do to themselves in order to look perfect for everyone else. Is Swift degrading women in this poem or is he bringing to life a new form of beauty to everyone’s attention? In contrast to Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, I believe that Swift is actually bringing awareness to a woman’s true beauty. In the poem, the main character Strephon searches through Celia’s belongings, while she is away. “Dona F. Munker believes that before Strephon ever entered Celia’s dressing room he had
The whole story is about Swift discussing the nasty things women do to themselves in order for them to look absolutely breathe taking. “Hard by filthy basin stands, fouled with the scouring of her hands; The basin takes whatever comes, the scrapings of her teeth and gums, A nasty compound of all hues, for here she spits, and here she spews. But oh! It turned poor Strephon’s bowel, when he beheld and smelled the towels, begummed, bemattered, and beslimed with dirt, and sweat, and earwax grimed. No object Strephon’s eye escapes, here petticoats in frowzy heaps; nor be the handkerchiefs forgot all varnished o’er with snuff and snot.” (Swift) This quote is a good example on how Swift uses imagery to give the reader an understanding on how repulsive the room really is. The argument on whether or not Swift is degrading women in this poem is questionable; because the poem could be, interpret in many different ways. This poem could also be an expression that women take too much pride in their appearance and they could be a dishonest person. I believe that Jonathan Swift’s poem was to show how women work so hard to paint on their faces and spend five hours getting ready to create an allure for men but they really are disgusting
Swift makes a list of numerous repulsive actions by women that disguise the truth of just how closely men and women are related. This poem could be seen as degrading women, but that is just the irony of the poem. “They have point out, for example, that, in The Lady’s Dressing Room, Swift’s purpose was moral reform; that he did not set out to ‘degrade’ women as such, but merely revealed “female hypocrisy” or “woman’s humanity;” that, moreover, he loathed “the sentimentality of the ordinary romantic love-stuff.”(Real and Vienken pg. 41) Swift illustrates the nasty behavior women as a symbol that women are just as displeasing as men are. Swift explained that women are not goddesses and men are not gods. Men and women are both equally appalling, and the idea of putting on make-up to let women conceal their human traits shows the unawareness of a man. I am writing this paper because I feel like I can relate to this subject very well, because women, even in today’s society, are always trying to impress people. A woman is always viewed by her appearance, and I believe this poem is bringing awareness of what true beauty is and that no one is