Women wonder at the attractiveness of the female speaker. Assuming that it is her aim, they see her "perfection," and wonder about how she attains it. When the speaker reiterates that her motive is not what they think, the women respond in disbelief, thinking that she tells, "lies".
The speaker, however, tries to explain to them her own reasons for the attractiveness others see in her.The numerous things she points to about herself such as "the reach of my arms" and "the fire in my eyes" all focus on the common thread that she is a "phenomenal woman. Analysis: Modern society highly values women's beauty. Due to that pressure, and the speaker's achievement of that standard, the other women who respond to the speaker, also wish to reach their "potential" as women, and to "fit in.
" Their desire is a genuine one. They seem not to know what it means to be unique, but regard the highest aim as the standard society sets for beauty. It is however, a faulty aim, the speaker explains.In her powerful response to the pressure of society, the female speaker elucidates to her fellow women that it isn't just about how a woman's looks or her built, but it's about who the woman is as a person.
Attractive personality is much more powerful than attractive genetics or any ability to fill in an impossible role. The speaker then explains to these women, and rightly to all women, that it is her own attractive personality that is the reason men "stand or fall down on their knees" before her.It does not mean that she does not try to be her best, but she does not see conformity as justifiable and therefore the reason why "[her] head's not bowed". She then goes on to explain in detail her own reasons and her own aims in attractiveness.
She measures her own achievement by measurable decisions she can make such as her "smile", "style", and "stride", not impossible standards. A notable speaker declares that one must measure another by the "content of their character" not based on futile appearance, (though the phrase is spoken in a different context).The message is effective in conveying that quality of character standards are the only standards by which women should judge themselves and the way they see others. Her positive decisions give the speaker her well-earned title of "Phenomenal Woman," and allow her to live out her full measure of personal worth. The beautiful conclusion therefore allows the speaker, and gives hope to all women, that she and they (respectively) can live as beautiful women and enjoy that life in the process.
