Gilmore Girls
The Gilmore Girls episodes that we watched were great examples of the feminist ideas that the Gamber article focused on. As a high school student Rory has the vantage point of seeing both a feminist (her mother) and an aristocratic grandmother that follows in the feminism category. Both women are strong and controlling but Rory’s mother tries to separate herself from her parent’s money and elite lifestyle. She is more interested in being her own self-reliant woman. After she was “knocked up” when she was 16 she took care of herself and wouldn’t let her parents financially help her. The Grandmother on the other hand would be more than willing to help Lauroli if she follows her conditions. These conditions would have led to Lauroli getting married to Christopher and becoming a stay at home mother. The generational differences are apparent when looking at Lauroli and her mother. The dreams and aspirations of Lauroli are contingent upon being her own successful women and following her dreams. All three women in this show depict how the feminist movement has evolved over three generations. The Grandmother is a wealthy woman that wants equal rights and Lauroli shows the more vivid picture of women that desire power in their own ways. The third generation is Rory. Rory may not seem like a feminists but the third generation of feminist are like “fluoride,” meaning women are becoming their own person but it is not as apparent. Rory becomes the modern day feminist by choosing education over boys but still being feminine.
Hm, I really like the your observation that the three women represent the evolution of feminism. I'm not exactly sure if it's that simple, but I thought that was some cool insight. I think it's interesting that you deem Rory's choice to attend Chilton an example of her feminism. I mean I think the obvious reason it's feminist is because it shows she's driven and she won't let a boy hold her back. But I think it shows her maturity and her particular brand of "3rd wave feminism" because she is making a conscious decision for herself. Although Lorelai initially forces her to attend, Rory ultimately is the one making the decision. Even if Rory had chosen to stay at her public school, her decision could still be feminist if she had thought it through. I think the ultimate definition of feminism is simply a woman making her own rational decisions what happens to her.
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