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  • Essay / The struggles of teenage girls in the documentary A Girl's Life

    In the 2009 documentary, A Girl's Life, Rachel Simmons gives us insight into the struggles teenage girls face on a daily basis. The four girls we meet throughout the documentary face issues with self-image, cyberbullying, street violence, and lack of educational opportunities. During the documentary, we see that Simmons believes in the resilience of these young girls. She emphasizes that teenage girls can find themselves in difficult situations, but with determination and courage, they can overcome anything. Throughout her argument, her position remains clear: issues such as self-image, cyberbullying, street violence and lack of educational opportunities have become paramount for young women in recent years. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The film begins with the story of Analuz. She's planning her quinceanera, a cultural celebration of a girl's fifteenth birthday. Analuz goes shopping with her mother to find the perfect dress, but becomes disappointed and overwhelmed when she discovers that they don't carry her size in most of the dresses. Analuz's mother reminds her how beautiful she is, but Analuz can't help but feel the pressure to fit into society's definition of beauty. The next girl we meet is Libby. College had been great for Libby; she was part of the popular group and she had many friends. Until one Saturday night, for no reason, all of his best friends sent him a really mean text. This text was followed by numerous texts from each of her so-called best friends. This continued until Libby couldn't take it anymore. She told her mother, and her mother decided she needed to let the other parents know what their children were doing. The other girls' parents had no idea what was going on in the teenagers' phones. Libby's best friend was quick to regret her actions and apologize. Libby also began to form new, healthier friendships. The next teenager, Karla, lived in a poor and dangerous neighborhood in Philadelphia. Karla's group of once-harmless friends, who call themselves "The Crew," get into trouble when Karla's cousin is threatened and she and her friends rush to her side to defend her. The threats quickly escalated into physical violence, eventually seriously injuring some girls. Finally, Sonia is a high school student in New York preparing for college. Since she does not live in an area with a good school system, Sonia attends the Young Women's Leadership School. Many girls who attend the school, including Sonia, rely on scholarships to be able to attend university. However, Sonia is concerned that she will not be eligible for the scholarships because she very recently obtained American citizenship. Through her hard work and self-belief, Sonia was accepted into many schools that she applied to and offered many scholarships to, all while graduating as valedictorian. Each girl's situations, although very different, convey the idea that young girls are confident and resilient and can overcome anything. Throughout the account of each girl's situation, Simmons uses ethos and pathos to construct her argument. At the beginning of each story, we meet each girl and learn details about her situation. This creates a personal connection between viewers and each girl, whether they care about a girl's situation or simply empathize. This pathos, or emotional appeal, attracts.