R EVIVING O PHELIA A book by Mary Pipher (PhD)

M AIN I DEA Girls are pressured by many elements of our culture to be a certain kind of person The change this pressure makes manifests itself most clearly during the adolescent years

T ITLE & S IGNIFICANCE Shakespeare’s Hamlet Ophelia falls in love with Hamlet and lives for his approval – trying to please him She has no inner direction or sense of self She lets him determine her sense of value When he scorns her affections, she goes mad with grief and takes her own life The story expresses metaphorically how girls may lose themselves to the many pressures they experience during adolescents

B EFORE & A FTER A DOLESCENCE In like a LION, out like a lamb More appearance and sex conscious Quieter, more fearful of having strong opinions Less honest, more careful about what they say Self-critical, more likely to second guess themselves Less likely to play sports or love math & science Hide their intelligence (Before) (After)

G ROWING INTO H EALTHY A DULTS Girls NEED A B C F E D

B ODY I MAGE Our culture has imposes stringent standards for beauty on adolescent girls Huge preoccupation with image and constant focus of attention Small flaws become obsessions Focus on getting THINNER when body actual ADDS FAT during puberty Diet culture Eating Disorders

E DUCATION Overall Negative Impact Performance in math & science goes down Lose optimism & resiliency Less curious, less inclined to take risks Lose assertiveness Doubt themselves, their answers (math questions, etc) Why? Fear embarrassment, alienation from peers Teachers aren’t helping Call on boys more than girls Girls are praised for clothes and behavior, rather than work Boys’ failure is attributed to lack of ability, Girls failure is attributed to lack of effort

R EACTION TO P RESSURE Conform Withdraw Get Depressed Get Angry Ironically, this is the time when girls need parents most, but also the time when they want them around the least