This artifact is a personal essay written for an introductory English course. Because of their profound cultural and personal significance to me, I decided to write about beauty standards. The essay begins with my response to reading "The Bluest Eye," which made me more aware of how Eurocentric beauty standards influence value judgments. Then, using scholarly literature and contemporary health sources, I integrated historical and cultural research. The article explores the long-standing impacts of media and colonization on body image, particularly for South Asian women. Writing the essay was a beneficial and intellectually stimulating experience for me because it allowed me to explore the systemic nature of these standards and express my personal vulnerability.

This artifact demonstrates my capacity to link introspection with scholarly analysis. I illustrated how beauty standards function on both an individual and structural level by combining literary works, historical sources, and scientific research. The essay demonstrates how I have developed as a writer by examining culture and identity critically and supporting my claims with reliable research. It also demonstrates my ability to balance emotion and facts when writing persuasively about delicate subjects. This piece demonstrates my drive to oppose exclusive standards and advance more inclusive conceptions of beauty. It symbolizes my changing identity as a supporter of media literacy, racial equity, and body positivity. Overall, the essay demonstrates my capacity to integrate various viewpoints and effectively and concisely convey intricate concepts to a wider audience.