Monday, March 2, 2009

Prep

Prep

Curtis Sittenfeld

What was understood:
Lee feels like a teenager on the outside of some world at Ault. Lee struggles with having no friends, but aquantinces, as she goes through her time at Ault she struggles to find her true identity. Whether she is attracted to both sexes, her honesty, and trying to form new friendships. Lee feels liek an outsider because she is on scholarship while the majority of the students are there based off their wealthy families. She doesn't understand the lavish lifestyles and social business that goes along with Ault. She chose Ault for her acedemics while some chose it because of the social stature. There are groups of people who all understand the ways of Ault and what tehy come with, the money, the social circles, Ault is not just a place with ordinary people, everyone tries to be special, when in reality they are all the same. I think that is why Cross finds soemthing intruiging with lee at the mall, she isn't like the other girls, she knows how to form a sentence, she isn't the robot bimbo rish girl like those at Ault. Lee is from a totally diffrent reality then those students from Ault, she is from a family, friendly enviroment, that does not choose to let money and labels form them. While Lee is at Ault she learns those things rule the teens lives, even today in our society this is true. Lee needs to learn the social rules and power to be accepted as one of them.

What was not understood:
  • Is Lee struggling with her sexual identity, or is she just falling for anyone that gives her the attention she is missing?
  • Why did Cross have a sudden physical attraction to Lee, it's not everyday a boy just physical is affectionate to a girl on first meeting.
  • WHAT happens in the rest of the book?!

Connections to other themes:

This reminded me alot of the discussions we have had in class about how socioeconomic status really does make a diffrence even in a teens life. Those teens with money and label status do tend to group together, while those with less money and power sort of speak get left out. As adults houses, cars, and monay make a diffrence, but also as a teen it makes a diffrence. The abercrombie wearers verses the walmart clothes have an effect on a persons friendship circle, not saying it's right but it happens.

Questions/Comments/Points to share:

I want to read the rest of the book :)

2 comments:

  1. Hmmm, good question: why is Cross attracted to Lee? What does he say he likes about his other girlfriend again?

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  2. Funny comment from Brian. And great points from you. I hope you get a chance to read the whole book!

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