Blog 4
As Alice makes the transition from being a child to being an adult, she encounters many situations that attempt to change the way she expresses herself in everyday life. She receives conflicting information on how to act and who to be from her mother, her neighbor, and her classmates.
Alice’s mother expects a lot from her, in Alice’s opinion. She treats her like an adult by giving her responsibilities around the house and not putting up with her talking back. When Alice bought a ring on the street, her mother tells her she has to look out for herself when she is shortchanged. The message her mother sends her is to be a strong, independent woman.
Her neighbor, on the other hand, teaches Alice the importance of men. She displays her distress very openly when she is left and tells Alice exactly what to do to get and keep a man. This counters the message from her mother by telling her that men are essential to a woman’s happiness and that a woman has to look beautiful to get a man.
Her classmates show her the impact of status on power. In a middle school student’s mind, even something trivial can prove to be the difference between being accepted and being teased. Alice’s best friend stopped being her friend when she found out that she didn’t have a sleeping bag and couldn’t afford to buy one. Also, the boys in the class are treated as superior to the girls by getting away with being obnoxious.
All these pieces put together show Alice when gender and power really mean. She sees the effects of a man’s absence on her mother’s and neighbor’s lives, teaching her that women are dependent on men. Her classmates teach her what it means to be limited by status, both financially and socially. All of these things play into her frustrations and lead to her eventually fighting back.