Beyond the Conventional Standards of Beauty
A review of “Memoirs of an Ex-Prom Queen” by Alix Kates Schulman
Photo by Alexis Fauvet on Unsplash
“Once I started school I learned I would have to choose between hair ribbons and trees, and that if I chose trees I’d have to fight for them. The trees, like the hills, belonged to the boys.”
Introduction
“Memoirs of an Ex-Prom Queen” by Alix Kates Schulman, stirs up nostalgic elements of the feminist era of the 50’s and 60’s. Bringing to the forefront what it means to be intrinsically satisfied. This read exposes the honest thought process of a high school ex-prom queen as she grows up during the 1950s — 60s. Her desires, her struggles, and her agency, all come into question as she grows into her adulthood during an era that seemingly values a woman for her outer youth and beauty.
As I read this book, I found that much of the subject matter was still relevant in our current climate. Despite the book having been published in the 1970s, I would even suggest that it is comparable to a more recently published book by Glennon Doyle called, “Untamed.” Although published around 50 years apart, they both include insight and perception into womanhood, relationships and personal choices.
