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Show Create a concept My previous work was depicting women as mostly powerless victims. It was weighing heavily on my emotions and felt defeating. I decided to make work that not only depicted the issues, but provided an empowering message to prompt action. I had this idea about a girl with a large, seemingly unachievable goal and began writing during summer break while I was on a fire roll. It was my intent that the main character, Polly, would be indifferent to the notion that others around her were not supportive of her goal. With the help of faculty mentor, Henry Becker, I sent my very rough draft to editor, David Barringer. There was a lot of back and forth, but after a semester, he gave it a gold star. which often pushed others away. Neither of them were bothered by the others’ stench and they became friends, and Polly achieved her dream. Polly represented a powerful, gendernorm-defying bad-ass who wouldn’t succumb to societal expectations. The creatures she met along her journey personify the negative messages and hurdles young women are faced with on a daily basis. Wallace, the giant wild boar, is symbolic of the opportunities girls and women are denied based upon their perceived abilities. But even the giant wild boar can be ridden. There had to be a skill or talent that Polly possessed that would empower her to achieve her goal without assistance from others. Her dream was to be the first person to ever ride a giant, wild boar. Everyone told her it was impossible, but she ignored them. She was not interested in the traditional “girl-stuff”, and remained unphased by cultural expectations. Polly had an active and adventurous lifestyle, which often left her dirty and stinky. Everyone she encountered made sure to remind her of her silly dream and the fact that she smelled bad. When she met Wallace, the giant wild boar, he was also dirty and stinky, Page 23 |
