Discussuion Question Blog Post #3

Evaluate why the the young ladies in Sorority Sisters are so desperate to have a constant relationship in their lives.  

Good Relationships Don't Just Happen, True Love is Rare

     In the novella Sorority Sisters Karen, Diane, Laurie, and Ellen all feel that they need a constant male relationship in their lives. These young women find themselves feeling satisfied by a man's approval. Their understand is, that having a man in their lives make them better people, which has proven to be not true in each of the young ladies' lives. They need to understand what love is before giving their hearts away just for them to get broken once again. Throughout the book it becomes a cycle. The reason for this could be that the book was written  in the time period of the 70s. In the 70s women still relied much more on men to provide for them as their jobs were to be housewives in the men's households. Each of the young women had poor relationships with their fathers so they yearn for the attention of a male in their lives. For example, when Diane fears her father's future disappointment in her. "I'm not going to be able to follow in Dad's footsteps, not that Dad ever made a point of telling me he wanted me to shadow his career trajectory. But I had certain expectations that I would, and he must have had the same expectations, and now they're toast" (176). Diane always feels the need for approval in her life and in her relationships she uses boyfriends to feel successful and confidents in herself.  Their insecurities in themselves become overruled by the use of boyfriends to satisfy their self-esteems. Next, Laurie allows her boyfriends to overpower her because she does not understand how people in love act towards each other. Laurie will love anybody that likes her back, even if it means giving up herself to him. After Ellen adapts to how Mike treats people she starts to become like him in a negative way. For example, the way she speaks to people. "The last few times I've been with Ellen, she's been like this; as cutting as a knife, honed down to razor sharpness" (416). She starts to show the saucy, bitter, and abrupt side of her. After years pass Ellen finally realizes what has happened to her. At first she assumed that the other ladies were jealous that she had a husband. Mike should of loved Ellen for who she was she should not have had to change herself for his benefit. Karen, Diane, Laurie, and Ellen's  love each is filled with compassion, they truly love each other unconditionally. These elite group of young women need to find men that bring out the best in them and love them for who they are. True love accepts the other for who they are and loves them regardless of any flaws they might have because love and perfection is in the eye of the beholder.