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DEVELOPMENTAL CRISIS IN EARLY ADULTHOOD: A ...

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25.01.2005<br />

Rachel refers to her time before the crisis as embedded into social expectations of what a girl should<br />

and should not do. She followed the lead that was set for her by her contemporary peer group, and<br />

submitted to external pressures to be and act a certain way. This might suggest that in so doing she<br />

would be integrated and feel connected with her milieu and her society. But she says the despite this,<br />

she felt very isolated, far out from how others ran their lives. This isolation was deepened postseparation<br />

and only was really dampened and lessened when she got involved in the civil rights<br />

movement. The isolation is due to her hidden internal desires and feelings that are not validated by<br />

others as right or sane, but are there nonetheless – a desire to read, to discover, to be autonomous and<br />

free-thinking.<br />

25.01.2005<br />

This is remarkably similar to Gemma, in fact the whole narrative is remarkably similar to Gemma.<br />

25.01.2005<br />

I get the feeling that ‘nice’ is used to mean benign and accepting of one’s circumstances, submissive to<br />

what one is duty-bound to do. Nice is not being true to oneself. Nice is being true to others, to the<br />

tyranny of the majority.<br />

25.01.2005<br />

This interview also shows the change from a surpressed inner world, and at that point a lack of<br />

expressive agency, toward a stronger being who can tie their inner desires and outward actions and<br />

goals into an integrated unity.<br />

25.01.2005<br />

It is most interesting that the word ‘nice’ is used in a derogatory sense by both Rachel and Gemma. I<br />

agree! There is nothing as insipid as being a ‘nice’ person. All it means is that you are weak and<br />

compliant. Nice girls don’t think for themselves, they do what they are expected to do. The husband is<br />

‘nice seeming’ too.<br />

25.01.2005<br />

“Since I became me.” - I love this quote on final page – bringing the subject and object self closer<br />

together – bringing consciousness and self-as-object together. Almost could be a title for the book.<br />

25.01.2005<br />

Rachel does say that she feels more cohesive, as though she has more of a core than she did before.<br />

This links into the inner-outer cohesion, which is manifest in the narrative.<br />

Given the importance of culture and family in some of these, would it be an idea to present, as an<br />

analytic framework, a kind of Bronfrenbrenner nested systems thing.<br />

Society and culture<br />

Family<br />

Self<br />

253

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