Yesterday, Amanda, 11 years old and in the sixth grade, brought home the book she had bought herself at the book fair. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. She likes Jane Austen but previously had read abridged versions reduced to an elementary reading level or had watched the movies. Sense and Sensibility was a thin copy so I thought it too might be abridged.
I opened the book to the smallest densest type I had ever seen and immediately used God's name in vain very loudly. (Two hours later, her father had the exact same reaction). Amanda asked what was wrong. Nothing was wrong. It just looked so . . . difficult. Still concerned, she said she had read the first chapter and she really liked it and was it ok if she finished it, please? Of course it was. Then I shared with her this story.
In 8th grade, Elena Kagan, who I thought was the smartest person I had ever met, announced she has just finished one of the Jane Austen books and now had read them all. Elena also understood the Cuban Missile Crisis before I had ever heard of it. I decided to read Jane Austen. I could not get into it at all and did not see why anyone would like them. I decided that I wasn't that smart.
Twenty years later, I figured out two things. One, I just don't like Jane Austen. I don't know why. She seemed to be in the same category as George Eliot and I love George Eliot. I did know that I did not want to read enough Jane Austen to figure out why I didn't like it. Two, what Elena had was self-confidence and vision. She knew what she wanted to do and was planning already to get there.
I shared all this with Amanda yesterday and wondered what happened to Elena. Had she accomplished great things and achieved those great things that I, at 12, was convinced she would achieve.
This morning, I was clearing through the pile of mail and came across my high school alumni newsletter. (Hunter College High School was a six-year school - 7-12th grade). I opened it and flipped through. There in the announcements section was the news that Elena Kagan was appointed the first woman dean of Harvard Law School.
I knew it. I always knew it.
Posted by Justene Adamec at May 22, 2003 01:45 PMIt's an interesting phenomenon. We should expect girls (because back then we were) who came out of hchs to go on a do great things. But we're still suprised (even when we expect it) when it happens.
Donna (class of 68)