Reviving Ophelia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Reviving Ophelia - Essay Example For example, she sees contemporary society as a ‘girl-poisoning’ one, which essentially forces young girls to turn into â€Å"female impersonators who fit their whole selves into small, crowded spaces". Instead of letting the girl find her true calling through a process of exploration and experiment, the strictures of American society narrows down the scope of their individual expression. The author cites numerous anecdotal examples in the book, by way of which she throws light on key psychological insights on female adolescence. Reviving Ophelia does not stop with illustrations of the state of young women in the United States. The book goes further and suggests methods and principles through which adolescents could retrieve lost ground. The authenticity for Pipher’s analysis comes from the fact that she is an experienced psycho-therapist, who specializes in teenage issues and problems. Toward the end of the book, Pipher provides a list of remedial measures that are based on insights she gained during her professional practice. The book is centered on this crucial question: â€Å"Why are American adolescent girls falling prey to depression, eating disorders, and suicide attempts at an alarming rate?†. The answer for this serious question lies in the fact that we live in a society which places emphasis on superficial aspects of an individual such as their looks, sex appeal, etc. Such expectations are not only shallow but are also psychologically deficient, in that, there are many more facets to a teenage girl than external appearance. The author asserts that as long as this dismal state of culture persists, girls in our country will find it hard to find their true selves. According to Pipher, parents have a key role to play in the revival process. Through a process of educating themselves on concepts of psychology, parents can liberate their