Identity Part II

For a lot of people, first impressions are important. Sight is the first interaction between two creatures. As humans, we are designed to utilise our five senses to make judgements about our surroundings, and creatures surrounding us. Because of this, first impressions are important. The things we see become primary for those we do not know. The way we dress, therefore, makes different impressions on different people, in different situations. In Mrs. Dalloway, the uncle, Uncle William, said that "a lady is known by her shoes and her gloves" (8). This means that a lady is known by what she wears, not by what she says. This, I thought, resembled an older time's thought, as at some point, women were to just be silent and stand as figures. What women said was not always important, but what they wore was because it made a statement, as everyone only looked at them from afar. I think this idea has come forth in many ways. For example, when one goes to an interview, one generally dresses up nicely so that the interviewer will get past that first barrier of sight, so that he or she will not judge based on appearance. For example, when I went for my college interviews, I dressed up so that my interviewer would pay attention to what I am saying rather than my appearance. I think that perhaps this may be more evident on the female side, as this statement made by Uncle William is trying to say. I think that because women are or were seen very much as physical objects of desire rather than people of equal status, they were judged more harshly on their appearance. Using this image, I find it hard to imagine myself, if I were in that position, to be able to dress to an interview where my interviewer does not judge my appearance as soon as I walk in. This brings me back to the idea of identity. What is a woman's identity if she is seen as the clothes she is wearing rather than the words she speaks or what is in her mind? It seems that the female identity in this situation, according to Uncle William, has been written out by an outside force. It was not decided upon by the females, nor was it agreed upon. But this outside force unfortunately has constructed a wall in between the true female, the mind and soul, and the perception of females. As a group, we must fight to break down this wall that his blocking us from seeing the true women.