part manifesto, part rant, part educational intro into feminism, florence given’s ‘women don’t owe you pretty’ reads like a rollercoaster ride.
social constructs
from homophobia to heteronormativity, from the objectification of women to rape culture, from intersectional identities to racism, she shakes what mainstream society portrays as ‘normal’ like a snow globe.
she does so bluntly to the point of being rude (the right kind), unapologetically and with a confidence, that i can only admire.
calling her sassy or immensely talented – although true – almost feels like an insult when used to describe her.
it’s like these words are too tame, too much part of a culture, she has most definitely broken free from.
feminism 101
i initially bought the book as some sort of confirmation bias to me comfort and strengthen me in my beliefs.
as such, i must admit that i didn’t actually learn a lot of new information. however, this is largely due to the fact that i’m into my third year of my social psychology bachelor studies. rarely have i ever met this material in its entirety outside of textbooks and/or a few select intellectual feminist writers.
the future is female
that combined with the fact that given was ‘only’ 21 years old at the point of writing this book makes me feel both hopeful and well… to be honest a bit old.
this is the book i wish i could have read growing up. and now a generation of girls can and will. and i love it!
the future is female indeed.
