Our unit on gender has come to a close, and therefore so has my novel "Cinderella Ate My Daughter". This unit has truly opened my eyes to new perspectives on the issues surrounding being a female in today's society. The final chapter in the novel is titled "Girl Power- No, Really" and it was by far my favorite chapter of the book. The chapter applauds Disney's new, diverse, female characters such as Princess Tiana who happens to be an African-American woman working as a "waitress at a restaurant owned by an African-American [person]" (180). The idea that change is on the rise excites me and motivates me to keep working towards equality for people of all genders. This example in particular not only got my attention because it displays a working woman, but also because the woman is of color. As I begin to change my mindset from gender to race, the similarities between their oppression become clear. Just as females may be thought of as incapable of certain jobs, leadership positions, etc. in today's society, people of color in America experience those same prejudices.
As I begin reading my new novel "White Like Me", I am excited to become more exposed to a problem I am typically sheltered from as a white person in America. I hope to become as educated on racial issues as I now feel about gender issues. Goodbye gender, hello race.
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As I near the end of my novel "Cinderella Ate My Daughter", I am beginning to realize how much my perspective has changed on the issue of gender. I have always wanted a daughter, but the angst the author goes through seeing society affect her baby girl has made me rethink what I thought I wanted. Things that once seemed like small things now seem much larger. For example, the author discusses feeling torn sending her daughter out on Halloween in a Princess Jasmine costume because her belly was out. While I used to think this would not be a big deal, I now understand the destruction that something as small as a costume can cause. The idea that a young girl would be worrying about what her stomach looks like in a princess costume scares me. It also makes me wonder why companies who make girl's clothing feels it is okay to exploit their bodies at such a young age.
I am very much looking forward to reading my new novel "White Like Me" for the same reason as "Cinderella Ate My Daughter". As a privileged, straight, Caucasian female, I take for granted the opportunities I have and enjoy reading books that expose me to issues I do not experience first hand. I thankfully have not experienced sexism or racism and hope I can make changes in the world so nobody has to be victims of these things. I can't wait to start my new book this week! Before I get too far into my first book, "Cinderella Ate My Daughter", I wanted to take a second and document my first thoughts generated by simply reading the title. Immediately, the reference to Cinderella gives me the impression of something stereotypically girl. However, the verb "eating" juxtaposes the idea of a small, delicate princess against an unexpected action . Before I get too far in this novel, my prediction is that the book is written by a parent who slowly notices how society creates what is thought of as a female. Many of the characteristics of one of these so-called "females" are quite similar to those of Cinderella--a dress-wearing, beautiful woman looking for her Prince Charming. However, in today's day and age, these stereotypes are beginning to die out. While I still think girls face adversity and pressure from society simply for being born female, it has become easier for women to move past the stereotype of Cinderella and become strong and independent. As I read this novel, I am curious to see documentation of society slowly affecting how people mold into gender roles and stereotypes and I hope to get a new perspective of these ideas that seems to consume society.
I know, I know, you're tired of hearing second semester seniors complain about "senioritis". From someone facing this common struggle myself, let me enlighten you on the true problem with being a senior: I am tired. I am tired of driving down Leesville Road five days a week and stopping at the same stop light at 7:01 in the morning. I am tired of sitting in the same building for seven hours a day, with the same people, the same halls, the same teachers, the same conversations. Quite simply, I am tired. Honestly, I am tired of writing this blog post right now because it is hard for me to find motivation to do my homework when I am constantly bored with school. I sometimes feel bad for admitting these feelings because I know how important education is, but I am not bashing education, I am bashing senior year. Frankly, I love education. The thought of stepping onto the NC State University campus in August makes me so excited I can hardly take it, and there lies the problem. I have so many things to look forward to as I move on to bigger and better things that the thought of driving down Leesville Road tomorrow morning makes me want to curl into a ball and stay there until August. Until then, I guess I'll go read my book about race...
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AuthorAmy Granick is a senior at Leesville Road High School in Raleigh, North Carolina. She plans to continue her studies at North Carolina State University in the fall with a major in Psychology. Archives
May 2018
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