Age Quote by Margaret Atwood
“The Three of them were beautiful, in the way all girls of that age are beautiful. It can't be helped, that sort of beauty, nor can it be conserved; it's a freshness, a plumpness of the cells, that's unearned and temporary, and that nothing can replicate. None of them was satisfied with it, however; already they were making attempts to alter themselves into some impossible, imaginary mould, plucking and pencilling away at their faces. I didn't blame them, having done the same once myself.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, 1985
Youthful beauty is fleeting and often pursued through impossible standards, leading to self‑alteration and dissatisfaction.
In simple terms: Beauty fades; people chase impossible ideals.
Key Takeaway
Accept natural change, resist harmful perfectionism.
Themes
beauty
aging
self‑image
societal pressure
Mood
melancholy
thoughtful
Type
literary
inspirational
When to use this quote
- adolescence
- media influence
- beauty industry
- mental health awareness
Key Concepts
femininity
impermanence
identity
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you define authentic beauty?
- What pressures shape your self‑image?
A Different Perspective
Perfectionism can cause lasting harm and loss of self.
![“I remember realizing, when I did Little Women [1994], that that was the only time girls that age were being written about. It was always boys - from David Copperfield to Lord of the Flies to Holden Caulfield. There were never young women going through adolescence or teen years; there were only…” quote by Winona Ryder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/666/winona-ryder-1469_adolescence_i-remember-realizing-when-i-did-little-w_41784.jpg)
