'The Help' - Kathryn Stockett

In the novel ‘The Help’ written by Kathryn Stockett, particular themes that stood out for me, were the stereotypical gender roles in society and racism issues.

A character I admired was Skeeter Phelan, as she doesn’t quite fit into Jackson, Mississippi. This was due to her conscience and beliefs of what a woman must be. I was inspired by Skeeter’s strength and capability to not buy herself into gender inequality due to being informed “All my (her) life …what to believe about politics, coloreds, being a girl,” however her ability to “realise I (she) actually has a choice in what I (she) could believe in,” makes me idolise her courage to stand up to what she genuinely believes in. When Skeeter’s mother, Charlotte gave Skeeter some “sexual-correction tea” it disturbed me. By not supporting Skeeter’s ambition of becoming a successful writer instead of showing her ‘value’ as a women by immediately finding a husband and having a family. Stockett made me realise that women’s roles in society from the mid 20^th century have changed, from being dedicated housewives whose main ambition in life was to meet the satisfaction of their children and husband, due to society believing the stereotypes that women should be cooking, cleaning and looking after their children and husband rather than exploring other interests such as going to University or getting a job. This made me appreciate that women in New Zealand today are able to freely live their everyday lives, which would have been unthinkable for the majority of women in the 1960’s, just fifty five years ago. This made me realise how lucky I am to live in New Zealand today; where as a young girl, I have been encouraged to be anyone who I would like to be from a Lawyer to a Mother; however, it made me realise that we do still live in an unequal society. Countries such as America and New Zealand have changed their values towards Women; however, it disheartens me that the reality is we don’t live in a fair or equal world; which we often think we do. We live in a world with unequal rights and opportunities for women as shown in “The Help” also women in Asian countries such as Saudi Arabia often have little freedom, due to their gender, they are incapable to vote in elections or even driving a car. This infuriates me, as I strongly believe that no matter what your gender or race is, everyone deserves equality, equal rights and opportunities.

Another idea that rose in the novel was the hatred and racism towards African- Americans in Jackson, Mississippi. I felt sorry for the African-Americans living in the highly segregated society where there were strict laws and rules restricting the lives of the African-Americans in their own town such as “It shall be unlawful for a white person to marry anyone except a white person.” It angered me that the African-Americans were not considered “like regular people,” they were believed to be lazy, dirty, stupid, and carry diseases; this is shown when Miss Hilly wanted to introduce “a bill that requires every white home to have a separate bathroom for the colored help”. Hilly was a character that I strongly disliked, due to her ignorance and selfishness, which didn’t change throughout the novel. It seemed selfish to me that Hilly and her friends gave black maids the most important job of raising their children, meanwhile they would go to the extremes to make the African-Americans’ lives miserable in their community and they didn’t even allow their maids to use their bathroom. I idolise Skeeter’s desire and bravery to help the maids and voice their feelings, as she was able to see the unfairness of her society, despite her friends and communities ignorance to the world around them; she knew that “we are just two people. Not that much separates us.” I came to admire Skeeter, as it is human nature for us to believe and follow the social norm, we often don’t question if what we are doing is right, if what we are doing is normal in society. However in society there will always be, the few strong and courageous people such as Skeeter who are not blinded by the influences of other people around them and are able to “realise she actually has a choice in what she could believe in”.  This changed my outlook on how I can’t always trust the behaviours of people who are around me, as well as the fact that it is critical to not let other people's negative opinions influence my personal beliefs and values.

The novel made me come to the conclusion that the world we live in today, has come a long way from life before the 1970’s when your gender and race identified you and controlled your opportunities in life. Dark skin, light skin, thin, tall, tattooed in society it is easy for us to jump to quick judgements based on stereotypes and appearance; however, we must respect everyone’s differences and look beyond the surface because “kindness don’t have no boundaries.”

