“Then the spotlight finds the Merry UnBirthday child. Of Course it’s the cutest one in the studio”.
This creates such a negative self image when you are this young and unfortunately it happens to all children of all races. Kids think they have to look and act like what they are seeing on TV and the movies to get noticed or loved. Lovey is very critical of herself and her family life, even though she loves them very much. She is made to feel that way by some of her peers and her teacher’s. Even today we have this image of blond, blue eyes and thin is the norm. Lovey has more than just a societal image to quash, she has a family life that is genuine and loving but she knows she has to learn other ways in order to live within the socially excepted boundaries that are expected if you want to succeed.
I chose this particular sentence in “Happy Endings” because it reminded me so much of when I was a little girl. I was chubby, had overly frizzy curly hair and wore clothes that my grandmother made us from material that came from clothing at the Goodwill. Even though I did not realize about the goodwill thing until later in life, I still wished I had clothes from the store. Most of all I relate to Lovey because I to watched Shirley Temple movies and felt like if I just looked like her I would be more popular.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Hi Mary,
ReplyDeleteYour points, “This creates such a negative self image when you are this young and unfortunately it happens to all children of all races. Kids think they have to look and act like what they are seeing on TV and the movies to get noticed or loved” are excellent! In many ways, Lovey’s struggles are deeply personal and unique to her lived experience, but on another level, her struggles are shared by many people, past and present, in our society. Lovey doesn’t love herself and doesn’t believe she’s loved because she is not reflected in the media. She desperately believes that if she could just look, speak, act, and dress like the people she sees on Television, she’ll find happiness.
I also like your point that Lovey must learn to “live within the socially excepted boundaries that are expected if you want to succeed.” “Boundaries” is a great concept. In Lovey’s case, the boundaries of beauty and intelligence are very narrow, and she’s transgressed those boundaries. Lovey laments her transgression as a deficit, rather than see her difference as a source of power. Further, she fails to question the boundaries and definitions of beauty and intelligence, which your post does nicely.
Thanks for these wonderful points to consider.
Lauren :)