Abstract: Writing an essay in-class was relatively easy, as we were given an appropriate amount of time to prepare ourselves beforehand. The classroom setting put enough pressure on me to do the best of my ability. Having the prompts presented to us beforehand also allowed me to better prepare for this assignment.

            Growing up today, motherhood plays a big role in how children view their bodies. The way the mother raises her child influences the child’s view on their body and self-image. The story Eight Bites highlights the issues regarding how motherhood affects body image as well as how body image can be passed down through generations if not corrected. Machado conveys the message that insecurities with body image is a monster caused by society, especially motherhood, and not the women herself. It is something that deeply shapes the woman and her self-image after she grows up. 

            The mother in this story has a body that isn’t fat, which could be inferred by the readers that she may have gone through with surgery herself. We also know that she raised her daughters to have the mindset of only consuming eight bites per meal, which tells us that the mother raised her daughters to have a toxic mindset regarding their bodies. It is also important to note that the mother does not have to explicitly state “Being Fat is Bad”, but it is rather a learned behavior from her mother’s actions. Today, mothers in America are expected to care and love their daughters no matter what, and to embrace every single imperfection society label, including fatness. However, in this story, the mother is instead someone who holds their children up to a specific expectation regarding their bodies, but despite this, we also don’t see any neglect. This highlights how normalized it is for the narrator’s family to have toxic standards regarding their body. Toxic beauty standards are engraved into a mother’s daughter growing up, and the way a mother raises her daughter has a big impact on how the daughter views herself.

            Beauty standards are inherited traits, passed down from generations. Machado focuses on the generational conflict regarding fat bodies. The narrator’s daughter Cal, who inherited the fatness of her mother never experienced any issues with self-image because her mother wasn’t as deep into this toxic mindset like her sisters. We know this because the narrator is one of the last sisters to get surgery, and this could be seen through this powerful quote in the text: “I could not make eight bites work for my body and so I would make my body work for eight bites.”  This powerful quote reflects the narrator’s internal issues regarding body image and the pressure she faces to conform to societal expectations, joining in on the rest of her family’s history with surgery while also highlighting the idea of generational conflict being inevitable. After the narrator gets surgery, Cal appears to question her own body which surprises the narrator since she had never had issues with self-image. From this moment, we could see how toxic beauty standards could be passed down from generations. We also learn that the topic of generational conflict is inevitable, and whether the daughter agrees with her mother’s toxic mindsets has nothing to do with the toxic beauty standards she holds within herself, as it is something that’s been engraved into her for so long already. 

            Life appears to be just fine following the narrator’s surgery. She is officially deemed beautiful by society and life has now changed completely for her, making her the “happiest woman alive”, as her surgeon suggests. She can consume eight bites now and that is all she needs for the day. She can look at herself in the mirror confidently without needing to “squeeze” any imperfection. But is she really happy following her surgery? The narrator may appear happy following the surgery, but she is confronted with the scary truth that the old her will never leave and will always follow her along. She may have lost the weight her body held, but the emotional weight the event has on her will always be stuck with her. We can see this after her encounter with the ghostly figure in her home. The figure appears to be dead but not dead, and has a deep sadness engraved within it. The figure is described to be sobbing, but unable to release a wheeze. This creepy figure serves as a reminder of the narrator’s old self but also symbolizes feelings of regret and sadness of changing herself to conform to societal pressures. This event also marks the end of a cycle existing for generations. The narrator may have been enlightened by the event, but it may be too late for her daughter who appears to have already inherited the mindset.

            To conclude, Machado conveys the message that issues with body image is an issue not caused by a mother’s daughter, but something that is passed down through generations based on how the mother raises her daughter. A mother’s actions and her mindset regarding women’s bodies have a big impact on how her daughter views herself in the future. For a daughter to not inherit toxic beauty standards caused by a mother is impossible, as it is something that’s been engraved into them starting from their childhood. I relate to this story a lot, as a brother of two sisters, I witnessed toxic beauty standards enforced upon them. It is very clear that the words said are harmful, looking at it from an American standpoint. However, in Chinese culture and many others, it is often so normalized that the victims of toxic beauty standards themselves have issues overcoming it or shifting their perspective in a way that allows them to love their body. It is important to continue raising awareness regarding issues with body standards and inform mothers worldwide on how their actions deeply impact their daughters and their self-image.