Body image in literature

yksdoris

Body image is rarely discussed in literature. The heroes and heroines are always perfectly formed; and most conflicts occur based on gender or social conventions. Even in genres where the rules of plausibility are loosened, such as fantasy or sci-fi. We still see "largeness" as something of an evil thing (Jabba the Hutt, anyone?), or appliccable for side-characters only.

So far I've only read one (!!!) piece of fiction where the main character went through considerable physical change (he got fat as a result of magic) and what that did to his self-image, his relatiohsip with his family etc. it was the Solider Son trilogy by Robin Hobb.

anyone else have good thought provoking books about body image? preferably not (auto)biographies.

glovepuppet

Body image is rarely discussed in literature. The heroes and heroines are always perfectly formed; and most conflicts occur based on gender or social conventions. Even in genres where the rules of plausibility are loosened, such as fantasy or sci-fi. We still see "largeness" as something of an evil thing (Jabba the Hutt, anyone?), or appliccable for side-characters only.

So far I've only read one (!!!) piece of fiction where the main character went through considerable physical change (he got fat as a result of magic) and what that did to his self-image, his relatiohsip with his family etc. it was the Solider Son trilogy by Robin Hobb.

anyone else have good thought provoking books about body image? preferably not (auto)biographies.

i love terry pratchett.

yeah, i know some snobs will turn their noses up at that. but his baddies are frequently beautiful and the good guys are often flawed, ordinary looking, scarred or fat or old or jug eared. the special needs bloke is actually a hero if you let him live in his own reality instead of imposing your own, and only the most evil beings use beauty to compensate for decency.

for a fantasy writer, he writes reality better than most.

HealthyBodySickMind

I've read all of Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series. It's a sci-fi horror series. Her main character, Anita, has a nearly perfect body, but has all kinds self-image issues and also regularly body shames skinny women. Anita is fond of describing any woman under a size 5 as a "boy with boobs." I will keep reading these books as they come out, but Hamilton's frequent body shaming is annoying to read.

yksdoris

Body image is rarely discussed in literature. The heroes and heroines are always perfectly formed; and most conflicts occur based on gender or social conventions. Even in genres where the rules of plausibility are loosened, such as fantasy or sci-fi. We still see "largeness" as something of an evil thing (Jabba the Hutt, anyone?), or appliccable for side-characters only.

So far I've only read one (!!!) piece of fiction where the main character went through considerable physical change (he got fat as a result of magic) and what that did to his self-image, his relatiohsip with his family etc. it was the Solider Son trilogy by Robin Hobb.

anyone else have good thought provoking books about body image? preferably not (auto)biographies.

i love terry pratchett.

yeah, i know some snobs will turn their noses up at that. but his baddies are frequently beautiful and the good guys are often flawed, ordinary looking, scarred or fat or old or jug eared. the special needs bloke is actually a hero if you let him live in his own reality instead of imposing your own, and only the most evil beings use beauty to compensate for decency.

for a fantasy writer, he writes reality better than most.

the main problem with that is, Pratchett's fat people are funny. Like the wizards, for instance. Of course, all aspects of the world are funny for Pratchett; but for me that doesn't exactly count as adressing the body image.

I once read a novella by Ursula K. Le Guin where (and it was a long time ago, so I may get some of this wrong) there was an alien race who did not have a gender; and how difficult it was for humans to even address an individual whose gender they didn't know. There are countless examples of stories about the "village boy becoms king" or the "tomboy heiress saves the day" - where the focus is set on social-behavioural lines. So, yeah, if a girl likes to climb trees then there's a personality conflict with society there that's usable for fiction; but if a girl is chubby... no, that NEVER happens? Or rather, if it happens, it never has significant influence on the plot or character-building.

