[DRAFT]
We chose to include the tag “ideals and imperfections” since The Arts of Beauty; or, Secrets of a Lady’s Toilet by Montez explicitly illustrates what the “ideal” woman looks like. These ideals, as stated by Montez, include having soft hands, a charming voice, and firm bosom. Any characteristic which deviates from what women “should be”, according to the manual, therefore may be interpreted as an imperfection. The text, along with indirectly defining flaws of women’s appearances, offers suggestions on how to be rid of, or fix, these imperfections such as how to make thick ankles appear small, color grey hair, and remove freckles from the face. 

Our research questions of focus which relate specifically to this tag are: 

• How do “ideals” define what should be important to women? 
• What determines our beauty standards? 
• Chapter 1 discusses the variety of “ideals” in beauty, but what separates “ideal” from “imperfect”? How does this influence our understanding and interpretations of women’s writing?