Book DISCUSSION Thread!!
Find a Conversation
Book DISCUSSION Thread!!
| Mon, 06-26-2006 - 7:02am |
Hey all!
This is our discussion thread for the book Dance of the Dissident Daughter by Sue Monk Kidd.
| Mon, 06-26-2006 - 7:02am |
Hey all!
This is our discussion thread for the book Dance of the Dissident Daughter by Sue Monk Kidd.
Pages
Initial thoughts..
I liked the book, but some bits of it bothered me. Her constant search for objects, touchstones or symbolism of her feminine faith was annoying to me.
I also felt that while she said 'women are given culturally defined scripts, written in advance and passed to females on birth' ... she gives no thought to the male. They don't always like the roles they've been given either.
Hey Nony!
I haven't gotten very far into the book yet, but I can say that I identify quite well so far with her journey. I would be interested to know the number of women who take this journey. To me it almost seems innate. I've read about and talked to women IRL who reach middle age and have a turning point like this. Some women may not be conscious of it or repress it because they are so caught up in being mom and wife/partner that they don't realize their identity has changed or perhaps even been lost along the way.
To me, it was a very, very necessary and beneficial journey. I reclaimed the identity I lost when I became a mother and now I feel like I'm a better mother in many ways. The deeper I delved into my soul, the more I realized my true identity and drew on whatever inner strength I had to "live" it. To question the assumptions and values on which one has based her life takes a lot of strength and resolve.
I think you are right Baby, that many women automatically take this journey in some form or another when they reach their 40s. I hear women all the time talk about 'coming into their own', and not being afraid of speaking up for themselves as they get older.
The dance of the dissident daughter – sorry to be late. Just been busy. :-)
I know I wouldn’t pick this book up if I were browsing through the shelves. This book is a woman journey finding her voice and learning how to use it. Her journey can happen to any woman in the business world or a housewife just sick and tired of losing herself to accommodate others. What’s important to Sue Monk Kidd is her religion and her life revolves around this particular religion. She was raised, married and wrote for Christianity. One day, it hit her; modern day religion isn’t into her like she is to Christianity.
What I find interesting is the process she went through. I wonders if all her dreams are that vivid or just the ones that leads to behavior changes within her? Did she talk with all the females she quoted or just take something out of their writings? I would like to have all these strong women together and have a weekend clambake at a beach house and listen to them talk and learn from them.
This book is a self-help book but not a how to help yourself book. She wrote of the process she went through and inspirations she got from other women’s writing and experiences. It doesn’t come across to me as a how to be free from Christianity book. She is still going to church like a good Christian, she just bring her voice to the table. She is not introducing a new religion with the Divine Goddess to worship but finding strength to give voice to her thoughts and feelings within the church she attends. Now that she have this strength, I wonder if she consider going back to her old church and sharing her views and changing it from within.
I would have like to read how the changes going on inside her affect her son, parents and in-laws. I’m wondering if she received such a strong negative reactions from them for her to decide not to put them in the book. It was nice to see a little glimpse of her daughter and husband’s reaction.
also felt that while she said 'women are given culturally defined scripts, written in advance and passed to females on birth' ... she gives no thought to the male. They don't always like the roles they've been given either. While widening our ability to see god in the female, she did a huge stereotyping of men.
======================
I read it differently. The book touches on stereotyping. I think she wrote males and females are raised in a stereotypical manner and we have to acknowledge the harm that caused before we can go on healing. Its up to the individual to be aware of the harm caused before any healing can begins. The book is of her own awareness of her wounds and how she resolved to heal it. I think she viewed the males are trapped in the tradition of keeping women down without realizing it. I think her example of her husband is very important. She realized she is not happy with having her voice silent but did not know how to explain that to her husband and “acted” out at the dinner table. When she came back from her retreat, he “became aware” of his participation with her voice being silent and she is made aware of his willingness to go through the changing process.
Hey Eastie!
Thanks for the input.
I wondered too about her dreams. Mine are never that clear and focused, so many things go on in mine, its hard to pick out symbolism when I wake up. I also hear theory that you can influence your dreams but I have never had any luck in that way.
====================================
There’s symbolism in dreams? ;-)
I am guessing the people that have any influence over their dreams really have their life in their control. Aren’t we relying on dreams and horoscope to tell us what’s going on in our lives because we feel we don’t have any control over it anyway?
It’s interesting to think of controlling your own dreams. If we’re supposed to find meanings in the dreams about our lives, what does it mean to control it? If you control the dreams, can you control the dreams to disappear?
yes, I will read the next one also. Can't wait to see what you and the others will have to say on it. Now to go search for the title. *L*
Pages