Semplica Girls; a Social Commentary
George Saunders story, The Semplica-Girl Diaries, follows a father as he documents a month of his life in a journal. When following the man’s fictional life, one sees how Saunders displays how human beings are products of their environments. Saunders makes this commentary through his fictional cultures’ use of Semplica Girls. The protagonist and his family exhibit how people accept things as customary as long as the majority of people accept it, even if it may be ethically wrong. However, Saunders also shows how the innocence of youth is able to see through social norms. Even if those closest to them are deceived, a child’s unsullied mind is able to question information without considering social opinion …show more content…
Saunders fictional account uncovers the hidden theory that humans are products of their environments. Early in the story, the protagonist wins the lottery and is able to afford to remodel his back yard. After his new Semplica Girls are hung up, he takes a step back and says, “Effect. Amazing. Having so often seen similar configuration in yards of others more affluent makes own yard seem suddenly affluent” (Saunders, 15). The protagonist is dazzled by his new property. However, he is not most impressed with his new belongings because of their magnificence alone, but because he now has what everyone else has. The characters use of language shows his true feelings towards the controversial new decorations by only saying his yard looks affluent because it now looks like yards that he has ‘so often seen’. The protagonist is conscious of the fact that he lacks what others have and overlooks thoughts of ethicality. As soon as he is able to afford the Semplica Girls he buys them, …show more content…
In an attempt to pull her from her from her minority thoughts he takes her on a drive and points “out houses w/ SGs. Had Eva keep count. In end, of approx. fifty houses, thirty-nine had. Eva: So, just because everyone is doing it, that makes it right. This is cute. Eva parroting me” (Saunders, FIND). Because this is the way he tries to convince his daughter the SGs are okay, the protagonist plays into the thought that he only supports the Semplica Girls because everyone is doing it. The protagonist conforms to the social norms while his daughter refuses to, as she sees the unethical nature of the hanging women. Her youth allows her not to care about fitting in with her peers and society. Furthermore, this youth allows her to question something that has widely been considered acceptable by
George Saunders story, The Semplica-Girl Diaries, follows a father as he documents a month of his life in a journal. When following the man’s fictional life, one sees how Saunders displays how human beings are products of their environments. Saunders makes this commentary through his fictional cultures’ use of Semplica Girls. The protagonist and his family exhibit how people accept things as customary as long as the majority of people accept it, even if it may be ethically wrong. However, Saunders also shows how the innocence of youth is able to see through social norms. Even if those closest to them are deceived, a child’s unsullied mind is able to question information without considering social opinion …show more content…
Saunders fictional account uncovers the hidden theory that humans are products of their environments. Early in the story, the protagonist wins the lottery and is able to afford to remodel his back yard. After his new Semplica Girls are hung up, he takes a step back and says, “Effect. Amazing. Having so often seen similar configuration in yards of others more affluent makes own yard seem suddenly affluent” (Saunders, 15). The protagonist is dazzled by his new property. However, he is not most impressed with his new belongings because of their magnificence alone, but because he now has what everyone else has. The characters use of language shows his true feelings towards the controversial new decorations by only saying his yard looks affluent because it now looks like yards that he has ‘so often seen’. The protagonist is conscious of the fact that he lacks what others have and overlooks thoughts of ethicality. As soon as he is able to afford the Semplica Girls he buys them, …show more content…
In an attempt to pull her from her from her minority thoughts he takes her on a drive and points “out houses w/ SGs. Had Eva keep count. In end, of approx. fifty houses, thirty-nine had. Eva: So, just because everyone is doing it, that makes it right. This is cute. Eva parroting me” (Saunders, FIND). Because this is the way he tries to convince his daughter the SGs are okay, the protagonist plays into the thought that he only supports the Semplica Girls because everyone is doing it. The protagonist conforms to the social norms while his daughter refuses to, as she sees the unethical nature of the hanging women. Her youth allows her not to care about fitting in with her peers and society. Furthermore, this youth allows her to question something that has widely been considered acceptable by