Reviving Ophelia
Adolescent girls growing up in today's society endure many more hardships than in previous years. Adolescence is no longer a time of endless sunny days spent on the back porch with a glass of country time lemonade and a smile extending ear to ear. Adolescence for girls is now generalized as a dark and depressing period of life that often seems hopeless and never ending. Mary Pipher PH.D tries to illustrate just how drastically life has changed over the years for teenage girls through her best selling book "Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls". Although Mary Pipher was once a clinical psychologist, she articulates very well for everyone to clearly understand her ideas and perspectives. One way she is able to transfer her ideas to her readers without losing any of the emotion and feeling is by using actual quotes by her adolescent girl clients. I feel this is a very effective way to keep the readers attention and to convey the reality of the problems many teenagers are trapped in. I agree with Pipher that our society has changed for the worse even though we are persuaded to think that we are moving in the right direction. Yes, equal right movements have been placed in the law, but the r
Girls' emotional immaturity makes it hard for them to hold on to an identity of themselves as they often idealize characteristics of other girls. Sometimes, a girl going through the stress of adolescence just needs emotional comfort. First, Pipher blames the low self respect of adolescent girls everything from parents to peers, but mainly faults our society as a whole. Learning comes so much from just listening. Pipher also believes that an adolescent girl's thoughts and emotions effect their relationships and actions, and can be a cause of their problems. I think two of the most basic skills that Pipher says girls need, making choices and managing pain, are also the toughest. Relaxation is also a main aspect that girls need to practice. Personally, I know how much it means just to have a person to rely on. I remember in junior high when everyone would offer you advise or tell you something you should do; it doesn't help during this time because it goes in through one ear and out the other. Pipher also speaks to the adolescent girls themselves to be positive, and to think confidently about themselves. This is a frightening crisis that Pipher demands we meet head on; indeed, among American girls there is more depression, eating disorders, addictions, self-mutilation, and suicides than ever before! I really related well with this book because I grew up being a tomboy. Pipher attributes this attitude to the schools of adolescents. Boys are twice as likely to be seen as role models, more likely to receive teachers attention, and more likely to speak up in class. I do not have a good choice making plan at all; it takes me thirty minutes in the morning to put my makeup on because I can't choose what colors I want to go with.
Common topics in this essay:
Shakespeare's Ophelia,
Reviving Ophelia,
Ophelia Pipher,
Mary Pipher,
Ophelia Adolescent,
adolescent girls,
Pipher PHD,
reviving ophelia,
Mary Pipher's,
mary pipher,
teenage girls,
pipher believes,
drugs alcohol,
|
Acceptance Essays
