Bullen, Elizabeth, Kim Toffoletti, and Liz Parsons. “Doing What Your Big Sister Does: Sex, Postfeminism, and the YA Chick Lit Series.” Gender and Education, vol. 23, no. 4, 2011, pp. 497-511.
Bullen, Toffoletti, and Parsons’ article explores postfeminism as represented within popular young adult literature. This is significant because young adult books influence their readers at a critical point in their identity development. These novels are another aspect of the media that “…inducts girls into larger cultural narratives about what and how they should desire, and enact that desire” (502). As a result, the authors of this article see young adult literature as a powerful messenger of postfeminist ideas. Therefore, their depictions of gender, …show more content…
Even from a young age, girls are presented with fictional depictions that show their sexuality as a powerful opportunity, as long as they follow societal standards (499). Young adult female characters also engage in the makeover trope to become more attractive, although they emphasize that they “…are not needy for a male companion…yet they remain desirable to men (but always on their own terms)” (509). Although these depictions of women’s sexuality do differ from the conservative perspective, they contribute to other ideas about beauty standards and self-objectification. While these books address topics like sex and drugs, they never claim to have a moral standpoint, assuming that the young reader will apply their own perspective (501). This can be concerning as young girls are developing an identity during this stage in their life and may not be able to make this connection (497). The discussion in this article will add to my argument about the stereotypical portrayal of women and some of the popular themes that are evident in young adult
Bullen, Toffoletti, and Parsons’ article explores postfeminism as represented within popular young adult literature. This is significant because young adult books influence their readers at a critical point in their identity development. These novels are another aspect of the media that “…inducts girls into larger cultural narratives about what and how they should desire, and enact that desire” (502). As a result, the authors of this article see young adult literature as a powerful messenger of postfeminist ideas. Therefore, their depictions of gender, …show more content…
Even from a young age, girls are presented with fictional depictions that show their sexuality as a powerful opportunity, as long as they follow societal standards (499). Young adult female characters also engage in the makeover trope to become more attractive, although they emphasize that they “…are not needy for a male companion…yet they remain desirable to men (but always on their own terms)” (509). Although these depictions of women’s sexuality do differ from the conservative perspective, they contribute to other ideas about beauty standards and self-objectification. While these books address topics like sex and drugs, they never claim to have a moral standpoint, assuming that the young reader will apply their own perspective (501). This can be concerning as young girls are developing an identity during this stage in their life and may not be able to make this connection (497). The discussion in this article will add to my argument about the stereotypical portrayal of women and some of the popular themes that are evident in young adult