Cameron_1969

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

That's all I got.

glovepuppet

Body image is rarely discussed in literature. The heroes and heroines are always perfectly formed; and most conflicts occur based on gender or social conventions. Even in genres where the rules of plausibility are loosened, such as fantasy or sci-fi. We still see "largeness" as something of an evil thing (Jabba the Hutt, anyone?), or appliccable for side-characters only.

So far I've only read one (!!!) piece of fiction where the main character went through considerable physical change (he got fat as a result of magic) and what that did to his self-image, his relatiohsip with his family etc. it was the Solider Son trilogy by Robin Hobb.

anyone else have good thought provoking books about body image? preferably not (auto)biographies.

i love terry pratchett.

yeah, i know some snobs will turn their noses up at that. but his baddies are frequently beautiful and the good guys are often flawed, ordinary looking, scarred or fat or old or jug eared. the special needs bloke is actually a hero if you let him live in his own reality instead of imposing your own, and only the most evil beings use beauty to compensate for decency.

for a fantasy writer, he writes reality better than most.

the main problem with that is, Pratchett's fat people are funny. Like the wizards, for instance. Of course, all aspects of the world are funny for Pratchett; but for me that doesn't exactly count as adressing the body image.

I once read a novella by Ursula K. Le Guin where (and it was a long time ago, so I may get some of this wrong) there was an alien race who did not have a gender; and how difficult it was for humans to even address an individual whose gender they didn't know. There are countless examples of stories about the "village boy becoms king" or the "tomboy heiress saves the day" - where the focus is set on social-behavioural lines. So, yeah, if a girl likes to climb trees then there's a personality conflict with society there that's usable for fiction; but if a girl is chubby... no, that NEVER happens? Or rather, if it happens, it never has significant influence on the plot or character-building.

well, yes, everyone is funny. there are fat people who are more serious, such as perdita/agnes. at the opera house a man laments that once large women with wonderful voices could play a slip of a girl, but now it is all about image & miming along.
people are self conscious of their flaws. the near perfect angua feels ugly beside the new vampire, who in turn reveals her own envies.
lady sybil is fat and causes grown men to sigh when she inhales deeply whist standing on stage, so large women can be much desired.
the dwarf women face the issue of how they express femininity in a society which refuses to acknowledge it.
in any romantic storyline there will be moments where the characters look critically at themselves, wonder if they measure up.
etc.

fannyfrost

In Scifi and fantasy that I read, the hero or heroine is usually an active person. So even if described as slightly larger, in our minds eye we are going to think thinner because we tend to think of active people as thin.

Vampire lore has an excellent explanation, a vampire is only going to change a beautiful person in their eye because one they tend to be shallow and two they want to live with beauty forever. So that is a concept that makes sense.

I know someone who wrote a book dealing with this directly. The writer is Jeff Onorato, but I can't think of the book title. However, it is a book about person who is ugly and fat in a world where beauty means affluence and he falls in love with a beautiful he can't have. It is a direct comment on our shallow society as it is. I haven't read it yet, just know the synopsis, so can't say if it is good or bad.

Anita Blake series, I agree the author disdains those that are over skinny, but also doesn't have too many fat characters. Of course in her world you need to be in shape or die because you are out of breath while fighting the monsters. What is really interesting is that the monsters in human form are beautiful. When you think about it that is a real comment on people, outer beauty does not show inner beauty and one of her favorite people with a good heart is a short funny looking vampire who doesn't know how to dress, he is nothing special, but yet a beautiful vampire finds him very special. She seems to always point out that beauty is skin deep and the inside is what really counts.

Terry Pratchett is all about comedy so it wouldn't matter the looks, it is about how the silliness fits in.

fannyfrost

Hunger Games - Pita one of the main characters is chubby and not much to look at, but he is kind hearted. Those from the capitol are skinny and horrible and prize beauty, but nothing else. The people who are the heroes are not meant to be pretty or beautiful but mostly because that is not what counts. They are mostly thin, but that is because the capital does not allow them to have food.

