Pulling out interesting cartoon art books at the library, I came across "The Educated Woman" by Cleveland and Andersand. Loving the empowered title, I also got another kick out of seeing an "Athena" ghost on the first page.
The cartoon style reminded me of The New Yorker, so nostalgic and thinking I'd find some fun I checked the book out. The text and illustrations are divided into two sections "Part I: College" and "Part II: Life After." At first I was tickled by the current relevance of jokes made 50 years ago. The authors poked fun at the hoity toity academic atmosphere and the students taking themselves too seriously, and they pulled out the humor in ambitious women pursuing the vision of redeeming civilization, and some of the disillusionment that comes with that.
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| "Although each generation of students has sought a different set of values . . . Knowledge, Independent Judgement, Freedom, Social Conscience, Political Action, Rediscovery of Woman's Role, Detachment . . . the essence of the four year experience remains constant. . . ." |
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| There is time for serious discussion . . ."I can't just go to bed and leave you on the horns of a dichotomy!" . . . and search for absolutes. [SPINOZA] "It gets easier as it goes on--I used to think you had to BELIEVE it, too!"
Some of the "jokes" were an instant flashback to the movie "Mona Lisa Smile" set in the 1950s where Julia Roberts teaches at a women's college that educates women mostly destined (and even encouraged) to settle for being housewives. Nearly half of the pages of "The Educated Woman" show students juggling writing their theses and finding a husband. And in "Mona Lisa Smile" it becomes clear the administration doesn't really expect the women to do much with their degrees, except perhaps serve on the board of some philanthropy group, attend the occasional town council meeting, and educate their children.
In "The Educated Woman" the authors seem to use humor to cope with the absurdity of seeing many "empowered" women with degrees end up with mundane lives in which their daily challenges come from caring for their families.
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| The AFTER-COLLEGE years |
What upsets me is that I see my mother in some of the later cartoons. and it's kind of sad. it's a sad cycle. because it seems like both society and the individual's fault. the woman is just giving too much of herself to "family" she's not doing enough for her own achievements. . the self-esteem problem is terrible. and it makes college seem kind of pointless. why can't people just lead their dream lives? why can't my mom change? why does she have to be so senstive?
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| She will no be content with ignorance--the habit of research remains with her. "Does that answer your question, dear?" What does it mean to "START NOW" |
