Beyond the Standard of Beauty
Issue 3: “Memoirs of an Ex-Prom Queen” by Alix Kates Schulman
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As I read this book, I found that much of the content was still relevant in current culture, despite being published in the 1970's. I would even suggest that it is comparable to a more recently published book by Glennon Doyle called, “Untamed.” Although published around 50 years apart, they both include insight and perception into womanhood, relationships and personal choices.
As both books look into the cultural elements of feminism in their respective timeline, the biggest difference is how women were addressing issues of inequality. Having read both, I thought it would be worthwhile to evaluate how far we’ve come beyond our standards of beauty, the standards that have moulded women into who they are allowed to be, and what those definitions mean.
In this email we’ll cover:
The Book of The Week
Quotes and Questions to Reflect On
Insights and Inspiration
When I became a feminist, when the movement started in the late sixties, I started writing because I had something urgent to say. My first novel, Memoirs of an Ex-Prom Queen, is the product of that urgency.
- Alix Kates Schulman
What's New This Week
Book of the Week:
“Memoirs of An Ex-Prom Queen” by Alix Kates Schulman
Genre
Fiction
Synopsis:
“Memoirs of an Ex-Prom Queen” by Alix Kates Schulman, stirs up nostalgic elements of the feminist era of the 50’s and 60’s. Bringing to the forefront of what it means to be intrinsically satisfied, this read exposes the thought process of an ex-prom queen as she grows up through the 1950s — 60s. Her desires, her struggles, and agency, all come into question as she moves through the motions of adulthood alongside the societal expectations that are being upheld.
Why We Love It:
Reading the book, I quickly realised how insightful the content is regarding the effects of societal limitations. It seems as though the years have become irrelevant as many of the values and behaviours, are still comparable to the inequalities women experience in Western society today.
Although “Memoirs” doesn’t pinpoint the cultural barriers specifically, it does give the reader an insight into the thoughts that the protagonist has on her circumstances. Beginning from her childhood into adulthood, Sasha immerses readers into her world and what it would have been like to grow up in the 1950s through the female gaze; a conflict of conformity versus agency, and what that means for her sense of purpose.
The magic of reading through the protagonist’s perspective is it allows us to identify empathically what barriers she experiences, and as a result of the accuracy, it’s easy to identify with her. The book helps us recognize where we’ve made strides in terms of feminism, and gives us perspective on where we can still adjust; it gives readers defining insight into our past and how we’ve developed into our present.
“Memoirs of an Ex-Prom Queen” is an important read as it acknowledges gender deficiencies in our culture, and understanding where we came from is crucial to understanding where it is we want to go.
The Key Message of The Book
People are driven by so much more than what we limit ourselves to, whether it’s by the influence of our environment or our thoughts. My interpretation of this book’s main stance concerns exactly that; freedom from societal expectations and embracing what makes us who we are.
Sasha’s journey makes huge strides throughout this book; both challenging and rewarding. Although she makes mistakes, she keeps moving forward in a way that acknowledges what she’s going through. Whether it’s that character or the reader, the book is a prompt to reflect on our society and who we are within that context.
Quotes and Questions to Reflect On
Quote of the Week:
“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched — they must be felt with the heart” — Hellen Keller
Reflection Questions:
How does the main character’s journey resonate with your own life experiences, if it did?
What decisions did the character make that you found empowering or thought-provoking?
Do you feel that the protagonist made the best choices she could, considering the circumstances? If not, what would you change?
Do you feel that culture and feminism have evolved since the period that this book is set in?
Action Steps:
If you enjoyed Alix Kates Schulman’s work, I found this Youtube video where she is interviewed which I felt was very inspiring.
Have a look!
Insights and Inspiration
Author Spotlight:
This Week’s Featured Author: Alix Kates Schulman
Schulman has an impressive body of work which includes not only several novels and memoirs which she produced as an author, but she is also a civil rights activist, a feminist activist, and a teacher.
Her book “Memoirs of An Ex-Prom Queen” became a cult classic at the time it came out in the 70s, however, she has several other notable works to be read. These include her five novels, three memoirs, several books containing her essay work, and lastly her children’s books.
Schulman wrote “Memoirs” as her first novel, which managed to speak volumes of truth by establishing a firm stance on female perception. Although she didn’t intend to initially write a feminist book, by writing it she had the power to incite change considering the emotional weight of the read.
The title itself indicates so much; “Memoirs of an Ex-Prom Queen,” establishing the lack of ambition women are encouraged to have. For further analysis, unpacking the defining aspects of a prom queen would be someone young, popular, beautiful, and awarded essentially for her external values.
We’re celebrating only the surface of what this person has to offer; which sends a strong message to young women to seek external validation rather than working on the parts of themselves that would increase internal validation.
Which begs the question, what do women desire?
Other Fictional Works Include
The Marriage Agreement
Burning Questions
On The Stroll
In Every Woman’s Life…
Ménage
Beyond the Book:
Related Topics: She discusses all of her works on her website if you’d like to dive deeper!
Articles/Features: Vanity Fair wrote a great article on the book, interviewing the author.
Closing Remarks
The book teaches us that life is not about living another person’s standard of beauty, or another person’s idea of success. It’s about exploring our options to define what it all means for us. For women, it explores what it means to be an object of desire to then acknowledges that we have our definition to explore.
As Sasha does in her explorations, we can feel inspired to give ourselves the same opportunity to identify the vision we want for our own lives too. We can give ourselves the chance to pursue a life that we define.“Memoirs of an Ex-Prom Queen,” shows us that we can learn to expand on ourselves and live beyond the set standards of beauty.
Until Next Time!
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Keep living life on your own terms!
Warm regards,
June Tara
Founder of Spark Siren