TheCommodificationoftheBodyinConfessionsofaShopaholic

王婷婷

【Abstract】Confessions of a Shopaholic （2001）， a novel written by the UK author Sophie Kinsella， narrates a single young womans obsession for shopping.The female character， Becky is obsessed with shopping and lifestyles that she cannot afford.Most things she buys are intended for body adornment， which is very much related to her self-esteem in the social and professional circles she want to belong to.She thinks that all the things she buys are essential weapons to raise her market value.At the same time she also treats the men as commodities.In this novel， the bodies are treated as one of the commodities in a consumer culture that can be “bought and sold” with specific values attached to them by the cultures that share the values.

【Key words】commodification； Confessions of a Shopaholic； consumer culture

I.Introduction

The body as a commodity in a consumer culture is “invested with cultural meanings.The body we are aware of is ‘an imaginary body， inseparable from the meanings and values with which it is endowed” （Crisp， 2000， p.48）.This means that the body is not an isolated body and exclusively possessed by its owner， but is displayed in public spaces to be judged according to the norms and values shared.In a consumer culture， the body is “proclaimed as a vehicle of pleasure and self expression.The market value is based on certain qualities that “the closer the actual body approximates to the images of youth， health， fitness and beauty， the higher its exchange-value” （p.177）.The body in this sense cannot escape from the images invested to it by culture and the images are not value free.

From a postmodern perspective， class is not a determiner of ones status in a consumer culture.Self and the presentation of self become dependent on style and fashion rather than on fixed symbols of class or hierarchal status.（Turner， 1984， p.122）.

II.Marketing the Self

To have high market value and to be able to compete， both Lola and Becky are aware that they have to possess more money to pay for the lifestyles that would put them in the high social position like the other women they admire and envy.Slater （1997， p.85） explains that “one of the characteristics of identity crisis connected to consumer culture is that there is no authentic self， but a self that depends on ones ability for social survival and success.” Based on this concept， a self is just a social construction， unstable and fragile.When rules change， or that different values are replacing the old ones， the self needs to adapt to these changes to maintain her social position.As Lola and Becky crave for the respect and admiration that come with the possession of luxurious stuffs and lifestyles， they need to possess means to promote their worth by selling themselves to the market.

Beckys strategy is to get a respectable job.Ellys and Lucys prestigious jobs inspire her to apply for the similar high-paid job using the service of a job agent.

Ten oclock the next morning sees me walking nervously up to the front door of William Green， top City head-hunters.Im wearing my smartest black suit， and tights and high heels， with an FT [Financial Times]under my arm.And Im carrying the briefcase with the combination lock.And thats what counts （Shopaholic， p.160-61）.

Beckys effort is to role-play the part of a smart， successful and self-confident woman， so she puts on the accessories that render that image regardless that she never reads the FT or cannot open the briefcase because she has forgotten the combination.Featherstone names this action to be ones ‘performing self as “within consumer culture individuals are asked to become role players and self-consciously monitor their own performance.” （p.189）.The FT and serious looking briefcase are part of the accessories for a convincing role-play as a smart and respectable financial expert.Her knowledge of the part leads her to consciously monitor her appearance.She was instantly hired for the job in Successful Saving because of her success in role-playing the part of a smart candidate.

III.Shopping for Men

Aside from treating themselves as commodities to be marketed， Becky and Lola treat the men as commodities to be chosen from.Like the womans body， the mans body is also treated as an object， a commodity.The view that traditionally only the womans body is regarded as the object to be looked at is no longer valid in a consumer culture.Becky and Lola choose the men they love， like choosing the commodities in their shopping spree.Both the commodities and men should have certain desirable qualities that bespeak of their high value and social status.

Like shopping， Becky peruses the appearance of the men that are eligible.Their physical stature and taste in fashion and lifestyles should fulfill certain criteria that satisfy her taste.Below are two quotations that describe Beckys opinion on Luke Brandon and Tarquin.

