Feminist???

Wow, this novel kind of reminds me of a mediocre and very tame fan fiction, and yet it keeps surprising me. I was not expecting the word “penis” to come up, and definitely not cumming. I had a hard time thinking up much to say about this novel, so I decided to look up some stuff about what other people had to say about it. Here are some of the articles I read:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127482114

https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2013/jun/14/judy-blume-forever-ev-crowe

Basically, both these articles talk positively about Forever, and argue that Kat is a strong, empowered feminist. I think I’m still trying to decide how I feel about Kat, but I am very curious about how the class feels about her. Is she a strong character, or not?

Oh and also can we get shout out for one of our favorite YA lit tropes – the special sibling. I want mushroom-embroidered jeans!

Oh and something else interesting is the fact that Kat has a lot of positive adult role models in her life who she clearly respects and loves very much. She has a good relationship with her parents and her grandparents, which is something different from the previous novels we’ve read.

2 responses to “Feminist???”

  1. madisonmarcus Avatar
    madisonmarcus

    I think the Trites Ch. 4 reading really put into words a lot of the conflicting feelings I was having about Kath’s character when she says that Forever “implies that sexual liberation is a good thing, but that it’s the girl’s job to make sure that male sexuality is not so liberated that she becomes victimized” (pg. 90). Although Kath’s sexual experiences are positive and empowering for her, she cannot enjoy herself too much because she has to stay in control of the situation. If she didn’t, Michael’s impulsiveness would lead her to be taken advantage of. I think Kath’s ability to say no to Michael and tell him when to stop is evidence of her strong character. But, this dynamic between Michael and Kath sends a message to young readers that women cannot lose themselves to the “jouissance” of sex, only men can. I think it will be interesting to see how her character develops as the book continues.

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  2. valeriemcgraw Avatar
    valeriemcgraw

    I think Katherine’s views on sex make her an empowered character. She stays in control of sexual situations, and more importantly, she demonstrates an attitude towards sex that makes her a positive role model for YA readers. She never says anything that would strongly imply a shameful attitude towards sex, and she is mature enough to go to Planned Parenthood and get birth control. I don’t think characters necessarily need to be “powerful” to be empowered.

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