HealthyBodySickMind

Anita Blake series, I agree the author disdains those that are over skinny, but also doesn't have too many fat characters. Of course in her world you need to be in shape or die because you are out of breath while fighting the monsters. What is really interesting is that the monsters in human form are beautiful. When you think about it that is a real comment on people, outer beauty does not show inner beauty and one of her favorite people with a good heart is a short funny looking vampire who doesn't know how to dress, he is nothing special, but yet a beautiful vampire finds him very special. She seems to always point out that beauty is skin deep and the inside is what really counts.

Hmmm, I'm not sure that I'd call anyone under a size 5 "over skinny", but I guess that shows your own bias. Hamilton's body shaming is blatant. Even she recognized it:

https://twitter.com/LKHamilton/status/337300379127672832

Meh, no one is perfect, and I love the rest of her general themes, but whenever her "under a size 5" comments crop up, and they do, sometimes more than once in the same book, it always annoys me a little. Like I said, it hasn't made me stop reading. She is actually one of my favorite authors.

yksdoris

In Scifi and fantasy that I read, the hero or heroine is usually an active person. So even if described as slightly larger, in our minds eye we are going to think thinner because we tend to think of active people as thin.

Vampire lore has an excellent explanation, a vampire is only going to change a beautiful person in their eye because one they tend to be shallow and two they want to live with beauty forever. So that is a concept that makes sense.

I know someone who wrote a book dealing with this directly. The writer is Jeff Onorato, but I can't think of the book title. However, it is a book about person who is ugly and fat in a world where beauty means affluence and he falls in love with a beautiful he can't have. It is a direct comment on our shallow society as it is. I haven't read it yet, just know the synopsis, so can't say if it is good or bad.

Anita Blake series, I agree the author disdains those that are over skinny, but also doesn't have too many fat characters. Of course in her world you need to be in shape or die because you are out of breath while fighting the monsters. What is really interesting is that the monsters in human form are beautiful. When you think about it that is a real comment on people, outer beauty does not show inner beauty and one of her favorite people with a good heart is a short funny looking vampire who doesn't know how to dress, he is nothing special, but yet a beautiful vampire finds him very special. She seems to always point out that beauty is skin deep and the inside is what really counts.

Terry Pratchett is all about comedy so it wouldn't matter the looks, it is about how the silliness fits in.

That's a good point: an active hero(ine) is immediately a fit hero(ine). But aren't there ways to be significant that aren't physical? in the Malazan books (which I've read 3 of and all of them I absolutely hated with the exception of) Tattersail is described as a large woman; she's also described as very sensual, very intelligent and devious; and by the end of book 1, dead. She does resurrect later, sort of, but changes bodies. In the Auel prehistoric epic, there's a side character, who's quite corpulent, and she's a respected spiritual leader. But that's a secondary character, not the main character. Nevertheless, Auel does spend some time on the difficulties of travel, the incomprehension turning to worship by the other members of the tribe when she started putting on weight while eating the same as everyone else.

It really wasn't that long ago that farm girls would pad their stockings to make their legs look sturdier. As proof that they'd make a good strong wife, able to bear many children and carry a cow across a stream if need be. (seriously, I'm only exaggerating a little bit. As my grandfather's knees are not what they used to be, grandma gets to haul the wild boar that he shot out of the woods)

beachgod

Thinner by Stephen King (as Richard Bachman).

Pookylou

Body image is rarely discussed in literature. The heroes and heroines are always perfectly formed; and most conflicts occur based on gender or social conventions. Even in genres where the rules of plausibility are loosened, such as fantasy or sci-fi. We still see "largeness" as something of an evil thing (Jabba the Hutt, anyone?), or appliccable for side-characters only.