I look up， and almost choke on my champagne.Its Luke Brandon， head honcho of Brandon communication.He must be well over six feet tall with dark hair and dark eyes and ...wow.Isnt that suit nice？ A few months ago he was listed in the Mail as one of the cleverest entrepreneurs of his generation （Shopaholic， p.18）.

Im not that keen on Fenella and Tarquin...theyre a bit weird.Tarquin， frankly， looks like a stoat or a weasel， some bony little creature.They ride around on a tandem and wear matching jumpers knitted by their old nanny ...（Shopaholic， p.86）.

Becky admires Lukes athletic figure， good-looking face， expensive outfit， intelligence and the aura of power surrounding Luke.Lukes overall image is the image of a successful person with power， good taste and luxurious lifestyle.The qualities that Luke possesses are the qualities that have a high social status in a consumer culture， because his body is the bearer of expensive commodities and more importantly， he has money to consume.Despite their gap in wealth， career and intelligence， Becky and Luke are similar in the aspects related to taste and lifestyles.In a consumer culture， this seems to be the only things that count.

The second quotation describes Tarquin and his sister Fenella.Compared to Luke， Tarquin does not have the figure or the taste that Becky admires or share the same taste or value as Becky， thus his appreciation for riding horses， keeping dogs， listening to Wagner and giving her a brooch in the shape of a horse are not the things that a city girl like Becky can appreciate.Tarquin leads a simple life， appreciates classical art and literature and never displays his wealth.While Becky is the representation of the contemporary society who feels at home in the popular cultures， admire appearance and conspicuous consumption.Basically， they come from two different cultural values.

Despite this incompatibility， Becky dates Tarquin enthusiastically when she knows that Tarquin is number 15 in the list of Hundred Richest Bachelors compared to Luke who is in number 31.She sees Tarquin as a suitable husband material because of his wealth， so that she deceives herself into believing that she can falls in love with.Her frequent questions show that she is not exactly convinced that she can love Tarquin， but Tarquins money makes him have a high value.Tarquin becomes her object of desire because of his “price” rather than his appearance.

I cant believe it.Im holding a piece of Elle Decoration.How cool is that？ Now I feel incredibly stylish and trendy.It just shows Ive good taste.I can see our sitting room redesigned entirely around it.Thats nothing for a timeless piece of style like this （Shopaholic， p.50-1）.

Becky dislikes the appearance of the bowl like she dislikes Tarquins appearance， but when she knows that the value of the bowl and Tarquin， she convinces herself that they are valuable and she has to possess both the bowl and Tarquin.Beckys attitude toward the bowl and Tarquin shows she just regards Tarquin as a piece of investment for her gain in wealth and prestige， so in a sense， Tarquin is just another valuable commodity.

IV.Conclusion

The commodification of the body in Confessions of a Shopaholic is inseparable from the context of consumer culture.Body is treated as commodity， which can be marketed for some exchange value.The exchange value depends on the presence and absence of certain qualities regarded to be valuable.Everybody can participate in this game of consumption as long as the person has the means or capitals which can be converted.

The possibilities of the identities to be reconstructed make the body become a site of political struggle between ideologies.The ideology of consumerism encourages insatiable consumption as a way of life.In this ideology is the belief that there is power in commodities and power is transferable to those who consume these commodities； and buying by credits is empowering.The other ideology that seems to have a contrary value is the ideology of hard work and saving.This ideology promotes the belief in producing through hard work and save the money， instead of spending it； and discourages spending on credits.

References：

[1]Bordo， Susan.2003.Unbearable Weight： Feminism， Western Culture， and the Body.10th Anniversary Edition.California： University of California Press.

[2]Bourdieu， Pierre.1984.‘The habits and the space of life-stylesin Distinction： A Social Critique of the Judgment of Taste.Cambridge， MA： Harvard University Press.

[3]Phillips， Deborah.2000.Shopping for men： the single woman narrative.Winter 2000， Vol.11 Issue 3， p.238， 14p.Retrieved on March 8， 2005 from http：//search.epnet.com/

[4]Turner， Bryan S.1996.The Body and Society： Exploration in Social Theory.2nd.edn.London： Sage.