Little Girls in Pretty Boxes

Ryan argues that gymnasts and figure skaters hold a unique and cherished place among American athletes because of their athletic grace, youth and beauty. American society rewards the gymnast or figure skater who excels at the Olympics, such as Mary Lou Retton and Dorothy Hamill, for example, with accolades and endorsements that run into the millions of dollars. These potential rewards of success drive these young girls and the adults who should be looking out for them to extremes of behavior, the results of which are the exact opposite of the success they seek. For example, she tells the story of a 13-year-old girl who had to be committed to a psychiatric hospital after her father's reaction to her quitting gymnastics (Ryan 479). Ryan also mentions others who literally starved themselves to death (482).

. . .
ined with the increased physical demands of her training regimen, this girl is risking fractured bones, long-term reproductive problems, and a host of other ailments (Ryan 482). All of this damage is encouraged by those who should be protecting these children because everyone understands, including the young athletes, the rewards of success. Winston Smith's society in 1984 exists at the expense of thought and truth. In Winston's world, a person's every thought, move, and instinct must be coordinated and controlled to portray an allegiance to the Party. Because of the telescreen and the watchful eye of other Party members, Winston can only act naturally or truthfully in places where the telescreen cannot reach. In many ways, the lives of the young girls that Ryan surveys are very much like Winston's life in 1984. Television today is like the telescreen, seemingly ubiquitous. The public eye, too, can be as judgmental as those of Orwell's Party members. Ryan's young girls are forced to portray an image of themselves that American society wants to see. Hence the emphasis on the proper make-up, the right costume, and an attractive physical appearance. So, just as Winston was, these girls are constrained by the expectations of
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Approximate Word count = 1431
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)

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