In one sentence, what would the author(s) say is the main claim that they make in this piece? (What is the point?)
That when one becomes a feminist, this means to become willful to go against the flow, stand behind disagreement, and become a killjoy for it
What are other key claims that are made? (Try to limit this, say, three.)
- That becoming a feminist can be an alienation from happiness, that suddenly you are leaving your place at the table, and your happiness does not come from the same things anymore, and that this will not be approved by your community (sometimes)
- That it is assumed that women become feminists because they are unhappy, so the focus can then be on the anger instead of the actual point they are trying to make
- That even people with the same goals/beliefs/ideals can be divided because of their differences -the shared goal doesn’t always unite them
What are important or interesting terms introduced or used in this piece?
- Affect aliens = those who experience effects that are not their own/not real, they experience the effects they think they are supposed to experience
- Feminist tables = that if one is seated at the same table, it does not mean that they are seated together; even though two people have the same ideals, they may still be separated by their differences
- Willfulness = “asserting or disposed to assert one’s own will against persuasion, instruction, or command; governed by will without regard to reason; determined to take one’s own way; obstinately self-willed or perverse”
D – Description. What is the author’s project? What are their assumptions?
They assume that to become a feminist is to become a killjoy, that this is always the way of most resistance and that it comes with hardship and requires much willfulness.
Their project would be to unite all people with the same ideal, regardless of their differences, and move them towards the same cause, despite the hardship and struggle.
A – Analysis. What does the author say is occurring, and why? What assumptions about human nature can you see in this?
What they say is occurring is that people do not want others to get in the way, they do not want unspoken things to be spoken about, they do not want to disturb the happiness, even if this happiness is only supposed or only for a certain group of people. They will look negatively upon anyone who tries to disturb this supposed peace.
There is an assumption that people value the peace and supposed happiness over equality and happiness for all, which could be interpreted as a negative way to look at human nature.
V – Vision. What would they like to see?
They would like to see all with the same cause united, and pushing through for what they believe in
S – Strategy. What does their writing suggest could happen to bring about a better world?
To unite all people with a similar cause, and not be held back by personal differences