'Fault in our Stars' - John Green

In the book Fault in Our Stars by John Green a scene that stood out for me was when Augustus and Hazel had their first conversation outside support group. In this scene Augustus ironically pulled out a cigarette in front of hazel, who is struggling and battling lung cancer! He carelessly places it in his mouth, creating the illusion he would smoke it in front of her. As shocked as I was when reading, I soon came to realize that he was not smoking the cigarette, he was creating a metaphor. He says, “You put the killing thing right between your teeth, but you don’t give it the power to do its killing.” At first, I didn’t quite understand what he meant. It seemed selfish that after being a cancer survivor himself, he had the nerve to put a cigarette between his teeth. However, when I really thought about it, I finally understood his meaning behind this metaphor. It’s as though Augustus is looking death right in the eyes and saying “screw you”. He teaches a lesson to not let anyone or anything bring you down or give them the ability to hurt you. You need to face your fears and show them that without me letting you hurt me or giving you power, you cannot do any harm to me. I believe John Green’s decision to give Augustus a cigarette to use as a metaphor was a relevant way to emphasize this message. Being a survivor of cancer he is showing that by lighting a cigarette, you are giving something the power to kill you. You choose to make that decision, yet so many people find it so hard to refuse. This Metaphor in particular made me mad that so many people have the choice of choosing to give in to the temptation that is harmful for you, but in the end we give it power and wonder why we are getting hurt. I believe this doesn’t just apply to the use of cigarettes. It is also demonstrating the power we have in real life to not give in to something that will negatively affect our lives. If we let people, or things walk all over us, we won’t achieve anything. We fall into the trap of its power, which slowly weakens us, doing exactly what it wants. We need to be strong and not give power to things that demand our weakness. Our weakness is simply that we undermine ourselves and what we are capable of. By Augustus facing the cigarette and holding it between his mouth but not giving it power to do the killing, right there he shows his power within himself and showing his strength.

This book really made me think and take a second look at my life. I think I connected so much with the book because John Green manages to relate to teenagers. Despite each character having cancer, we can still relate and see from their point of view. We are taken on a journey in the book to see their prospective of life. I believe not a lot of books can do this, especially to teenagers who find it hard to actually connect with a book or even read a book. “It’s a good life, Hazel Grace.” When Augustus said this to Hazel Grace, it hit me straight away that indeed it is a good life. They both teach me amazing things about life. Through the novel of their love story I see how much they have been through and coped with but still have the will power to say how good life is. This truly inspires me. It inspires me to recognize the beauty in life and all the little things that we forget. We forget that the little things are the things that make us smile, such as Augustus bringing flowers to Hazel. This random act of kindness shows the effort he put in for her and that he was thinking about her. They teach us that even if the world may seem cruel and harsh and we feel like we have to give up on everything, that we must not let it strip us of our hope, as hope is a very important thing in life. Without hope we wouldn’t become the people we are today, as we all have been in a tough place but somehow we made it out, how? Because we had hope. One Particular quote from hazel that inspired me was “I had been poked and stabbed and poisoned for years, and still I trod on” This emphasizes my point of what Hazel can teach us. She is showing that in life you will be kicked and pushed down and there will be obstacles that get in your way but you can choose to move on and do what you gotta do. Hazel had it bad but she is a fine example of resilience. She chooses to bounce back and continue her journey of her life. Hazel and Augustus teach me that life is special and I must make each day count, I must make the best of my days. I have learnt that I can choose to make it a good life, but only if I allow myself to. We all face challenges. Who we become is based on how we handle what comes our way.

Miss Representation

After watching the film ‘Miss Representation’ I come to realise a serious issue in our society today. The director Jennifer Siebel Newsom portrays the idea how women should not be advertised in today's media as ‘sex objects’ and how this affects most women and teenage girls. I strongly agree with this idea because women and teenage girls should not compare themselves to bodies that have been digitally altered to make them inhumanly perfect.

Women are photographed in minimal clothes considered to be sexy and have ‘perfect bodies’ to sell brands/products. This makes women and teenage girls feel as if they have to have these anorexic bodies to be called ‘beautiful’. In the film, Jennifer Newsom says “If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract them from making a difference and becoming leaders.” They should not feel as if they should change their appearance to be accepted in today’s society. In the film it describes that 48% of teenage girls wish they were as skinny as models but what most people don’t realize is that most of advertising in social media and in magazines has been edited and photo shopped. Girls are being encouraged to achieve that ideal at younger ages than ever before. They end up measuring themselves against an impossible standard and which makes them feel as if they aren't good enough for society. Portraying women as if they are all perfect also gives men the idea that all women must look like this.

