Elements of the Grotesque Body

From "The Grotesque Image of the Body" by Mikhail Bakhtin, "The grotesque body is cosmic and universal. It stresses elements common to the entire cosmos:earth, water, fire, air; it is directly related to the sun, to the stars. It contains the signs of the zodiac. It reflects the cosmic heirarchy."(pg.9)


This image is one that represents the three elements of the universe. Each girl is either fire, water, air, or earth. Although the article discusses the body as an image, the image that these girls have are ones that would be considered perfect in our society. they are thin and gorgeous with a sense of mysterious beauty. If you notice, each girl is somehow touching and connected to each other. Without one the other cannot live. The elements are all intertwined and connected. The sun links them all together and provides them with whatever it is that is needed for them to survive.
These universal elements may be compared to what is considered to be universal beauties. Throughout the world, a certain look is expected to be for what a girl who is to be beautiful should look like. It is no wonder that such a problem with food and body image has risen to be an issue for girls across the world. Although the more well known problem is anorexia and bulimia, overeating leading to obesity has recently risen in issues that appear in people throughout the world as well. The look that is expected of someone to be beautiful is not internal but rather has become an external being. This then leads to the docile body theory and letting the social body out rather than being true to what someone really wants to be.