In both stories, The Venus Hottentot and Julia, the women are exploited for being different. In the first story an African woman named Sara is put into a freak show for having a large butt, compared to that of European women. Then when she suddenly passes a scientists, Cuvier, takes it upon himself to dissect her just to prove his point that she was truly a freak. He then put his findings in jars and on display in a museum for others to see. Like this story, Julia was born with a genetic deformity of growing facial hair. She had married a man for whom she thought loved her, but really only used her for how she looked. Julia later on had a child, and shortly after they both died. Her husband had them both stuffed and put on display. In both scenarios the women are treated very inhumanely for the way they looked.
Along with these two stories, Aimee Bender's End of the Line is a story about a big man who adopts a little man for a pet. The bigger man is unhappy with his life and takes it out on the little man. The little man's life is perfect, he has a family and has seen the world, everything that the bigger man wanted. The bigger man takes advantage of the little man, abuses, exploits him, and makes him feel uncomfortable just to make himself feel better. Unlike the other two stories though, the bigger man realizes what he is doing is wrong and sets him free to go back to his family.
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