Journal 7
I think Jahren dedicates the book to he mother because she uses her mother as her inspiration in life. She’s the reason why she was so motivated to break gender norms and become a scientist. Her mother tried to do the same and went to a good university to major in science, but she simply could not afford it. She had to go back home, had kids, and became a stay-at-home mother. Although she went back to school later, it wasn’t in her original course of study. Instead, she got a degree in literature.
Although i don’t think she sees her mother as a failure, I think Jahren wanted to help her mother live out he dream through her. When Bahrein’s mother went to school, it was difficult for women to go to school, much less go to school to major in a predominantly male field. So when Jahren went to school, I think she was determined to break that gender norm, for her mother.
One way that Jahren has used her mother for inspiration was by her own route that she took in college. For example, she went to the same university on a scholarship just like her mother. In chapter 4, she mentioned the countiess jobs she had during her first year in college to help pay for school; dropping out because of financial reasons was not an option for her. I think she wanted to fulfill the dream her mother could not, which is why she got to where she is today and dedicated the book to her mom.
No comments:
Post a Comment