4 minute read
DEATH TO THE PERFECTIONIST
DEATH TO THE PE RF
EC
TI ON IST
BY VALERIYA ANTONSHCHUK
Ifelt it. It was perfect.” Wine-red blood spreads across the body of the “Black Swan” lead’s ivory regalia, the blooming stain a stark contrast to the perfection grasped in her final performance. Moments before she falls to her climactic death, the idyllic Swan Queen dances her best White Swan yet, surrendering to her faultless character in full. The company huddles over her dying body, but she remains exuberant in her final pursuit of perfection — her last words a submission of accomplishment. Death becomes a small price to pay for the idealism that consumes her life.
I wondered why I felt so compelled by the psychological thriller and its main character who embodies the tragedies of perfectionistism. On a personal level, I connected to the stress and anxiety of yearning to reach a goal that felt unattainable, whether in the form of grades, jobs or other individual standards. A lifelong lover of ballet, I may be partial to the “Black Swan” story, but the cinematic trope at the center of this film can be seen throughout our history, media and culture.
“It’s a classic tale: A character commits themselves to the pursuit of perfection, perhaps driven by a yearning for approval from themselves and others, only to realize true “perfection” is a myth. For many, the pressure of these self-imposed, unreachable standards becomes unbearable, fostering a deterioration of sanity and self. As seen in “Black Swan,” the struggle between ambition and well-being is particularly prominent in artists, stoking the flames of the romanticized “tortured artist” trope present in everything from classic films and literature to modern popular culture. Does creative success require some fundamental degree of personal struggle? In “Black Swan,” artistic success appears ultimately dependent upon personal struggle and sacrifice. Ballet is an art dedicated to the illusion of perfection — to create an ethereal appearance beyond ordinary human movement. As the film’s lead dancer steps into the “Swan Lake,” ballet’s coveted lead role, we see her struggle with perfection intensify as her stability slips away. She religiously eats her prerehearsal breakfast of one hard-boiled egg and half a grapefruit each morning;
no more, no less. After hours of rehearsals each day, she continues practicing her ballet variations at home until her bruised, bloody feet can no longer support her.
As the lead Swan Queen, she performs the roles of both White Swan Odette and Black Swan Odile. The poised, controlled White Swan comes naturally to her, but the untamed, bold and beguiling Black Swan is the role she strains to embody — her exploration of this character leads to her fundamental demise. The Black Swan then embodies a vessel through which the protagonist spirals into a dark tunnel of hallucinations and psychotic episodes, dramatizing the lengths we can go to in the pursuit of passion and perfection.
The Black Swan, as a fictitious character and literal bird, takes on several meanings and associations in history. Before the late 17th century, black swan birds were presumed to be nonexistent — impossible, even. That sense of doubt withered away when Europeans discovered the bird in Australia in 1697. For centuries to come, the discovery came to symbolize a “black swan event,” an occurrence previously deemed impossible. Beyond the history of the black swan’s discovery, the birds symbolize rarity, fueling a further association with independence and personal power.
In the film, however, the Black Swan does not leave its dancer empowered. It leaves her dead — an ode to the unsustainable nature of perfection. While the film’s plot line is unique, its message is universal. The dancer’s commitment to self-restraint, excessive work, and her disregard for any exhaustion or selfendangerment are not specific to ballet, or even to art. In academia and life, many relate to sacrificing mental health in their pursuit of these constructed ideals. The perfectionist problem is amplified in the digital age, whereby social media makes comparisons and unrealistic standards more prominent than ever, and young people are enduring increasing rates of its associated anxiety, depression and burnout.
If we’re able to reach our loftiest ambitions, yet we aren’t in a healthy space to enjoy and reflect on our accomplishments, what’s the point of it all?
Rather than pursuing an impossible sense of perfection, beauty or talent, we can place value on the personal power of self-preservation. Whether that takes the form of taking a social media detox, seeking help, making time for personal care and fulfillment, or taking a step back from overwhelming commitments, prioritizing our well-being can help us maintain our mental and physical health so we can truly be our best, most creative selves. Normalizing this priority can help shift how we view the necessity of struggle in achievement.
Striking a balance between perfectionism and self-preservation then becomes a true “black swan event” — an ode to the ability to reach the impossible while maintaining self and sanity. This is the meaning of the Black Swan: the courage to be imperfect and bold in your power.
