"The Body Project"

(An Intimate History of American Girls)
-by Joan Jacobs Brumberg
1997
This is the kind of book that reviewers (this one, anyway) loathe...because it's so seamless and on-point, anything i might add seems superfluous (we reviewers like to feel that we're needed, not just for our message, but for our literary panache). Brumberg examines the history of women's relationship to themselves as human beings and sexual beings, specifically focusing on the change that has taken place over the past 100 years. Her well-made point is that much has been gained, and much lost. A century ago, women's bodies were ruthlessly protected and controlled by society and family. A young woman's sexuality was an asset which did not belong to her. The medical profession (and the grand hymen obsession) abetted all this. On the plus side, her character was perceived as her greatest asset. A century later, young women have been given virtually complete ownership of their bodies. The stigma once associated with promiscuity has been largely transferred to virginity. Several still-existing repressive elements of our society make these dangerous times, however - we don't yet provide an atmosphere where a young woman (or man) can explore their sexuality with full encouragement and safety. Furtive, ill-informed sex needlessly exposes young women to pregnancy, STDs, and exploitation. And the control of women's bodies has shifted from exterior to interior - young women are taught that their worth is inextricably tied to their physical beauty. Generations of women are exploring unimagined freedoms, but are prisoners to the images of feminine beauty (many of which are unnatural) constantly thrust in their faces. Anorexia Nervosa is just the visible face of all these changes. Brumberg compellingly examines the social forces that have spurred all these changes. Slide this book quickly onto your "Ten Books Every Thinking Person Must Read" list.