Babes in Boyland End

Hello! I just wanted to post about this novel...that's how much I like it.

I really wanted to address the first question on how Barreca deals with being in a predominantly male setting. It's as though Barreca is actually fighting against two social norms. I find that Barreca is trying to break away from the idea of being that perfect "Barbie" girl, and that she is fighting against the prejudice she faces for being a woman. I find that way Barreca addresses the prejudice in her school to be witty. She would always have some creative way to answer a very ignorant boy. I especially liked how she quickly remarked to "guys in [her] my classes, about why a woman wanted to attend a 'man's college'" (81). She simply replies, "If I'm here, then it's not a man's college anymore" (82). I feel as though Barreca always feels as though she has something to prove, because she is a woman in a "man's college." However, she doesn't let that idea eat her alive. Instead, she almost embraces the challenge. She even breaks away from the traditional look of a woman by "wearing thrift - shop clothes, cowboy boots, tight pants" (12). It's truly as though Barreca refuses to let any stereotype to consume her. She says, "I was simply never going to be a 'co' anything" (12). When she says this, it really sets the tone for the rest of the novel. She is stating that she never wants to be subservient to anyone or anything. She doesn't allow the typical 'idea' of a woman consume her identity. She also doesn't allow the fact that males ruled her school degrade her worth. She states later in the novel, "I dont want to be treated differently because I'm a girl. I just want to be a Dartmouth student" (43). When she says this, I could just imagine the frustration she must feel. She isn't even considered an equal to a her colleagues because of her gender.

Going along this gender theme, I feel as though sex was a major part of this novel because of just that: gender. I don't think Barreca had sex just because she felt the need to. I really believe sex was a huge part of this novel because she is a woman and she is in a predominantly male place. She gets away by talking about her sex life because it almost shows how she had control over the males. It's as though she no longer was beneath them, but rather above them. She could choose who to become sexual with, and ultimately she had control over the male's hormones. (in a sense). I also think that sexuality was a huge part of this novel because it shows how comfortable she is with being a woman, and how she is finally an equal. Because of sex, there's this commonality. The male and female want the same thing, they are pursuing the same thing - thus making them equals. I don't think I am writing in a comprehensive manner, but that's about as much I could think of for this topic.

-Eumie Kim