

“Bitch Planet” by Kelly Sue DeConnick tells the story of a girl named Penelope and her upbringing in a dystopian society that conforms its citizens to standards of high appearance and beauty. Penelope grows up in a world that ignores self-identity and uniqueness, and those in power change the people to their image of what a perfect individual looks like. At the end of the plot, Penelope is brought before these officials with power and they attempt to convince her that she is unattractive and needs to make better of her appearance. The comic concludes with Penelope refusing to give in to their wishes and portraying to these individuals how she is the perfect version of herself. Kelly Sue DeConnick incorporates the theme of conformity in “Bitch Planet” in order to highlight how current society values appearance over everything and how one cannot be socially accepted if they are not attractive. This is a huge occurrence in today’s society and DeConnick aims to pass on this message with the usage of literary devices and gaze theory. 

The author utilizes color scheme throughout the comic, specifically with the colors white and pink to emphasize the themes of purity and femininity in various scenes. The color white is a motif used in the comic to represent purity and conforming to societal standards. In the beginning of the work, Penelope stands before the government officials in a room with a pure white background. She is surrounded by these men of power, called the Fathers, with the color white glowing on her. This is significant because white correlates to the themes of purity and conformity. They are trying to conform Penelope to their standards and want her to become their version of pure, which is important because it portrays how much their society values appearance. The motif of the color pink is also present in the scenes on pages one hundred eighty-six to one hundred eighty-eight where Penelope is in a room with a lady portrayed as her guardian. She sits, getting her hair combed as the guardian speaks to her about becoming what the Fathers hope for her to become. The color pink glows in the background of this scene and represents femininity, which is incorporated to demonstrate how Penelope is being forced to become more womanlike and pretty in appearance. The Fathers have an expectation for women and Penelope’s guardian is asking for her to improve on her physical appearance. This correlates to the concept of society valuing one’s physical beauty rather than their self-identity and uniqueness. Color scheme and the motifs of white and pink are incorporated into the comic to represent the themes of purity and conformity, which relates to how society has a standard for people’s physical beauty and prioritizes their appearance over everything.  

DeConnick also incorporates the usage of flashbacks in her work to portray how much societal standards can impact one and change who they really are. The comic alternates scenes from Penelope’s past and her current situation. In one scene, she will be standing before the Fathers being scrutinized as a young adult and in the next she will be a child baking muffins with her grandmother. This is to establish an image in the reader’s mind of what Penelope initially looked and acted like, and how much she has changed. In the beginning, she is a young, innocent girl with basic, childlike characteristics. By the end of the comic, Penelope has a half shaven head and has grown into this large body. The author establishes these flashbacks to emphasize the impact that expectations have on one’s mind and body. She no longer is portrayed as this unique individual, but almost as this outlier, which takes away from one’s self-worth and identity. By using flashbacks, the author can show the reader the change Penelope underwent due to the Father’s expectations, which relates to how society values appearance over individuality. 

The author also utilizes repetition in the comic in order to highlight the importance of sticking to one’s values and how self-identity is more important than meeting society’s standards. In the beginning of the comic, Penelope’s grandmother tells her, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” (DeConnick 179). Her grandmother is teaching her a life lesson in this moment and is telling her to not change for others. This phrase is repeated at the end of the comic when Penelope stands before the Fathers and is being forced to show these officials what her ideal image of one is. Penelope shows them how she believes she is the perfect version of herself and tells them, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” (DeConnick 199). This quotation demonstrates her value of self-identity and her belief that everyone’s uniqueness is their beauty. The author incorporates repetition because she wants to establish this message and to also tie the comic together at the end with Penelope being victorious because she stays true to her values. The repetition of the phrase is significant because it emphasizes staying true to one’s beliefs and having a unique identity. 

DeConnick includes extra-diegetic gaze in “Bitch Planet” to make it seem as if Penelope is speaking to whoever is reading the comic and therefore establishing a personal connection between herself and the reader. In the last scene, Penelope is looking straight outside the comic and attempting to make eye contact with the reader. She concludes by saying, “And you bastards ain’t never gonna break me” (DeConnick 199). This is significant because Penelope is standing up to the Fathers, while at the same time looking at the reader. This makes Penelope be viewed as a hero and almost a role model for one to follow. She is trying to relay the message to be true to oneself and to rebel against those attempting to take away one’s self-identity. The usage of extra-diegetic gaze plays a major role in the conclusion of the comic by establishing a connection between Penelope and the reader with a purpose to show rebellion against conformity. 

Kelly Sue DeConnick incorporates the theme of conformity in “Bitch Planet” with a purpose to highlight how society values appearance over everything and that one cannot be socially accepted without being physically attractive. This is a pattern that occurs in everyday life and the author chooses to bring light on this issue. Gaze theory and literary devices are utilized by the author to enhance her ability to pass on her message and strengthen the argument. Being socially accepted over beauty is a flaw in society and needs to be addressed sooner rather than later. 
