Textual Analysis on the Essay “Trick Mirror Reflections on Self-Delusion”

The essay “Trick Mirror Reflections on Self-Delusion” authored by Jia Tolentino is elaborate on important aspects that affect women’s life in society from the past. It is vital to explore the essay and establish what major issues that have been propagated by the owner. An examination on the passage extracted from the essay indicates that the primary theme of discussion is the position of women and roles that they play in society (Tolentino 80). It is important to note that dress code for women has changed and women have acquired more freedom to practice what they want in society. For instance, the passage asserts that an ideal woman is she who finds what is trained to find them. The author asserts “Historically, the ideal woman seeks all the things that women are trained to find fun and interesting—domesticity, physical self-improvement, male approval, the maintenance of congeniality, various forms of unpaid work.” In essence, the text is educative and elaborate of what happens in society regarding women and their treatment (Tolentino 64).

The essay illustrates through text how women have changed and adopted feminism that has seen the world change in a significant manner. In the past, women cold not wear some specific attire and such has since changed to accommodate fashion changes. For instance, ideally women seek for male approval and domesticity, which the author notes that it should change for the better. An ideal woman should have the ability of rising and working for glory. Different societies have varied cultures that influence the social life of women in one way or another. In essence, the passage presented is educative of the plight of women and how most individuals and societies in the world perceive them. the theme of feminism is evident in the text since the author highly discusses of empowering women and freeing them from delusions that have derailed their continuity and rise.

The change of dressing code for women in the recent past to athleisure is another important aspect that is discussed in the passage. It is vital that each individual in society embraces change that has empowered women to change even the way they dress. Women have been objectified and are often used to perform unpaid work in society. It is important to note that most women have changed their attitude towards fashion and the way they perceive the same in society. The use of various attire and fashion products has projected women as objects who always want to invest financially. Women need various products that make them look more valuable in front of men and the society in general. It is through changes that have happened in the field of fashion that women prefer to wear attire that brings the best performance of their bodies. The author of the essay asserts that “…it is what you buy when you are compulsively gratified by the prospect of increasing your body’s performance on the market”. Such instances of feminism should be a wakeup call for all societies to accommodate such facts and avoid deluded perceptions on the same (Tolentino 88). The implication of such moves in society is the fact that women have gained courage to fight back and get out of traps that have derailed their rise in society. For instance, women in the past could not participate in some important decision making tasks in the community. Much has changed and patriarchy should not be an option but rather a practice of the past (Tolentino 75). Women should be empowered and nurtured in society in a bid to ensure that social injustice and discrimination in society is eliminated. Each member should be given change to speak their mind and practice what they feel is right for them so long as it is within the constraints of the law.

Works Cited

Tolentino, Jia. Trick mirror: Reflections on self-delusion. Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2020.