In this article in English Journal, Barry Gilmore (a principal, author, and former English teacher) describes what happened when he recommended Nicola Yoon’s Everything, Everything to a student; she wanted to know whether it passed the Bechdel test. “I can’t stand to read things that are totally boy-centered,” said the girl. “I mean, it can be a lot about boys, but that can’t, like, totally be what it’s about.” Of course she had to explain the Bechdel test to Gilmore, who’d never heard of it: Does a work of fiction contain at least one scene in which two or more women (preferably named characters) discuss something other than a male? Thinking about the book he’d recommended, Gilmore was relieved that, in addition to the main narrative about a girl falling in love with a boy, it did include scenes in which the girl speaks to her mother and a female nurse about other subjects.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.