(FEMINISM) The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson

THEORY

FEMINISM

-It studies women's unique ways of understanding and writing about human condition.

-It looks for systems of containment: for evidence of repression, oppression, suppression, subversion and rebellion in texts by women.

-Its meaning is socially constructed.

TITLE | AUTHOR

THE GREAT GILLY HOPKINS BY KATHERINE PATERSON

SYNOPSIS

Gilly Hopkins is a mean, brash young girl who is going to another foster home. She hates living with different people all the time and just wants to settle in with her birth mother Courtney Rutherford Hopkins. While living at Trotter's home, Gilly initially gets into trouble as usual. Gilly doesn't like how Trotter (her foster mom) looks, and she quickly decides she is going to hate her for the rest of her life. Gilly quickly hatches a plan to escape. She knows that her mother lives in San Francisco so she writes a letter to Courtney saying that her beloved Galadriel will be with her soon. When Gilly escapes the first time, she gets caught by some police people at the train station and Trotter is to immediately come down to the station to retrieve her. Gilly was really disapppointed because she really wanted to go to her Mother. After some days have passed, Gilly's grandmother, Nonnie comes to Trotters house and tells her that she will come and take her home. But now Gilly realizes that she really wants to be with Trotter. Unfortunately, Gilly has to get picked up by Nonnie, and she goes to Nonnie's house. Then Gilly has good news: her mother Courtney is coming. But when she goes to the airport, Courtney is not the Courtney she remembers: Courtney has become fat, her hair color got whiter, and a lot of other things Gilly didn't expect. Gilly also finds out that her mother only came because Nonnie paid her, not because she wanted to come. She realizes for the first time, how foolish she had been, and who she really loved was Trotter.

ANALYSIS

I’d say that the story is highly appealing and should be recommended especially to kids beginning to rebel, for them to realize the real worth of their parents and other people around them.
Theoretically speaking, feminism has been proved all throughout the story-on how a rebellious girl learned how to resolve her issues in life and learn how to love and be loved. The ending is very satisfying with a very good moral lesson to learn. Paterson never fail to share the moral values to everyone.