Hi all--
I hope everyone's summer has been great so far! I wanted to take this class for a variety of reasons: I wanted to get a jumpstart on graduate classes in the summer and I wanted to be able to do something online (I work in El Paso and didn't want to have to commute everyday--especially with all the crazy construction going on on I-10). When I started looking for classes to register for I saw this was a possible class to sign up for--then I looked at who was teaching it and saw Jen's name and decided right then and there to enroll! I previously took the 'Din' class under Jen and it was a blast! (I can't remember course numbers/ 'official names' of the classes right now, it was a few semesters ago) I knew that I'd be able to learn a lot on this subject, and really appreciate how enthusiastic Dr. Jen is with all the classes she teaches.
I thought that 'girlhood' would be an interesting class to take because I feel that I haven't seen any great female protagonists in popular culture contemporary literature recently. I know that growing up I feel there were a lot of great protagonists in young adult books I'd read (Nancy Drew Series, the "Alice" series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, any Sarah Dessen book) that showed me girls can be 'feminine' and like 'girly things' but strong, empowered individuals at the same time. Now, I feel that a lot of the more recent books give only one dimensional female characters and I would like to learn how this phenomena shapes our society and culture--(Harry Potter series, Hermione is definitely a smart girl, but that seems to be all she is, she isn't seen as fun, or a friendly person for the first few books--and while she's smart she is still beneath all the wizards since she is 'muggle born...' The Twilight series, don't even get me started.... I don't even know if you could call Bella a one dimensional character, or even a character) Both of these books became even more popular with the movie adaptations, and I am wondering how young girls are (or if they) are patterning behaviors after these females. I haven't read or seen Hunger Games (I know, I'm behind the times ha!) but I've heard the case made that this female protagonist is a great role model?
Growing up I always really liked Scarlett O'Hara, but have gotten a lot of flack from boys and later guys I dated wondering how I could look up to someone as 'unethical' as her? I think really their beef with this was, was that how dare I like a protagonist who put herself and her family first and didn't have bending over backwards to please a man as her first priority? (Sure she has questionable ethics and behaviors, but I feel her overall intentions were great--look out for #1 first)
I'm really excited to see everyone's comments over the course and to learn from all of you!
-Christine
Hi Christine!
ReplyDeleteI am glad you bring up children’s lit, because I have been thinking about going back and reading some of my favorite books from childhood. (I have never read Harry Potter, Twilight, or The Hunger Games, so don’t feel too behind the times!)
It’s interesting to consider Nancy Drew vs. Twilight. Maybe in some ways it’s apples and oranges, but one thing I remember about Nancy Drew is that, although she had a boyfriend (didn’t she?), he was always on the margins. Romance never figured into the stories -- I think that was one of the best qualities of the series. I have to admit that a big part of me loathes the entire romance genre, and from what I understand, Twilight is basically a romance novel with some supernatural seasonings sprinkled in.
I have never seriously considered how the female protagonists were portrayed in the novels of my childhood until now. I was a huge fan of Judy Blume -- I think her portrayals of adolescence are as realistic as they come. In Blubber, she captured the capacity for girlhood cruelty; in Deenie, she detailed the protagonist’s coming to terms with a diagnosis of scoliosis (and also tackled female masturbation); and in It’s Not The End of the World, she dealt with divorce and family strife. I would be interested to read these again after this class.
Other novels I enjoyed that featured positive female role-models include Where The Lilies Bloom, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, and Julie of the Wolves.
I hope you have a great summer -- nice to “meet” you.
Hayley
Hi Hayley--who could forget Judy Blume (even though I almost did! ha!) I agree, she definitely gave a true portrayal of what girlhood is like (or at least how most of us experienced it). I wonder if she took some flack from academia in regards to her subject matter. I'm right along with you--I'll probably go re-read some of her books again!
DeleteChristine,
DeleteI am not sure about academia, but I do know her books were banned because of their depictions of adolescent sexuality.
http://www.npr.org/2011/11/28/142859819/judy-blume-banned-often-but-widely-beloved
Hayley
Hi Christine,
ReplyDeleteI agree getting a jump start on classes is always a smart strategy.
I liked Scarlet O'Hara too. It was something about her charm, mystique, and stubbornness that drew you into the psychology of her character. It seems there is something to this idea of a one dimensional female figure. You're right—many contemporary characters (e.g. Hermione, Bella) and perhaps not so contemporary characters too seem to represent typologies—or one dimensional female ideals. The brainy, overly confident, self-assured girl found in the character of Hermione may be just a new take on the passive, hyper feminine, charming girl of yore. It seems that confident, empowered, and sexually liberated women are the feminine ideals of today. Thinking of Sex and the City, such female types as seen in Samantha, Carry, Charlotte, and Miranda are self-disciplined and empowered in their “femininity” in a very American way which serves to compliment ideologies of individualism, consumerism, and white upper-class cultures (Gill).
In reference to your discussion of Bella—wasn’t she one of the tri-wizard champion competitors? I believe she wound up playing a traditional feminine role (i.e. damsel in distress) but this real role was superficially disguised as an untraditional feminine role (i.e. as the only female tough enough to compete in the tri-wizard tournament with boys) to legitimate it—albeit not very convincingly. Unfortunately, her character only served to affirm the idea that women cannot hack it in a man’s competition, when she failed to finish the second round and needed to be rescued in the third round because she freaked out.
