Blog 1: Introduction to the Anthology
Jordan Miles
January 10, 2023
word count: 285
Blog 1: Introduction to the Anthology
In the introduction to the Anthology, the Norton book on women's lives discussed
the richness of women's literature. It is interesting how she mentions female
role models whose courage and life stories have altered history, for example,
Helen Keller and Harriet Tubman. These are women that have faced major setbacks
that they have had to work diligently to overcome and persevere. They were able
to do so even at a time in history when the odds were against them and the world
basically revolved around men and their power. Through the authors reading these
other female autobiographies and learning their stories, she was enlightened and
inspired to discover her similarities to them. For example, she explains how she
wishes to be a cowgirl, which differs from many of the well-known women she
reads about. It is fascinating how the author was comforted but was led to many
questions about women's lives through reading Eleanor Roosevelt's story to
discover that, "she too was shy, she too had weak ankles, and she too was a
physical coward." The author states her eagerness to bring light and learn the
true stories behind "wild women, women who broke lose, women who lived life to
the full... What did it mean to live life to the full?" I resonate with these
questions that the author asks herself and strives to find out through women's
writing. Primarily, in early history, these influential women's voices should be
heard and honored. I am interested to find out and digging deeper into these
questions on how these women could be "wild" or "break loose" when it could be
very ambitious and risky when they did so to live their lives to their fullest
potential.
I really find it amazing that even under so much oppression women were able rise up and gain more power/knowledge. I love that these women were so devoted to learn more and fight for themselves that they started to rise up and start the road of improvement for later women.
ReplyDeleteI loved that the author is more focused on wild women, not women who have inheritances, or models, but those who have paved the way and were brave when others were lost. I love hearing the motivation that these women had to go for it and be great, just as we all deserve.
ReplyDelete