A Selection of Modern English Essays

(Compiled by Irfan Raza & Dedicated to my beloved father & Nauman Athar)

06: “Beauty Industry” by “Aldous Huxley”

Theme of the Essay or Describe writer’s views about “The beauty” and “The Ugliness” as stated in the
essay.

In his essay "The Beauty Industry" Huxley says that women of this modern age are crazy to use beauty
products in order to increase their physical charm and beauty. They paint their faces heavily and use a large
number of cosmetics to make their skin healthy and fresh. But, has this campaign for more physical beauty
succeeded in its aim. Have women really become more attractive and healthier.

Have they really got any reward for the energy, time and money spent on these things? The answer is yes as
well as no. they are partly successful as now more women retain their youthful appearance to a greater age
than in the past. Old ladies with white hair and wrinkles, bent back and hollow checks are disappearing very
fast. Very soon it will be difficult to distinguish between the portraits of a mother and a daughter. This
change has taken place due to skin foods and more rational way of life.

According to Huxley a women is not like a jar that requires only exterior decoration. A woman will be
beautiful only when she is healthy and clean in body as well as soul. Huxley refers to two attractive
American girls. Huxley believes that was unbearable that real beauty has nothing to do with make-up. It
springs from inner goodness, spiritual satisfaction and social harmony.

Q#1: Why is the beauty industry not affected by common depression? OR Why are women spending more
on beautification? OR Write a note on the development of beauty industry. OR What are the causes of
the rise in beauty industry?

According to Shaw the beauty industry is not affected by economic depression, and is rapidly growing
because of the following reasons. Firstly, even though modern people are not richer than the people of the
past, they like to spend more on beautification and physical appearance now. Secondly, women are
spending less on other things. They are saving money to spend on beautification. Thirdly, there are some
changes. In the past woman was not free to do certain jobs and she could do nothing to look attractive. She
did not have any right for that. If she did so, she was called ‘a lost woman.’ But now, the matron has a right
to do everything possible to improve her physical appearance. However, we are shocked aesthetically, if not
morally, when we see such a woman. Lastly, modern people do not give importance to Christian ascetic
ideas anymore. They give concession to their bodies rather than to their souls. They think that it is not only
a right but also a duty. That is why; women use more and more artificial methods to look beautiful and
young. And the beauty industry is developing and is not affected by common depression at all.

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Q#2 "The beauty of a porcelain jar is a matter of shape, of colour, of surface texture. The jar may be
empty or tenanted by spiders or full of honey or stinking slime--it makes no difference. But woman is live,
and her beauty is therefore not skin deep. The surface of the human vessel is affected by the nature of its
spiritual content." How does Huxley compare women to a porcelain jar?

Answer: Huxley compares woman to a porcelain jar very beautifully. In fact, the writer wants to correct
wrong ideas about beauty. The writer does not agree with common superficial standards of beauty. To
make his point clear, he compares women to a porcelain jar. A porcelain jar is considered beautiful if it has
good shape, colour and surface texture. It does not matter if it is empty or tenanted by spiders, full of honey
or stinking slime. It does not make any difference to its outer beauty. But a woman is not lifeless. She is live
and her beauty is, therefore, not skin deep. Her inner ugliness is reflected on her face. To make his
comparison justified the writer gives his own observation and tells us that he met such women as were just
like that porcelain jar. They were outwardly beautiful but inwardly they were corrupt, so they were not
beautiful. Thus Huxley very beautifully makes us understand his point of view. We can easily see the truth of
his point. So we should give more importance to inner beauty and should try to get it. For this purpose we
should get rid of corruption and all the inner ugliness.

Q#3: Irony and Humour in the essay “The Beauty Industry”

Overall research indicates that 90% of women are dissatisfied with their appearance. In his essay "The
Beauty Industry" Aldous Huxley describes the women of modern world who indulge themselves in the habit
of using excess of cosmetics by employing a literacy device, comic irony.  In order to make his point of view
forceful and impressive, he has mixed humour with irony.

By humour we mean presenting something in the most ridiculous manner, whereas irony is used to say
something and suggest something else. The writer has employed these two literary terms quite artistically
to criticize the modern women, who use cosmetics just to look attractive. 

The writer humorously attaches the privilege of being attractive and beautiful to the feminine side and gives
the figure of 130 million pounds which is used on this activity, almost twice the revenue of India. He
humorously says that it is all because of the race to look attractive. However, he, very ironically says that
today's women try to be more attractive and less virtuous than their grandmothers. His ironical but a bit
humorous remarks that the campaign for more physical beauty seems to be both a tremendous success and
lamentable failure, are full of meaning and purpose. 

In short, the writer has tried to condemn the negative approach of women towards life in an ironical and
humorous manner.

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