The novel “Wild” by Cheryl Strayed touched on so many issues regarding sexism that have been going on for a long time, and are still going on in today’s society.
I believe that Cheryl does a great job explaining her personal experiences being a feminist, and really relates to the readers. The following link will bring you to a video, that I believe is very insightful and thoroughly explains Cheryl’s thoughts on feminism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-f91WDG46Y
In the novel, Cheryl provides personal examples of her journey on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) relating to feminism. One example is how she meets many people while on the trail, becoming friends with almost every one of them. However, there was two men that she encountered, that treated her like garbage. They were commenting about Cheryl’s body, and saying that she looked like the type of girl that they would like. Cheryl, being the strong willed woman she is, tried her best to get them to leave, but they were not budging. It is men like these two that make women feel like they have to be on high alert when they are alone in the presence of men. Women are often stereotyped/labeled as ‘helpless’, ‘weak’, ‘innocent’, etc. when in reality, some women are stronger than some men. Cheryl got herself out of that situation, proving that she was strong.
Cheryl has said: “I do feel so pleased that finally more and more people in the public eye—singers and actresses and female celebrities—are also starting to say, “Yeah, you know what? I’m a feminist, too.” There have always been a few of them, but I think their numbers are growing. I think social media helps too. There’s a greater sense of community. You don’t feel like the lone person out there in the wind.” (https://bitchmedia.org/post/cheryl-strayed-talks-about-wild-feminism-and-how-hollywood-made-her-even-sweeter) Cheryl has mentioned in interviews that she has been a feminist since she was five, making her very knowledgeable on the topic. More about how Cheryl is a feminist, along with reviews from people who have read the book, can be found here: http://www.cherylstrayed.com/ This website will allow you to see the opinions of others about the book, and whether you’re deciding to read it, or have already read it and are wanting to analyze it further, this website is very helpful.
Cheryl’s novel “Wild” provides information regarding her journey on the PCT, and the struggles she faced being a woman alone in the wilderness. The fact that Cheryl is telling personal situations/examples, helps to prove her point that women are still being stereotyped and degraded in society, because she experienced it first hand and is sharing it. It now said to be one of the most memorable/iconic feminist novels.
Photo Credits:
(Featured Picture) http://lithub.com/tag/cheryl-strayed/
(Picture to the right) https://mesardonicmesarcastic.wordpress.com/2015/01/18/wild-from-lost-to-found-on-the-pacific-crest-trail-by-cheryl-strayed/
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