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It's My Body and I'll Cry If I Want To - Discussion Questions:
1. Early in the novel, Beth describes beauty as if personified; Beauty is "an imaginary friend I once had. In the company of other women I smiled ruefully about her, together we laughed at her expense, but the thing was, we still took her out of her box now and then—secretly, because we’d be embarrassed if anyone found out how much we still played with her. As ashamed to still want her now as we were never to have had enough of her in the first place." How honest are women with each other about the effects of the media and the beauty industry on how they feel about themselves?
2. The fictional beauty clinic, The Beauty Institute, is situated on an island. What is the symbolic significance of this?3. The characters of Georgina and Leota are vastly different in physical appearance, and in their approaches to dealing with their own bodies. But what are the similarities in their ways of dealing with how they feel judged on their physical appearance?
4. A certain mirror plays a key role in the plot of this novel. How does this mirror also help develop the theme?5. Did you get the sense Beth's teenage daughter Paige has changed her feelings about herself at all by the end of the book? Is this surprising? How long does it usually take a female in modern society to accept her own body?
6. What did you think of some of the "beauty treatments" in the book? In view of the kinds of new cosmetics and cosmetic surgeries we hear about in the media almost daily, are these fictional treatments really that far-fetched?
7. Several reviewers have remarked on the novel's humor, satirical edge, and fast-paced plot. Do you think this is a good way to approach the subject of beauty? Does laughing about the desire to be beautiful make it easier to talk about?
8. Where do you see society's efforts at trying to attain beauty going? Is there a limit to what people will try to improve their looks?
9. Did reading this book affect the way you felt when looking into a mirror? Did it increase your awareness of beauty and body image issues?
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