Prompt: Your blog for your 40 Book Challenge this week will focus on theme. You will need to determine a theme and analyze its development throughout the novel. By looking closely at character's actions, the setting, plot events, and/or the conflict, you can identify clues that are written by the author to help teach you (the reader) a message about life or human nature. Start first by looking at your 'Universal Theme' sheet to help you get started.
'A Work In Progress, A Memoir' By Connor Franta
Despite being a memoir and not a work a fiction there are two themes that I think are being expressed throughout the book. These themes would be 'Self Acceptance Isn't Given But Instead Learned' and 'Self Acceptance Is The Most Important Type Of Acceptance'. This is because throughout the memoir Franta speaks out about his experiences struggling with identity, body image, and coming to terms with his sexuality.
'Self Acceptance Isn't Given But Instead Learned'. A large portion of the memoir describes Connor's childhood and teenage life. From the age of about 7, he was unaccepting of his body and grew to dislike his body type due to being called fat. He goes through many emotions while trying to come to terms with the type of body that he has. As he grew older and became an adult he learned to accept his image despite the imperfections he saw within himself. He grew acquainted with these imperfections and learned that everyone is flawed in some way (except Beyoncé, so he says). Besides learning to accept his body image he had to accept his identity. From a young age Franta was interested in the arts and performance. During his adolescence he had the urge to participate in musicals, plays and other artistic activities but felt as if he would be judge for the femininity that was part of his personality. He felt the pressure to be masculine throughout highschool but was naturally a feminine person. Once he stopped caring as much about portraying masculinity to others he accepted his interests no matter how 'feminine' others thought they were. Connor wasn't born accepting every aspect of himself but grew to gain more acceptance for himself.
'Self Acceptance Is The Most Important Type Of Acceptance'. As someone who has read this book and has spent countless hours watching Connor's YouTube videos, it is common knowledge to know that he is gay. For atleast two chapters of 'A Work In Progress' Connor speaks extensively about coming to terms with his sexuality through out his life. He notes that he didn't want to believe that he was gay due to the negative connotation surrounding homosexuality. He writes that due to wanting to be straight he continued to get into relationships with girls despite not enjoying being in relationships with them. As he grew up he learned to accept this part of him. At one point he spoke to himself in the mirror, literally coming out to himself. It took things like this for Connor to accept himself and finally realize that it didn't matter what others thought of his sexuality, and that accepting himself was what was actually important.
Out of the many themes that could be found in Connor Frantas memoir I felt as if these two themes were more detailed than the others that I found within the writing.
No comments:
Post a Comment