A social media post brought attention to a school book on ‘Current Essays and Letters’, written by Purabi Chakraborty, M.A. (Eng.), B.Ed., D.E.L.T., that defines a ‘modern girl’ with an array of stereotypes that you can think of.
Here’s how it defines a ‘modern girl’.
The essay in this CBSE- and ICSE-intended book, keeps attacking women for being ambitious, claiming that they do not care about anything else, and hence are ‘selfish’. In a similar way, women’s clothes also take a hit, in which they apparently try to ‘imitate men’.
“The modern girl is no longer shy, obedient and homely creature as she used to be… She claims for her rights as she wants to enjoy life like the boys. She is more a self-centered creature than a loving daughter or sympathetic sister.”
WOW. Three claps for the author. Ughhhh.
How do you define ‘modern’?
While the word simply means ‘current’, or ‘ latter-day’; in India it runs with a Western connotation, that it is anti-tradition, and anti-values. When this word becomes an adjective to define ‘girls’, a whole whirlwind of suggestive meanings follow, quick to have apprehensions about your career, your ambitions, the way your walk, how you talk and so on.
We have very frequently come across such remarks from our relatives that ‘she is very modern’ followed by a suggestive eyebrow-raise. While we have somewhat zoned out these comments; what happens when these stereotypes are fed to young impressionable minds?
It’s 21st century, folks. And we just wish that we don’t have to wake up to regressive & stereotypical content like this everyday. Hmph.
We tried reaching out to the author; however there was no response on the same.