Social Action Reading Question #1: What really difficult or complex things are happening in the text?

In my book Stick Figure by Lorri Gottlieb the main character Lori is trying to balance all of the "Girl Problems" in her life. Lori is realizing that everything is changing but she's not sure if it's going to change for better or for worse. 

Lori has a big mouth, that never knows what to and not to say to certain people. Although, her parents and teachers don't make it any easier. She isn't listened to by her parents but only when they find that she is being disrespectful, they'd call her out on it. In some situations she never gets to explain herself, she's always wrong. This reminds me of the book Matilda by Roald Dahl. When the father of Matilda says; "I'm Right, You're Wrong. I'm Smart, You're Dumb. I'm Big, You're Little.And there's nothing you can do about it!". Lori's parents may not be saying that to her but it is obvious that they are on the brim of the concept; age and respect. Some people have a habit where they don't believe people who are younger than them and are dismissive to what they have to say.

Many times this has been directed on women and girls. Usually men or boys downgrade women and girls  expressing the idea that they know more or they can do certain things better then them. It's not only looking down at the abilities that they believe they can do better but also they expect all women or girls to look the same way but of course that can't happen so the ones that don't fit into "the look" are excluded or dismissed from their thoughts. 

This sort of brings me to the point of beauty and popularity. Going back to the fact that there is a specific "look" you must fit into to be noticed as a girl, these are one of the large components in popularity. If you're not pretty or don't hang out with the "right" group of friends to fit in, you're considered not popular. In Lori's case when she was a blonde and had a group of friends that everyone called the "L's", they were the most popular girls at school. After her hair changed color to what she called a "dishwater brown" and was placed in a class without her 2 friends her popularity decreased. Also she was in the "smart people class", which had no say in if you were cool or not.Lori slowly realized that she was becoming less and less popular because she was losing all the small things that made her popular, one by one. 

So far from reading Stick Figure, I have been thinking about the way society is formed and why certain things are expected from certain people. It makes me wonder is it really worth it? To go through a phase of changing yourself just to be known or have friends, just to leave most of them in a couple more years? No it's not worth it at all.

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