Expectations

5 Pages 1373 Words

Expectations
Being attracted in today’s society is very demanding. This picture was taken from the book Seeing & Writing by Donald and Christine McQuade. This picture proves that at an early age, these physical expectations are not necessarily started by society, but within the family.
This picture was taken in Santa Monica, California. Ashleigh is thirteen. She is standing in the bathroom on a scale with her friend and parents watching. The fact that her parents are in the doorway and her friend is sitting on the tub proves that Ashleigh being on the scale is very important and worth seeing. The body language also shows the importance of her action of weighing herself. Ashleigh’s friend seems to have no expression. Her mother has her arms crossed as though she is concerned; however, the father seems sort of careless about the situation. I think the photographer set up the picture like this for a reason. Ashleigh is in the very front because she is the main focus. Her friend is behind her, but in front of the parents because her friend is probably closer to her than Ashleigh’s parents. Her friend also can relate to the pressures of society to be thin. Her parents seem to give off the vibe that it is important for Ashleigh to be thin. The parents are standing in the doorway, which seems to say that they aren’t that close to her, and even bring the pressure of being pretty onto Ashleigh as well. The way the picture is set up is a very important to show how family and friends put pressure on Ashleigh, rather than society.
The picture was taken in Santa Monica, California. This is important because California is known for all its movie stars and glamour. It is also known for its fashion and money. The city is full of fake people that emphasize looks as the important thing. The society tells Ashleigh that she has no future and no place to go unless she’s thin.
The pressure by her parents seems to be great on...