Another idea that is portrayed in the film is how women should not be brutally judged on their appearance in social media. I agree with this idea because it’s not about what people look like, it is about the actions they make and what they believe in.  Margaret Cho says “When I did my first television show… I had a lot of problems with the network because they were constantly telling me that I was too fat.” She then later adds after that her show got dropped which was then replaced by Drew Carrey, who isn’t exactly a stick figure either. If women are ‘overweight’ or ‘aren't pretty’, society judges them even if they are doing or saying the right things. Men don’t have this same standard to keep up with. In the film they also talk about how News Reporters that are Men are never given negative feedback about their appearance, however Women’s critical feedback is always about ‘Was she showing too much leg?’ or ‘What did you think of that white blouse?’ Standards of beauty have in fact become harder and harder to attain, particularly for women. The current media ideal of thinness is achievable by less than 5% of the female population. The more people that judge you, the more obliged you feel you should judge others. This creates a constant negative cycle between women and they begin to compete for male attention.

Another idea that the director portrayed in the film is how the government is run by a large percentage of men in America and how wrong this is. They explain how women can’t be leaders without being put down, judged or looked upon as weak. I completely agree with this idea because women are as intelligent, strong and trusting as men so why should women be judged differently. When women try to be leaders they are judged on what they look like not about what they know. For example Nancy Pelosi ran for Public Office she kept getting asked, “So who’s going to look after your kids?” They would talk about the clothes she wears, what her hair looks like. However when men run for Public Office the media is not concerned about these things, they care about what they had to say. Women are being treated differently from men and it is unfair. The reason behind all of this leads back to the media.

This film has taught me that society really judges all women because of the media and how they portray women. This really affects women’s lives, mostly teenage girls. It lowers their self-esteem, causes women and teenage girls to dislike their body which distracts them for more important things, and it makes men believe they have all the power. Women need to make a stand for themselves and show the world what we can achieve.

'Hills Like White Elephants' - Ernest Hemingway

I have just read the short story ‘Hills Like White Elephants’ by Ernest Hemingway. A short story on an alcoholic American male trying to convince his partner Jig, to go forward with an abortion where as Jig is unsure on the whole situation. She questions whether this will fix their problems in their relationship and whilst they wait outside a train station to board the express train to Barcelona “it’s really an awfully simple operation Jig”, the man said. “It’s really not an operation at all.” This shows how the American tries to convince Jig, into having the abortion which also shows the main idea of being unsure of a difficult situation. “The girl looked at the ground the table legs rested on”, the author writes this to show how, Jig is still very unsure about the abortion. Jig then questions if she goes through with the abortion, it will fix their relationship, “Then what will we do afterwards?”, “We’ll be fine afterwards, just like we were before.” The American then says their relationship is only being distant because of his worry over the abortion. Jig then agrees to the abortion by saying “then I’ll do it. Because I don't care about me.”

Overall I really liked the story as the author tells the readers exactly what happens with people who are in this same situation, even in this century. Especially since I have been involved with people, friends, close friends who have been in this exact situation where I was asked to help my friend out as the person who she had been fooling around with, fled the scene and she did not trust anyone as I was the only one who was there for her. So I was forced to give her advice about the situation, about the abortion and the side effects which eventually led to her having an abortion. I had to understand how she felt and why she wanted to go through with the abortion. Because of this I was able to connect to the text, mentally and emotionally because I know exactly how the American man was feeling about having an unplanned pregnancy, and how he had to try to put himself into Jig’s shoes and understand how she was feeling about having an abortion. The only thing that I would have changed in this short story is that the couple reconsider their decision on having an abortion and go through with having the baby. The only reason I feel this way is because I am strongly against killing a child or any human life form whether that maybe in this life or the next. Even if Jig and the American man decide to go forward with the birth of the child, then giving the child up for adoption to a family close to them or someone they know that will take good care of the child.

