self identity, The Bluest Eye, Lipstick Jihad

In the Bluest Eye, Pecola's physical appearance directly affected how she thought of herself. Pecola's self identity was shaped by the way she was treated because of her history and her looks. Events such as Maureen telling her she is ugly and her moms neglect to believe Pecola make her weak and vulnerable and easy to manipulate. In order for Pecola to be accepted in society, for her to fit in, she feels as though being pretty, having blue eyes will help her reach her goal. She is influenced into thinking that she is not as pretty as anyone else and therefore she truly believes she is not worthy unless she has her blue eyes. This false sense of self identity is the result of her outward appearance.

In Lipstick Jihad, women in Tehran are shaped into cold unfriendly people towards strangers. The idea that a woman is suppose to be cold towards strangers is created by outward appearance of the female body itself. Even though it is required by the government for women to cover up, it does not stop the men from thinking about anything sexual. And if a woman is shows the slightest sign of interest or friendliness, male responds with a suggestion for a temporary marriage. Therefore, due to the outward appearance of a woman, even fully clothed, her self identity, is skewed into a cold unfriendly attitude towards strangers. It is not appropriate to be even a little bit friendly, and as a result, a woman's identity is shaped by her outward appearance.