Reader with a Cause discussion

We hope we weren’t alone in silently cheering for Diary Amy – during several passages, we found ourselves nodding and thinking “been there!”

“As I go to endless rounds of parties and bar nights, perfumed and sprayed and hopeful, rotating myself around the room like some dubious dessert.” (33)

“My dating life seems to rotate around three types of men: preppy Ivy Leaguers who believe they are characters in a Fitzgerald novel; slick Wall Streeters with $ in their eyes, their ears, their mouths; and sensitive smart-boys who are so self-aware that everything feels like a joke.” (14)

“We are all overdressed in our little flashy frocks, our slasher heels, and we all eat small plates of food bites that are as decorative and insubstantial as we are.” (60)

When we discovered that Diary Amy was a fairy tale, many of us balked – how could we have fallen for that hook, line, and sinker?? And then we found more to enjoy…

“Tampon commercial, detergent commercial, maxipad commercial, Windex commercial. You’d think all women do is clean and bleed.” (275)

“Being the Cool Girl means I am a hot, brilliant, funny woman who adores football, poker, dirty jokes, & burping…Cool Girls are above all hot. Hot & understanding. Cool Girls never get angry; they only smile in a chagrined, loving manner and let their man do whatever they want.” (250)

“Again, I don’t get it: If you let a man cancel plans or decline to do things for you, you lose. You don’t get what you want. It’s pretty clear. Sure, he may be happy, he may say you’re the coolest girl ever, but he’s saying it because he got his way. He’s calling you a cool girl to fool you!” (253)

What did you think about the construction of gender and femininity according to either Diary Amy or “Real” Amy’s passages? Did anything resonate with you?

I was disturbed by both I think. While some I it resonated with me I also felt

It was somewhat shallow. At no point does it seem she acts like herself. All of the things she says come back to the way she is acting to make a situation go the way she wants.

Allison wrote: "It was somewhat shallow. At no point does it seem she acts like herself. All of the things she says come back to the way she is acting to make a situation go the way she wants."

That's so true. Especially when she admits that she wrote Diary Amy to be instantly likeable (I don't remember the exact quote...) - I felt a little duped.