Questions I asked myself after reading "The Epilogue"

The book I Am an Emotional Creature, says a lot about young girls and the feelings they have as emerging women. In the epilogue, Ensler goes into details about what is expected of women and what women should expect from their selves. For instance Ensler states many sayings and quotes that young females will be told in their life. The epilogue implies that people make the world seem like a scary place where women can’t express who they are nor can show independence.  For instance, Ensler sates quotes like, “find a man, the world is a scary place, and you can’t trust anyone.”  This shows the many scary thoughts that are put in the minds of many young girls.

After reading the epilogue, a number of questions appeared in my mind.  Who makes up these implications that Ensler addresses? Why women are told these things and are expected to follow these unofficial rules? For instance, Ensler states, “Don’t be so intense don’t cry so much.” Who expects women to be this way and act a certain way?  Why can’t women (girls) cry so much and be intense?  Why should women or girls be told how to act and how to express their own feelings? These are the many questions that I instantly thought of when reading Ensler’s epilogue to the piece I Am an Emotional Creature.

In my opinion, it is wrong that women have so many limitations to how to feel and how to act. It is very rare for men and boys to have limitations on what to say or do. Women have to be afraid of being ridiculed by men about how they act or look. For example, the poem “My Short Skirt.” addresses the problem with people especially men assuming that a woman wearing something short is implying that she wants sex. So because of that implication, women are told often to cover up in a society where it is okay for men to walk around shirtless.

In the second part of the epilogue, Ensler rebels against what women are told with what she is telling them. She attacks every thing that women are told and tells women to think for them self, never be afraid to express your feelings, and don’t be afraid to be you.