My favourite thing about this story is that again, it relates to me personally and is exactly what is happening to people around me. The text also shows what is happening even today in this society, as women always will feel really unsure on what to do about having an abortion, “it’s really an awfully simple operation, Jig”, the man said. “it’s really not an operation at all.” “The girl looked at the ground the table legs rested on.” I really enjoyed reading how the author made the girl Jig, let the readers know exactly how and why she is going through with the abortion, firstly by her consuming alcohol while being pregnant. “What should we drink?” The girl asked. She had taken off her hat and put it on the table. “it’s pretty hot,” the man said. “let’s drink beer,” this shows that Jig is consuming in alcohol to show the readers that she is in favor of going onward with the abortion. But as the story goes on she becomes more weary of the situation and is not sure until they come to the conclusion of going onward with the abortion.

In my opinion I believe that the author’s main purpose in creating this Short story, is to target the minds of those who are using alcohol to the extent that their bodies cannot handle, because the outcome of misuse of alcohol responsibly could may well lead to unplanned pregnancies. Which is what I think happened to Jig, because she was intoxicated with alcohol. Seeing as in the story the author makes Jig and the American seem like alcoholics as they seem to be drinking a lot of alcohol. I believe this story was pointed at the amount of people getting abortions now days.

From reading the Short story Hills like White Elephants, I have learnt that when people consume too much alcohol, there will be consequences whether that may be vomiting, getting injured, and in Jig and the American’s situation, unplanned pregnancies. I have also learnt that unplanned pregnancies may also cause some troubles in the couples relationships. “Then what will we do afterwards?,” “We’ll be fine afterwards. just like we were before.” Even with the situation I was involved in, when my friend’s partner had impregnated her, their relationship was as high as the sky. Then as soon as they had the unplanned pregnancy the male fled the scene and left my friend on her own. This then caused her to dislike him very strongly and even made her lead to suicidal thoughts, but luckily I was there to help her out, we were able to get her through everything. This text has also shown how every woman who may have had an abortion does feel. The author emphasizes how Jig feels, because other girls may feel the same way about this seeing as my friend felt the exact same way.

'For Heidi with Blue Hair' - Fleur Adcock

When reading the first paragraph of ‘For Heidi with Blue Hair’ written by Fleur Adcock, even I am shocked to hear what the main character Heidi has done. The idea of styling her hair “ultramarine with clipped sides, and a crest of jet-black spikes on top” gives me the impression that Heidi is insane. At this point she struck me as a wild and rebellious teen shockingly standing out, which is not what you’d expect from a typical student. This is why at first I would have had to agree with Heidi’s Headmistress’s decision to send her home. But as I read on, what I had thought about Heidi clearly changed. As I began to realize she was just trying to face her society as an individual human being.

Adcock manages to transform such a minor event and convey the different issues faced in adolescence’s life. This poem deals with independence and the many social boundaries that are trapped within. The main character- Heidi has obviously grown up, and has developed her own thoughts and personality. Due to the stereotypes of today’s society we are becoming unknown to what’s true or false. This made me think about how much stereotypes influence our thoughts on people. How we automatically assume that if you’re ‘Asian’ you’re a bad driver. The list goes on and on, each example purely shows how we as individuals judge each other. Heidi has joined yet another stereotype of being a ‘punk’, giving her a background story that doesn't even exist.  After hearing Heidi’s dad defending her “She’s not a punk in her behavior; it’s just a style” made me realize even I didn't look beyond Heidi’s blue hair. I, along with many others purely judged Heidi on her radical hairstyle. This is a common issue in society that needs to be encouraged rather than frowned upon.

After reading this poem I have also come to realize that Heidi’s blue hair symbolizes her mother’s death. We all grief in different ways and the act of dye-ing her hair may have been a way to overcome her sorrows. People react to death differently and by expressing herself and trying to be individual, possibly helped her escape from this sad situation. This poem is a prime example of why we won’t always know what’s going on in people’s lives so we shouldn't judge but ask. The headmistress’s decision hit a nerve of Heidi’s as behind the argument shimmered her mother, which was hard for her to handle.

I have learnt from this poem that it is important to be individual and that judging someone by what’s on the outside is not fair. Heidi’s headmistress automatically picked on her for something that was different from normal yet was said to be allowed at school. It saddens me to see Heidi go through this and it has changed my point of view when it comes to first impressions.