Where Were the Heroines?

Now that my boys are older, they’re starting to read chapter books in school. I LOVE this. The only thing I did more than read when I was their age, was breathe. I read Judy Blume, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Beverly Cleary, anything Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys, Roald Dahl, and when I was in 5th grade The Babysitters Club crashed onto the scene. Funny side note—I babysat like three times in my entire life and I didn’t change a diaper until I was a mother, so not sure why I devoured that series like I did.

Harry’s class is reading Because of Winn-Dixie which he is quite excited about. I had heard of the book and movie, but didn’t know much so I googled it only to learn the plot revolves around a girl named Opal and her dog. Wait, what? A GIRL named Opal?

It occured to me that in all 12 years of my public school education I was only required to read two books that had female protagonist—To Kill a Mockingbird and The Scarlet Letter. Thank goodness for Scout and Hester or I would have assumed women did nothing noteworthy. On second thought, TKAM is really about Atticus Finch and Hester Prynne served as a cautionary figure of what would happen to young ladies who dared to step out of line or make a mistake.

One would assume, and I certainly did, that the literature being taught in school was of high importance. What message did that send me, and millions of girls for decades, about the importance of the female experience? I suppose that it barely existed and if it did, it clearly didn’t matter.

I read so many coming of age stories about boys, Johnny Trumain, Great Expectations, Tom Sawyer, The Yearling, The Call of the Wild, Where the Red Fern Grows, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Red Badge of Courage, Lord of the Flies, The Catcher in the Rye, Huck Finn…the list is endless. I was that kid who read every book that was assigned, so I consumed every word of these works of literature. I remember hating The Yearling with a deep, deep passion, but I don’t remember why. The ill feeling still washes over me whenever I think about it so I think I need to swing by the library and pick up a copy to reread just so I can recall what I found so objectionable.

I went on to major in English Literature. It was the mid 1990’s so people were becoming more woke and therefore I was introduced to the concept of a biased literary canon. Here’s where I struggle. I think reading the traditional canon is valuable because one work influences another which influences another and so on and so on. Without the context of earlier works it’s nearly impossible to fully interpret and appreciate many pieces. James Joyce’s Ulysses is a prime example, although it may be so over-the-top that it proves a different point.

The flip side? While many of the themes of these works were universal, not many explored the uniquely female obstacles young women face. I would have loved to see characters grapple with how to explore the world while keeping themselves physically safe, coming to terms with sexuality in a world of mixed messages and how youth and beauty can be an asset as much as a detriment.

I suppose I understand the reasoning behind my public school curriculum and in some ways learning about coming of age from a male perspective gave me insight into how to navigate the male-dominated work world. I found my way to girl-centered literature because I was an avid reader, but what about those girls who hadn’t been bitten by the book worm? If they had been introduced to Ramona Quimby or Laura Ingalls through school, is it possible they too would have been inspired to read more?

Possibly the most important piece of this puzzle, what about the boys? How sad to not be able to explore the world through the lens of girls. Maybe boys who read about the challenges and triumphs of girls would be more compassionate and understanding of others. Just today I had a humorous conversation with a guy who when giving my name a liver (it was part of a joke), he went with Larry and not Linda. When I asked why he would assume my liver was male, he said, “well, I’m not sure.” And that’s the thing with men—they only view the world through a male lens because they’ve not been pushed out of that comfort zone.

As you can imagine, I’m glad to see my boys reading books with more varied characters and themes. Afterall, isn’t the point of fiction to explore other perspectives, other worlds, other realities? I'm confident reading books from both male and female perspectives, as well as more diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, will help young readers be more compassionate, understanding and accepting of others. Because of Winn-Dixie Harry is already on his way.

I’d love to hear about your experience with literature as a student. Did you enjoy the book selections? Do you have a favorite book or character? How does the literature you read influence your view of the world?