What experiences define women’s lives? What is celebrated, lamented, vented in anger?

Throughout the course we have traversed a wide variety of life experiences. Most of the women in the novels we have discussed have gone through tragedy, heartache, and struggles. The most important theme in all of them is that the strength to go on and conquer their demons was inside them. In Krik Krak, we got a glimpse of many different women’s lives, and each one of them had to work through problems and overcome adversity on their own, because no one else was going to help them but themselves. This is a very important theme, not only in this book but in reality. The ability to carry on despite all the odds against us is a quality that makes women great. It doesn’t matter what the hardship, women are able to see a problem and find a solution. That is one thing that should be celebrated.

I think another theme in the novels of this course is the feeling of helplessness. Especially in the book Push, there is an overwhelming feeling of distress. Precious was born into an awful situation, with abusive parents and no one to help her. The inspiring part about this story is that Precious was able to pick herself up and try to create a better life for herself and her son. This theme is echoed in book Two or Three Things I Know for Sure. In this book, Dorothy Allison struggles through childhood feeling insecure. She was unable to find herself, and sometimes that is the most helpless feeling any woman can feel.

I think that most women hate the roles that are forced upon them. In Butterflies the Mariposa sisters rejected the fear and submission that was thrusted upon them by the Dictator Truijillo, and in Dede’s case by her very own husband. In Fun Home, Allison rejected the norms that her father tried to impress upon her, just as her father rejected those placed on him by her. I think that all women resent having people put forth images of what they’re supposed to be, and all women want to be able to create their own image, their own picture of themselves. And all women should be able to find that within themselves.