I don't know whether we've established starting a new post in response to Janet or blogging under her comments. Anyone? I will start a new post this time as Joy has done.

My book, "Out of the Dust," best compares to Robert Seelinger Trites' discussion of feminist children's books. Being that it is a historical novel, set in 1934, traditional gender roles for both boys and girls are very present. The protaganist Billie Joe, defines herself as a tomboy, she compares herself to her father often. From the first chapter, she lets the audience know that her daddy wanted a boy, but got her. He made the best with her.

Her Pa is a traditional masculine farmer. He is strong, silent and hard working. He never cries when the dust storms destroy their farm or even when her mother and baby brother die. He removes himself from his feelings after this and from Billie Joe. He can't show her the emotional comfort she needs.

Billie Joe's Ma is also in a traditional female role, as a farmer's wife. The reader mostly sees Ma cooking or cleaning. From Billie Joe's perspective we get the feeling that Ma would have liked to leave Oklahoma and go somewhere else, but she is committed as a wife and mother. We also know that she plays the piano well, but can't pursue any kind of career with this.

Billie Joe's mother setting up this stereotypical female gender role, gives Billie Joe an example to transcend above. Billie Joe strives to jump outside of this societal expectation. She pursues a career with the piano, with Mad Dog (a boy in town who also performs) by playing at local performances. She transcends what her mother wished to do when she hops on the train to head west. Bilie Joe shows determination, strength, guts, courage and spunk all characteristics one would traditionally think of as male traits. (Although I have a problem assigning certain traits to certain genders.) However, if we look at these characteristics from the perspective of Trites' article, and what Billie Joe does as female character in a historical book; she does achieve transcendance. Trites said that most historical feminist books like "Little Women," and "Anne of Green Gables," bring the indepedant girl back to conforming to society's expectations by the end. Although, Billie Joe does return to her father in Oklahoma, I don't necessarily think she has conformed. She returns because of choice to be with the family. Her indepedance actually opened her father's eyes and changed his behavior. By the end of the book, Pa has decided to try to grow a new crop with Billie Joe's persistence and Billie Joe is continuing to work on her career playing the piano. Her voice is definately a metaphor for female agency. As I said in my other posts, Billie Joe is a great female role model for young girls.

Missed discussing with you all on Tuesday, hopefully we'll have better weather next week. I am definately tired of the COLD.

Staci