Varieties of the Fantastic in Fiction

“Change in Fashion”’s imagery reminds me of The Handmaid’s Tale; color-coordinated by social class, the female body is hidden by long sleeves and “wings” to hide their faces when out of the house. This short story went on to tell us how the female body slipped deeper into the shadows yet became increasingly more provocative. The quest to reach the female nude grew within men’s thoughts and to a point where some thoughts were dangerous and violent. The Male Gaze is an interesting concept where women are sexualized within fine art. As an aspiring Art Historian, I can say that from my years as a student we have dissected the male Gaze and its effects on the women portrayed in paintings. When you remove the “temptation” of sexual arousal from the female form, it’s hard to say what that looks like. Some would say that masking women’s bodies is a sign of oppression yet in this short story, its fashion. The take away quote from this story is as follows: “Women have never been more naked than concealed from view”. This is what is Fantastic about this tale.