Question

Write a brief note about the beauty industry in postwar America. According to Huxley, what was the impact of the "beauty cult" in America? What does Huxley say about external beauty? How is health related to beauty? And how do social disharmonies affect the beauty of individuals?

Accepted Answer

In Aldous Huxley's essay "The Beauty Industry," he talks about how the beauty industry is the only sector which stayed buoyant throughout the depression of the 1930s and how women increasingly use beauty products to make themselves look younger. One impact of this "beauty cult" is that women increasingly look younger—like their daughters, even.
Huxley believes that beauty comes from the inside, rather than the outside, and that no amount of makeup and creams (which he calls artificial beauty) can make people more beautiful. He talks about the ideal of moral, spiritual, and psychological beauty, all of which are more important and more beneficial than smothering a face with cream. A woman's health is therefore crucial to determining her beauty. Huxley thinks that by trying to cheat the rules of nature, people will disrupt existing harmonies, which will lead to social imbalance.

Aldous Huxley

Write a brief note about the beauty industry in postwar America. According to Huxley, what was the impact of the "beauty cult" in America? What does Huxley say about external beauty? How is health related to beauty? And how do social disharmonies affect the beauty of individuals?

Expert Answers

Unlock This Answer Now