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Through “The Semplica Girl Diaries,” Saunders examines the American middle class’s anxieties about social mobility and status. His story spotlights an all too real social group that lives in fear of falling victim to an ever-widening wealth gap. The rereader has to consider our own biases and prejudices through carefully constructed narrative empathy and satiric elements. We’ve all been nervous to share our social status and what bracket we fall under, but in this short story, We share a similarity to the struggling American families. We live in a society that loves labels. There is something comforting and relatable to how Saunders creates imagery for the father and his actions. As we feed our social anxieties the narrator openly admits that he longs for his own wealth, how wouldn’t, and that is wealth would afford him the ability to live a more fulfilling life. Money has so much power over people and their priorities. If I have learned anything from this isolation during COVID-19, is that I want to work, I am a working body and though this time with people around me is cool’ in all, I know that I am meant to help contribute in more ways than I am doing now. After reading this I thought hard about what I am privileged with and how that it takes isolation to make that clear for folks. I think that is the Fantastic part of this story.

2 Responses to “Just a dad in is 40’s trying his best”

  1. davis22 says:

    I really appreciate you talking about social mobility in this post! That really is so much the point of this story. Do you ever think about all the bones you have to step on being middle class? Especially as a Sweet Briar student.

  2. agmarston4560 says:

    I, too, picked up on the economic class being put on blast in this story. I thought it was more, instead of bashing, but more-so the longing to be at the top. In the beginning, he would daydream about the house he would live in and the many items he would have if he was rich. At the end, we see a shift as he wants to part in it anymore. I wonder if they still had financial troubles after all this or if Eva was caught by Jerry for releasing the SG’s.