As you can probably tell if you've bopped around this site for long enough, it's a hybrid site dedicated to both my interest in writing and my career as a psychologist. Most of my posts so far have focused on the psychology of it all, but I want to take this opportunity to talk about my relationship with reading and writing fiction, and the way it impacts how I see the world.
In my experience, one of the main reasons people read, or consume fiction in general, is to feel seen. People read about characters and journeys they relate to. How many times have we seen things on social media like "tell us what three characters you are!" When I was young, most of the young adult female characters were very much like me- Good Girls with a spunky streak who came into their own independence, but at their core were collected, polite, and often studious (e.g., Ella Enchanted, The Two Princesses of Bamarre, Running Out of Time, Inkheart). There's nothing wrong with this lady character and frankly, I'm really glad that I had quiet, studious but still strong girls like me to grow up with. Lately, I've noticed a shift in YA Fantasy novels towards the Angry Girl lead (e.g., The Hazel Wood, Cruel Beauty). These ladies are more likely to be found running full force into someone during a sporting event than curled up with a book. Until they started to appear as YA leads I didn't realize what it must have been like for teens who fit that description to not see girls like them in the books, TV, and movies they loved. (Personally, I miss my quiet, brainy girls, so, you know, things have been really hard for me like...just recently).
Noticing the shift in some of the YA heroine representation reminded me of a lecture in a college course I took called "Medicine and Literature." Our professor discussed a paper that referenced old folklore about how monsters can't traditionally see themselves in mirrors. To see no reflection of yourself is to be made into a monster, which is why diverse representation in literature is so important. It is an affirmation of our own humanity to see ourselves reflected in the experiences of other humans. As someone who related deeply to many of the characters in YA fantasy and folklore novels, I find myself wondering- what do I do now? Despite trying to make a foray in adult literature, I just don't relate in the same way to many characters in adult fantasy novels that I've picked up. I find myself wishing for stories about the girls I related to in my favorite books after they grew up and became women.
Where are they now that they've achieved their goals the way I have? What happens next? And you know, one thing that really gets my goat is what I see when I see representations of psychologists in fiction. One of my professors would say, "psychologists in fiction- seems like we're always portrayed as villains or fools." And I don't know much, but I know enough to know I'm no fool. So... what does that leave me with? I don't have fictional role models, and almost every academic I've met hasn't exactly been an inspiration.
And on top of that, don't get me started on how books, TV, and movies represent powerful females who have the audacity to age past their girlhood. It's like we've made space for powerful girls to be welcome on the "chosen one" arc as teenagers arc but beyond that...
And I know, I know, Elsa has a self-discovery/redemption arc but you shouldn't need a redemption arc just because you have the audacity to be different, female, powerful, and over 18. None of these things are crimes.
So here I am, a girl raised on make-believe, now an all-grown-up academic. Toss me your recommendations for stories of good, studious girls who grew up to be powerful women and didn't become evil.
Otherwise...wish me luck!
Until next time,
Ashley
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