Nice to meet you!
Robyn
Hi Robyn,
DeleteNice to meet you too! Thanks for bringing up Sex and the City--I watched all the seasons last summer and was just in awe that a show finally 'nailed it' with depicting a variety empowered women as individuals and not just having four women play a stereotype of 'empowered bitter women.'
Christine,
ReplyDeleteRole models are very important for young girls, as you say. Media, for better or worse, has had a tremendous influence in youth culture over the years, and it is important that our young adults learn to identify the good role models from the not so good. I agree 100% with you on the comment about the main female character in the “Twilight” series. Bella is such a “dead” character. Fortunately for us ladies, the male characters are full of charm. The girl in the Hunger Games does give young females a strong leadership image, in my opinion. However, the movie does not present a strong leading boy as charming as the Twilight vampires –well, there is Gail, but he only shows at the beginning of the movie—, which is not such a bad thing because the girl takes most of the credit, proving that a leading female can make a book a best-seller and a movie a blockbuster.
Nora
Hi Nora,
DeleteI will definitely have to get on board and read/see the Hunger Games--I'm liking it so far from you analysis.
I agree- I definitely love the boy characters in Twilight, for they are multi dimensional, it just gets aggravating to me that Meyer can write such great characters for boys and fall short on her girl character---seems odd to me, since I'd think writing boy characters would be harder as a female writer, and she could have nailed it with a girl character being multi dimensional much easier.
Aww, thanks Christine! I'm glad to have class with you again too.
ReplyDeleteAnd you all are totally right about a bit of a "crisis" in female literature. Like Hayley, I was a huge Judy Blume fan and still read YA lit (I nurse a bit of a dream that I'll write a kid's book someday - maybe in retirement), but it seems so many of the female characters are flat. I always wonder if I worry because of my own personal and research position. I was never a boy so I don't know how they should or how I want them to be presented, but I have strong opinions about weak-willed girly girls who swoon and pine endlessly over boys (see Bella here). I guess I am just wondering if male characters are flat too. For me, and other feminist scholars, I think things get ratcheted up for girls in that power is more at stake for women than men - women still make $.77 to a $1 a man earns, girls still fall behind in the technology gap, birth control and abortion continue to be political hot button issues. I guess for me that's why girlhood feels like a serious and needed topic. It's easy to brush of kids' books and TV shows (and Facebook and youtube and songs and other texts we'll consider this summer) as unimportant, but it seems to me they make up lots of our lives.
jen
Hi Jen,
DeleteI can't wait to explore how girlhood is manipulated by other mediums--speaking of Facebook, I can't tell you how many times I log in and see ads for 'weddings, engagement rings and baby clothes--as if just because my account is registered under female, these are the only interests a female would have...
Jen,
DeleteI wonder if there really has been a shift in children's lit in oh, say, the past fifty years, or if series like Twilight have stolen the spotlight and distracted us from the good books for adolescent girls that are being published. It would be interesting to analyze the depiction of female characters in Newberry winners over the years and note the changes.
As an aside, I, too, contemplate writing a children’s novel. I want to write about a girl growing up in a dysfunctional home and her search to find positive female role-models. Someday!
Hayley
I'm thinking how to compare Scarlett and Katniss, the heroine of Hunger Games.
ReplyDeleteAppearance and clothing play a role for both characters as appearance is power for both women.
Oh wow! Great point Colleen! I'll have to dwell on that one, too!
DeleteHi Christine,
ReplyDeleteI am actually sad that the Nancy Drew mysteries did not have any interest in exploring romance in the least. That will be my interest in this course. Why do girls have to be romantic but never is there any discussion of growing up and defining this phase of their lives. I believe this is the beginning of silence for girls becoming women. I do hope I can keep up with everyone who seem to have such wonderful literary backgrounds. Deborah Bauer
Hi Deborah,
DeleteExactly! And it seems that every girl coming of age story (okay, not every, but alot) has to do with either romance or a situation with a boy--it'd be interesting to see something a bit new! I haven't read that many boy coming of age stories, but I can imagine that given the societial stereotype, they wouldn't be focused on romance or girls as the point of interest....
-Christine
Christine! First of all, I want to say that I feel fortunate to get to learn with you again. I am certain that this will be a fantastic summer course. Congrats on work in El Paso, also.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I read so many stories as a young girl and until reading your blog posting, must admit that I am not as in tune as I should be, with popular representations of female characters, particularly in fiction. I've stopped to consider "Anne of Green Gables" and Cherry in "The Outsiders," even the goofy gals I so wanted to emulate in "Grease" and "Grease 2" (I date myself). But really, not being a fan of the "Twilight" trend, or fond of Hermione, I recognize that I am missing out on those important pop fiction characters that younger females may or may not be choosing to emulate.
How is power being distributed between male and female characters, I wonder? Hmmm. My sons were drawn to "Hunger Games," speaking of Prim and Katniss on many occasions, but I didn't stop to ask why. Note * I didn't go to the movie with them. So, here I am with questions and anxious to fill in many of the ideas and representations I've missed.
Thank you for this blog posting. I know so many of us see Dr. Jen as a professor listed for courses and can't resist the learning! Happy reading and posting. Stay safe on I-10!