So far I've only read one (!!!) piece of fiction where the main character went through considerable physical change (he got fat as a result of magic) and what that did to his self-image, his relatiohsip with his family etc. it was the Solider Son trilogy by Robin Hobb.

anyone else have good thought provoking books about body image? preferably not (auto)biographies.

i love terry pratchett.

yeah, i know some snobs will turn their noses up at that. but his baddies are frequently beautiful and the good guys are often flawed, ordinary looking, scarred or fat or old or jug eared. the special needs bloke is actually a hero if you let him live in his own reality instead of imposing your own, and only the most evil beings use beauty to compensate for decency.

for a fantasy writer, he writes reality better than most.

the main problem with that is, Pratchett's fat people are funny. Like the wizards, for instance. Of course, all aspects of the world are funny for Pratchett; but for me that doesn't exactly count as adressing the body image.

I once read a novella by Ursula K. Le Guin where (and it was a long time ago, so I may get some of this wrong) there was an alien race who did not have a gender; and how difficult it was for humans to even address an individual whose gender they didn't know. There are countless examples of stories about the "village boy becoms king" or the "tomboy heiress saves the day" - where the focus is set on social-behavioural lines. So, yeah, if a girl likes to climb trees then there's a personality conflict with society there that's usable for fiction; but if a girl is chubby... no, that NEVER happens? Or rather, if it happens, it never has significant influence on the plot or character-building.

The Left Hand of Darkness is the Le Guin book, it's really fantastic.

The Librarian is fat (being and orangutan and all) and he is the smartest character in Discworld :laugh:

Trying to think of positive examples, but size/attractiveness is usually played for a plot turn/twist. Varys in A Song of Ice and Fire is chubby and very powerful, Samwell Tarly is brought in as the bumbling "fat kid" but has developed in to a much more pivotal character (without spoiling anything!). Though GRRM is as guilty as anyone else!

Iron_Duchess

One of my favorite series is "The Mercedes Thompson series by Patricia Briggs". What I like about Mercy Thompson’s character is that she is described as not pretty, not girlie or delicate, and without super powers except her ability to shift into a coyote. Mercy is a mechanic, because that was the only job that she could find, she was abandoned by her mother to be raised by warewolfs, she lives in a trailer, and has a beat-up car. Because of everything that she has been through she has issues with her body image and how she perceives herself. Now, the beauty of this characters, and her real power, is that she will do anything to help those she loves and respect. She is selfless and gives to others, not only opportunities, but also acceptance and a welcoming atmosphere. I love the message of the series and how Mercy is finding herself and her worth through loving and protecting others.

HealthyBodySickMind

Brienne, The Maid of Tarth, (Song of Ice and Fire series, George RR Martin) is strong and fit, yet considered physically unattractive, and yet she still makes a noble heroine. She is described as "unfeminine, unattractive, too tall, no waistline, flat chested, square of jaw, with a horse-like face." She was made fun of my most of the other characters.

ETA: As was Samwell Tarly (made fun of by the other characters). Sam was not only overweight, but also cowardly, and yet still is a main protagonist in the series.

sillygoosie

Not that I really consider it literature, but Sookie Stackhouse in the TrueBlood series (the books, not the show) is a size 10. While she considers herself a bit chubby, she loves her body and works her sex appeal all the time. I wish tv Sookie could be portrayed that way a little more.

HealthyBodySickMind

In the Auel prehistoric epic, there's a side character, who's quite corpulent, and she's a respected spiritual leader. But that's a secondary character, not the main character. Nevertheless, Auel does spend some time on the difficulties of travel, the incomprehension turning to worship by the other members of the tribe when she started putting on weight while eating the same as everyone else.

I'd almost call her a main character in the last book. She's not Ayla, but she does play a more substantial part. And before she was First, she was Zolena, and regarded as a great beauty, although she was smaller when she was younger. She was also respected *because* of her size, as she came to more resemble their representation of the Mother.

yksdoris

I just read one!

Big Girl by Danielle Steele - it's not your standard romance story, really; even though you'd assume so from the author, it's more a story of sibling love and rivalry and what insane damage parents can do without ever meaning to.