One of the main differences I found between Anna and Gerty was that Anna is encouraged to better herself for her own personal reasons while Gerty was encouraged to change to be accepted in society. Girls today are now encouraged to be themselves and be original. Anna’s advice is “Don’t really think about like what you have to do for people to like you …You probably want people to like you for who you are.” In our society, if someone doesn’t like you it is their problem. In contrast, in the 19th century girls were encouraged to be good and behave a certain way in order to be loved, as is demonstrated when Emily says to Gerty, “But you can be good… and then everybody will love you” (Cummins 141).
Girls are depicted as seeking balance in life both today and in the 19th century. Anna sought balance through yoga and freeing her mind from her troubles. Gerty tried to repress her angry and aggressive ways in her attempt at balance. Her methods of coping with stress were fairly different though. While Anna makes a funny face while doing the lion’s pose in yoga, Gerty throws rocks at windows and relieves herself “free to cry as loud as she pleased” (Cummins 147). Gerty does not release herself in a socially acceptable way and in both today and the 19th century it is encouraged for girls to be calm and well mannered even during stressful times.
I can laugh at the thought of Gerty on Amy Poehler’s show demonstrating her technique for balance by screaming though the streets. Gerty tells Emily “I do hate ‘em” (Cummins 148) as she talks through her life and the anger she holds within her, so I could see Girty talking to Amy Poehler on the show all about how she hates Nan Grant, but maybe how she is trying to be good and follow God’s example of forgiveness in order for her to be good to get to go to heaven. In response to the question “what advice would you give to girls” I could see Gerty answering something along the lines of “Be a good girl and do what you are told and people will love you, even if you are as ugly as me.”
The meaning I see behind the modern girl compared with Gerty is that growing up was and will always be a battle with finding oneself. It is a process of bettering oneself through experience and learning restraint. Growing up is about fixing personal weaknesses and overcoming negative aspects of life in order to become the woman all young girls look up to like Emily.
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I found it interesting that you said Gerty's way of releasing her stress was by throwing the rock at Nan Grant's window. I didn't really think about it that way, but you're right it was the only way that Gerty dealth with her anger towards Nan Grant. Everytime somebody brought up Nan Grant and Gerty talked about her, she would get this dark atmosphere around her and I imagined her just turning gray with rage because aggression, like you said, and mouthing off about Nan Grant were the only ways she knew how to deal with all the anger she felt. I don't think it was Gerty's fault also because it all had to do with the examples she saw in her old home with Nan Grant, so it's kind of sad that Gerty is seen negatively because of what somebody else taught her.
ReplyDeleteI like what you said about fixing personal weakness and overcoming negative aspects of ones self in order to grow. Also I felt like you really understood Gerty's character by what you envisioned her saying on Amy Poehler's show. Nice job and good analysis.
ReplyDeleteI thought that it was good how you stated in the first sentence what the main difference is between the two girls. I agree that is the most evident difference between the two. I think that it is very interesting how yago is what Anna was stressing to do and it is obvious that Gerty would have never thought about doing something like that.
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