Amending the Abject Body: Aesthetic Makeovers in Medicine and Culture PDF
Preview Amending the Abject Body: Aesthetic Makeovers in Medicine and Culture
Amending the Abject Body (cid:1) SUNY series in Feminist Criticism and Theory Michelle A.Massé,editor Amending the Abject Body Aesthetic Makeovers in Medicine and Culture (cid:1) DEBORAH CASLAV COVINO Published by State University of New York Press,Albany © 2004 State University of New York All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written per- mission.No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording,or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher. For information,address State University of New York Press, State University Plaza,Albany,NY 12246 Production,Kelli Williams Marketing,Anne Valentine Library of Congress Cataloging-in-PublicationData Covino,Deborah Caslav,1960– Amending the abject body:aesthetic makeovers in medicine and culture/Deborah Caslav Covino. p.cm.—(SUNY series in feminist criticism and theory) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-7914-6231-5 —ISBN 0-7914-6232-3 (pbk.) 1.Body image in women.2.Self-perception in women.3.Women—Physiology.4.Body, Human—Social aspects.5.Surgery,Plastic.6.Feminist theory.I.Title.II.Series. BF697 .5B63C67 2004 306.4’613—dc22 2004043372 TO BILL,MY HEART’S CONTENT Contents Acknowledgments ix Introduction 1 Objectification and False Consciousness 6 Abjection,Agency,and Identification 11 Chapter 1: Abjection 17 Pain 22 Communication and Expulsion 25 Transgression,Identification,and Community 28 Chapter 2: Normalizing the Body 35 The Scar 36 Body Loathing 39 Industry Success 42 Universal Beauty 46 Chapter 3: Outside-In 55 Chapter 4: “I’m Doing It for Me” 65 “Ana’s Aloha Body” 73 “Fatima’s Flawless Nose” 75 “Light in Jodi’s Eyes” 78 vii viii Contents Chapter 5: Making Over Abjection 83 Positive Thinking 84 Updating and Upgrading 86 Freedom of Choice 87 Passing 93 Happy Aging 97 Conclusion 105 Notes 113 Works Cited 137 Index 149 Acknowledgments For their early support, I am grateful to my teachers and mentors at the University of Illinois at Chicago: Clark Hulse, Peggy McCracken, James Sosnoski,Michael Lieb,and Donald Marshall.The Department of English at Florida Atlantic University provided me the time and encouragement so essential to this project.James Peltz,Kelli Williams,and the SUNY Press staff have guided this project through with understanding,good advice,and care. I’m especially grateful to my children,Lexie and Danny,for giving up part of their mother to the demands of scholarship.Love and thanks to my mother, Brigitte Caslav, who taught me compassion, and to my father, Peter Caslav, who has the soul of a writer.Finally,thanks to Dan Cook for frequent talks about Bruce Springsteen and assorted other (less important) matters that afforded me many hours of happy distraction. Portions of chapter 3 were adapted from “Outside-In:Body,Mind,and Self in the Advertisement of Aesthetic Surgery,” which appeared in the Journal of Popular Culture 35.3 (Winter 2001). Portions of the introduction and chapter 1 were adapted from “Abject Criticism,” which appeared in Genders32 (2000). ix
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