When I typed the word "girls" into the google search bar, I ended up with several links related to the HBO show "Girls" created by Lena Dunham. What struck me the most about this was the fact that the characters on the show are in their mid-twenties, out of college and attempting to achieve independence. This made me think of the section in the Shavit article that discussed the concept of childhood in the Middle Ages, when people were married very early in life in comparison to today, and and the primary expectation for children was to enter adulthood as quickly as possible and contribute to society. It seems that what we consider to be "childhood" has extended past our teenage years and well into our twenties. The characters on "Girls" still struggle to be financially independent, have a strong sense of entitlement, have trouble navigating the dating world, and in many ways seem stuck in adolescence. These characters, while fictional, seem to be extremely reflective of real life. As I prepare to graduate this year, I have little sense of what I will be doing next year and am nowhere close to being financially independent.
When I scrolled down further I noticed several other instances of the word "girls" being used to describe groups that would legally be defined as adults: several of "the world's hottest girls" were in their twenties. I also saw many links for baby names. It seems as though the word "girl" can be applied to an extremely wide age range, within which many stages of development occur. I found it interesting that we use "girls" as an umbrella term for babies, children, teens, and even adults. Judging from my google results, the borders of "girlhood" are extremely unclear.
No comments:
Post a Comment