Theme of Beauty in Dogeaters

Hey everyone! My name is Tricia and this week, I want to discuss the theme of beauty displayed by Jessica Hagedorn’s Dogeaters.

Throughout the novel, we can observe how beauty plays an important role in characterizing both people and society. In the novel, both women and men are portrayed to be greatly preoccupied with beauty and we can see the power of American influence that had on the perception of beauty in the Philippines. However, some of these characters exemplify the emptiness of beauty and glamour and show that American culture’s influence on beauty has flaws too.

In “Movie Star,” Hagedorn uses Lolita Luna, a famous movie star who uses beauty to manipulate and gain power, to show that being beautiful and famous does not necessarily get you whatever you dream of getting.

She punished him with her beauty… She agrees with those who attribute her success to her flagrant sexuality and magnificent body… She is a movie star who thrusts her hips and tongue out at the General in that privileged, mocking way of hers, complaining… (Hagedorn 170-171).

Lolita dreams of moving to New York or Los Angeles to study acting and pursue her dreams beyond of what she has in the Philippines. Lolita Luna uses her physical beauty and fame to manipulate powerful men like General Ledesma and believes that her beauty will lead her to pursue her dreams. However, Hagedorn states

Lolita realized she had deceived herself…She is a talented actress, but she does not know it. Lolita is paid well for her movies, but she’s always broke (Hagedorn 171).

I think Lolita is fooling herself by thinking that she can get and be whatever she wants just through believing in her great physical appearance. Relying on her beauty and fame, Lolita comes to realize she has nothing and is depressed.

Other examples of beauty displayed in Dogeaters include Joey, a prostitute who uses his beauty to lure customers, Rio’s mother Dolores, who cares just entirely about her looks, and Daisy Avila, who wins a beauty pageant but is not pleased.

The concept of beauty displayed by Hagedorn’s Dogeaters leads to the following questions:

• Do you think Hagedorn was promoting or discouraging the Philippines to adapt to American’s influence of beauty?
• Do you think society’s expectations and praise for being “beautiful” have a more negative or positive affect on people? If you think it has a negative affect, why do you think people still try to follow these images of being “beautiful?”
• Many different cultures have their own definition of “beauty.” For example, in my Korean culture, the standard of being beautiful is having pale white skin, having a small facial structure, having long silky hair, and a thin body. Share with me the standards of beauty from your culture. Also, share with me your personal thoughts on the “standards of beauty.”