Reviving Ophelia - 1717 Words

The book, Reviving Ophelia, is about the hardships girls go through when they are growing up and trudging through puberty. As the author Mary Pipher states it, adolescent girls tend to lose their â€Å"true selves† in order to fit in and comply with the standards that society sets for women. Pipher, a practicing therapist, uses her own case studies to show how pressures put on girls forces them to react in often damaging ways. In most case studies she tells the audience how she helped these girls heal and regain control of their lives. It seems that her primary goal is to warn people of what certain effects can have on girls and what not to do. The one thing that Pipher tends to overlook is what parents can do right to raise healthy†¦show more content†¦Another way that girls chose to deal with their problems is to block it out with the use of drugs and/or alcohol. Pipher explains, â€Å"Often heavy chemical abuse is a red flag that points to other issues such as despair, social anxiety, problems with friends or family, pressure to achieve, negative sexual experiences, or difficulty finding a positive identity† (191). I think that if society didn’t demand so much of girls they would be much better off. The main goal is to gain popularity when that shouldn’t be the case. Girls should want to follow their hearts and do the things that they want to do rather than being pressured into doing what everyone else wants to do. Some girls are worse off than other though. The ones that do better at keeping their â€Å"true selves† are the ones who have had more supportive parents. After reading this book, I decided that the best parents were the ones that loved their children at all times. They are the parents that allow their children to make decisions for themselves, but are always there to intervene and point down the right path. The best parents will keep their children active and still respect their decisions; as Pipher says, â€Å"Both families were reasonably protective and yet allowed the daughters freedom to grow in their own direction† (99). â€Å"Teenagers need parents who will talk to them, supervise them, help them stay organized, and support them when they are down† (134). To me that isShow MoreRelatedReviving Ophelia Essay914 Words   |  4 Pages Reviving Ophelia nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Mary Pipher, author of the book Reviving Ophelia, has made many observations concerning young adolescent girls in our society. She wrote this book in 1994, roughly eleven years ago. Although some of her observations made in the past are not still accurate in today’s world, there are many that are still present in 2005. The primary focus of Pipher’s comments is to explain how young girls are no longer being protected within our society. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;ThisRead More Reviving Ophelia Essay example1902 Words   |  8 PagesReviving Ophelia Adolescent girls growing up in today’s society endure many more hardships than in previous years. Adolescence is no longer a time of endless sunny days spent on the back porch with a glass of country time lemonade and a smile extending ear to ear. Adolescence for girls is now generalized as a dark and depressing period of life that often seems hopeless and never ending. Mary Pipher PH.D tries to illustrate just how drastically life has changed over the years for teenage girlsRead MoreThe Growth And Development Of Adolescence : Reviving Ophelia Essay1595 Words   |  7 Pagesrequired to read three books regarding the growth and development of adolescence; Reviving Ophelia by Mary Pipher, Ph.D., Boys Adrift by Leonard Sax, M.D., Ph.D., and The Teenage Brain by Frances E. Jensen, M.D. with Amy Ellis Nutt. Each book was for a different audience because they’re all discussing different topics but they all discuss the growth and development of adolescences in our society . Reviving Ophelia discusses the different types of scenarios Dr. Pipher faced in her practice with teenageRead MoreEssay on Book Report on Reviving Ophelia by Dr. Pipher1488 Words   |  6 PagesReviving Ophelia Dr. Pipher remembers her cousin Polly as a young girl. She describes her as energy in motion. A tomboy, Polly dances, plays sports with the neighborhood boys, and rides horses. Once Polly enters adolescence, however, other children begin teasing her about her tomboyish ways and insist that she be more ladylike. The boys exclude her from their activities, and the girls isolate her because she is different. Polly becomes confused and withdrawn. Later, Polly begins wearingRead MoreReviving Opheli Saving The Selves Of Adolescent Girls1360 Words   |  6 PagesReviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls, is author, Mary Pipher’s attempt to understand her experiences in therapy with adolescent girls (Pipher, p. 11). In the text adolescence is described as a border between childhood and adulthood (Pipher, p. 292). In her quest to understand adolescent girls, Pipher attempts to answer these questions: Why are so many girls in therapy in the 1990s? Why are there more self-mutilators? What is the meaning of lip, nose and eyebrow piercings? HowRead MoreHow Gender Role Socialization Effects Girls More Specifically, Depending On The Teenage Girls Developmental Level1280 Words   |  6 Pagesdecisions concerning how they will act, with who they will associate with, and what life decisions they will choose. Ultimately, the progression by which they determine their identity must inevitability be one of trial an d error. In the book Reviving Ophelia, clinical psychologist Dr. Mary Pipher discusses the social and cultural pressures faced by today s adolescent girls based on her individual clients’ stories. This paper will examine how gender role socialization effects girls more specificallyRead MoreThe Portrayal of Ophelia on Stage Over the Years959 Words   |  4 Pages------------------------------------------------- Portrayal Mary Catherine Bolton (afterwards Lady Thurlow) (1790-1830) as Ophelia in 1813, opposite  John Philip Kembles Hamlet While it is known that  Richard Burbage  played Hamlet in Shakespeares time, there is no evidence of who played Ophelia; since there were no professional actresses on the public stage in  Elizabethan England, we may be certain that she was played by a boy.[11] The  early modern  stage in England had an established set of  emblematic  conventions  forRead MoreReviving Opheli Saving The Selves Of Adolescent Girls881 Words   |  4 PagesWhile reading Mary Pipher’s, â€Å"Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls† and Dan Kindlon and Michael Thompson’s, â€Å"Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys,† I got a better understanding of the mindsets of teenagers in todays society. I learned that countless girls and boys have the same inner battles and do not even realize it. The two songs I chose that best represent ideas of woman and manhood are â€Å"Unpretty,† by TLC and â€Å"Stan,† by Eminem. I believe these songs support manyRead MoreEssay on Women Dont Exist in Their Own Right in the Play1641 Words   |  7 Pageswhat exactly do we mean? In my opinion the way the female characters, Ophelia and Gertrude, in `Hamlet exist, is the way in which they live, the way t hey are viewed by others in the play, and the way would be perceived by us, or the Elizabethan audience. We have to see exactly who the male characters are, and the different parts they play. In addition, this essay will attempt to discover exactly how Shakespeare used Ophelia and Gertrude for the plot, and consider if they exist in their own rightRead More Hamlet - Shakespeares Ophelia as Modern Icon Essay3388 Words   |  14 PagesShakespeares Ophelia as Modern Icon Shakespeares Ophelia is not lacking in attention. As one of Shakespeares most popular female characters she has enjoyed many appellations from the bard. Fair Ophelia. Most beautified Ophelia. Pretty Ophelia. Sweet Ophelia. Dear Ophelia. Beautiful Ophelia†¦sweet maid†¦poor wretch. Poor Ophelia. (Vest 1) All of these names for Ophelia can be found in Shakespeares The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Since Shakespeares incarnation of Ophelia many