Reviving Ophelia
Mary Pipher's piece was my favorite this week because of the amazing parallels it had to my own life. I was not expecting to relate to the first part as much as I did. I have always been considered an old soul, so in high school I never really fit in with the other girls in my class. I avoided "cliques like the plague, because gossiping was something I never really wanted to take part in. I knew how much it hurt to find out people were talking about you behind your back, so I didn't want to take any part in it. I was always very close with my parents, and followed all the rules simply because that was what I thought I was supposed to do. Pipher mentions the struggle that some "strong girls" have with their parents' resisting their transition into adulthood, and I have experienced this not too long ago. My parents are having a hard time dealing with the fact that I might not move back to New Hampshire any time soon. I think deep down in their hearts they always believed that once I was done traveling with modeling, I would return home, since I was always such a home body. They are realizing that I am growing up now, and making my own decisions, and I believe that scares them a little bit. I know my parents love me, and support the decisions that I make, but it has been a bit of a struggle for them to go through the process of accepting the facts. Overall the first section really resonated with me, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. The second part however, was not something I could relate to. June's character however was a perfect example of an "Ophelia," and I felt it tied the whole piece together nicely to explain the title.
Inside the World of Boys
William Pollack's piece on the sensitivity of boys was quiet interesting, and was a topic I could understand from first hand experience. He tells the story of a young boy named Adam who is transferred to a new school for gifted children on scholarship. The school is located out of his lower income district and happens to be where many wealthy boys attend. Once at school his mother notices a change in his grades and behavior, but Adam insists everything is alright. The reader later comes to find out that Adam was being bullied for not being of the same social standing as the other boys, but had been "hiding behind a mask," to conceal his emotions.
When my brother was growing up he dealt with a weight issue. Through his youth, my family saw him exhibit many of the same behaviors as Adam. Craig, my brother, was clearly much bigger than his classmates both in height and weight which made him stand out as being "different," and an easy target to make fun of. He was never good at expressing how he felt, and many times my mom would raise concern for his mental well being. I saw him go through many roller coasters of emotion where he would seclude himself for weeks, feeling low about himself. There would finally be a point where he couldn't take the growing internal rage anymore and he would lash out in various ways. I believe this is a common behavior among males who try and bury their feelings by acting like nothing is wrong.
Why Boys Don't Play with Dolls
Katha Pollitt's piece about sex roles in our society today brought up many valid points. I had never before thought about the correlation between the feminist movement and the way we raise our children. I personally believe in women's rights, but I wouldn't consider myself a "feminist" per say. It is true however that we (as a society) automatically associate different toys and activities with specific genders, and raise our children with the same beliefs. The story about the birthday gift was interesting to me. Although I know that there has been controversy over the unrealistic portrayal of a woman, I would never think to apologize for giving a little girl a Barbie. Personally I never liked Barbies when I was younger, but that was just because I found the tiny clothes and shoes extremely frustrating to work with. On the other hand, I would never dream of giving a little boy a Barbie for his birthday. I would think a more appropriate gift would be a soccer ball, so would this mean that I was influencing his masculinity? I do believe that society has a role in teaching children right from wrong and some gender preferences. I also feel that genetics and hormones play a large role in the way we are separated as males and females.
From The War Against Boys
I do not agree with feminist philosopher Sandra Lee Bartky's view that all humans are born "bi-sexual," and then society grooms us into gender specific personalities. Although I so feel that society has a large role in it, I also believe genes and hormones play a VERY large role in how we are. The study mentioned is a perfect example of how there must be something deeper than just the role of society. My brother and I are perfect examples of males and females in the academic world. Craig, my brother, always had a difficult time writing papers for various classes and giving presentations. English was never his strong subject, yet math was always a breeze. I on the other hand, always enjoyed English class and never got too nervous before giving oral presentations. Math class was always where I struggled and still have difficulties with it.
I felt Daniel Goleman's
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