




     In writing, visual texts especially, symbols (something that is used to represent something else) are used to represent a multitude of ideas. Often an author might include such symbols in their writing as to promote a general idea or theme that will continue on throughout the piece. In Kelly Sue DeConnick’s Bitch Planet, the character Penny plays a vital role. She comes across as a very diverse character that is used to represent many ideas and concepts. One concept portrayed very well by Penny is the idea of self-empowerment and self- love. Throughout the excerpt of Bitch Planet, Penny goes through the process of self-actualization, or fulfilling the expectations she has for herself. This concept becomes evident through her continuous plight with authority and often violent (but justified) outbursts against the society’s idea of beauty and attractiveness. These instances of self-love can be seen in the discipline scene after Penny assaults the boy at her school, the bakery scene, and the scene of her ideal self. 

     One of the first instances of self-love comes within the early panels in the story. In these panels, Penny has been sent to be disciplined by the “mother” figure, who is assumingly a representation of the “ideal” woman as evidenced by her role of the authority over the girls, after she assaults a boy for talking about her grandmother. The mother begins to fix her hair, and while doing so, implies there is something wrong with it because it doesn’t lay down or curl up, to which Penny replies, “Why folks gotta say what I am, mother? Ain’t it enough to know who I am?’ (DeConnick 188). Penny sees nothing wrong with her hair, while the “ideal” woman sees her hair’s lack of compliance as problematic. Despite the pressure, Penny does not try to conform with the way society thinks her hair should be, as she sees her hair as a part of her culture and her personality. Also seen in these panels, Penny looks to be at the beginning stages of self-actualization, and starting to become her ideal self. She clings to her grandmother’s motto, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” when told that her hair is deviant. In this instance specifically, DeConnick is trying to imply that the only opinion of you that matters is the opinion you have of yourself, and you should not try to change because of pressures from society.

     Penny again does not conform to the perceived expectations placed on her by this society ran by the “Father”. In pages 194-195, the reader can see Penny being forced to listen to two men talk negatively about her. She is referred to as an animal and deemed undesirable by these men because she does not fit the idea of the “ideal woman” due to her weight and skin color. Penny does not have features these men and the “father” (the authority figure in the comic who determines what is best for society and establishes standards of beauty and attraction) seemingly view as attractive. That was not the end of this onslaught of society “standards of beauty”, Penny also overhears three girls seemingly competing over who had lost the most weight or starved themselves the longest as to ingest the least amount of calories. These girls go on and on about being thin and having the right hair color while the news anchor on TV is talking about a very taboo dieting fad that has become popular. Penny finally snaps, and assault the men who have been degrading her. In this scene, Penny is figuratively (and quite literally) fighting the idea of conforming to society’s idea of attractiveness by combating these men, and throwing out the women who are so obviously obsessed with being the “ideal” woman in the eyes of the all- powerful father figure in the text. DeConnick uses this scene to convey that women should fight society’s ideas of how they should be, and be satisfied with their own ideals of attractiveness and beauty. This instance also shows Penny coming further along in the self-actualization process, as she does not accept the rude and vulgar behavior of the men in the bakery. Rather than stay quiet and be brought down and pressured by these men and others to conform to be what they want her to be, she stands up for herself (not only herself, but women everywhere) by not allowing such negativity in her presence. She will not apologize for being herself.

     The ultimate end to the self-actualization process for Penny comes in the final excerpt of Bitch Planet. In this scene, Penny stands before multiple men who are playing the role of “father”, as they insist that they are trying to help her and are acting in her best interest.  They also make claims of wanting to see Penny happy, implying that there was something wrong with her and they were prepared to fix her to make her become the ideal version of herself. They strap Penny up to a chair with a series of wires and restraints in front of mirror so Penny can visualize her ideal self. After the process is completed and an image comes on the mirror, the father figures are shocked to find that Penny’s ideal self is no different from her actual self. In the final panels of the excerpt, Penny proclaims, “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. I ain’t broke…and you bastards ain’t never gonna break me.” ( DeConnick 199) After fighting societal standards of attractiveness and beauty for so long and becoming at peace with herself, Penny has broken through to become her ideal self, which has just been her the whole time. She did not fold to the pressure from the “father”, “mother”, or any other man or women in her world. DeConnick uses this ultimate conclusion to further enforce the idea of self- love by showing that if Penny, a woman deemed undesirable by many in her world and also a convict, can become her ideal self based on her principles and beliefs of beauty, that every woman can complete the process of self-actualization. Despite pressures from society, all humans should be comfortable with who they are as people, and DeConnick has used the fictional character of Penny to show that self-love should triumph all. 

     DeConncik’s use of Penny as a symbol for self-actualization proves as an effective technique to teach women to fight societal norms and be satisfied with their own ideals of beauty. Through the use of the discipline scene, the bakery scene, and the ideal self scene, DeConncik is successful in portraying penny as a symbol and beacon for self-love as she goes on her journey of becoming who she wants to be. By looking at the example Penny sets in Bitch Planet, women

can go through a process similar to the one she goes through to obtain personal enlightenment.


