Faith and Greer
As Faith and Greer grow closer, Faith wants to know what Greer truly thinks. As Greer starts talking, she gives all these suggests which never felt like she could do, and someone actually listen. “Tell me your impressions about what we’re doing here,” Faith said. “Be honest. Don’t worry about my ego. I’m curious how it seems to you so far.” (Wolitzer 201). The thing about activism is to she what you think is right and will help.
Faith pressures Greer to speak her mind but in a good that will help the company rise. She want to makes sure that she does her part to Faith’s grand venture. Greer want to experience the success that Faith does. Now that Faith tooken the suggests of Greer it, they both demonstrate the truths of activism. Greer realizes the she values her individualism more that sisterhood, she wants to ensure her own success, even though she would be keeping Zee from success, now that is little selfish.
At this point Faith is reflecting back to the past, and she recalls supporting Greer over the years. Faith sees a lot of herself in Greer, they have reflected upon how they share a sense of disappointment in their parents and that is what has bond them together. “Greer had been so bright and filled with feeling, but beyond that she had also been upset with her parents. Of course Faith had been reminded of being upset with her own parents at that age.
Both sets of parents had held their daughters back, even as they loved them.”(Wolitzer 442). Faith feels for what Greer had to go through, and now Faith wants to see Greer be successful. Faith can see Greer’s potential as an activist, a feminist, and a leader. Faith is using her power to help other women find their own. Greer and Faith are a lot alike and they deeply bond over that, because of that demonstration of the disappointment of both their parents.
When Faith talks to Greer about the mentorship program, Greer tells Faith that it does not exist. So Faith asks if the rescue was at least real and Greer responses that yes it was. Faith’s realization that the mentorship program was not real made her wonder what was actually going on at the ShraderCapital. “Exactly what isn’t true?” Greer managed to say. “The whole thing?” “The rescue was real. The security group apparently went in and saved those girls.” “Well, good. That’s a relief.” “But the mentor part never happened. They just pretend it did.” (Wolitzer 464).
The whole thing is messed up what they are doing is wrong, but Faith is so caught up in being preoccupied with the public’s perception of her than in make sure that everything in her organization is running smoothly. Although Faith would have lived with ignoring the whole situation and now even though she knows what is going on Faith is not planning to take any action. Knowing Faith that is just not how she does things, but she seem that she just have no idea of how to handle it.
Now Faith has confronted Emmett Shrader which has been long overdue. Emmett have not a very good excuse of the whole thing. “So the mentor program really doesn’t exist?” He paused, thrown, trying to be careful. “It was supposed to have existed,” he tried. “We had every intention. Does that count for anything?” (Wolitzer 523). Emmett had totally ignored the thing of the mentorship program as well of the severity of Faith’s struggle.
Faith couldn’t afford to tune out of her own life, and she could afford to make mistakes. Where Emmet just goes through life with not a thought to what consequences his actions could have. This just shows the contrast between the power of men and women. Although Emmett had claimed to of had a hazy memory of what was actually discussed that day of what happened to the mentorship program. What he actually remembers shows his total lack of interest in an important contribution of time, and resources. Emmett is clearly not an activist and putting his name on an activist company has definitely not made him a better feminist or a better member of the community.
Even though the severity of the situation or even perhaps, because of it Emmett didn’t think that it was important enough to solve the Ecuador crisis. “I should have listened better in that meeting, and I shouldn’t have let them switch out that woman you liked, and I should have shut down the fund and announced the whole thing publicly.” (Wolitzer 550)
Emmett now longing for the simpler times of the earlier days of Loci of when he connected with Faith Frank with any of the damage of this sandal between them. Though Emmett doesn’t remember what happened, he knew that there were strings being pulled and people were urged to keep the truth of the whole thing quiet. During that time he tried to convince himself that he was doing the right things to make Faith happy even when it was a bad situation by keeping the money for Faith to use on another project.
The realization sets in that Faith Frank is an activist and mentor a lot of reasons. Some were more selfish than others, but Faith felt rewarded and loved by receiving gifts and notes from people she had mentored. “Dear Faith, This book was my favorite when I was a little girl, and I wanted you to have it. Love, Denise Manguso (from that dinner in Chicago!)” (Wolitzer 555). Her importance has been threatened many time throughout the year, but it is her fans that keep her going not her work, and that keep her in the world.
That is Faith’s rensurence that she will remain adored and relevant as she once was at the start of her career. Although Emmett had messed up, he feels awful about how things went between him and Faith. He realizes that things haven’t been all that bad and that he has given Faith that greatest gift of all, and influential platform. He has done perhaps more of the work than anyone else in Faith’s life.
Greer is now at a point in her life where her career has taken off, her career is almost a direct mirror of Faith’s. “Tonight they were celebrating the fact that Greer Kadetsky’s book Outside Voices had just spent one full year on the bestseller list.” (Wolitzer 602). Greer finally got the success she has been looking for. Greer has manifested so much attention, but she still gets criticized and often publicly.
She gets criticized for her privileged idealism and inattention to worse issues that face the modern of feminism. It seems like Greer gets the same kind of adoration, attention, and praise as Faith Frank once did. This fills Greer with a sense of personal fortitude and socio political power. This all of what Greer wanted she worked hard for it and success found its way to her.
Now that Greer is marry to Cory, has a baby named Emilia, and a babysitter name Kay. Greer finds that she sees a lot of herself in Kay, it seems that she sees a similar dynamic blossoming between her and Kay, like what she once had with Faith. “I want you to know I think you’re great, Greer. I totally do.
My friends and I have read all your book and they’re impressed that I sit for you,” said benevolently” (Wolitzer 607). Although Kay is unlike the shy Greer who was willing to change her personality and opinions to better align with Faith. Kay has her own independent thoughts about feminism and is not afraid to express herself. With that Greer often wishes that she could contact her former mentor, but with things that ended badly between them.
“But lately, Greer had been wishing she could say something different to Faith.” (Wolitzer 623). Greer still deeply admires Faith, and with the realization that her hero was just an ordinary person like the rest of us with flaws too. Greer realizes that even with the complicated or with the moments that were upsetting with Faith were ultimately a service of goodness and advancement. Greer’s ability to be grateful for the way Faith had called her out on things has shown Greer that she has matured considerably and is able to see her past mistake a lot more cleary .
Greer now wonders if Kay will one day take her place as the mentor, that Kay will be the mentor to her daughter Emila. “Who is going to replace me? She though, shocked at first at the idea, and the finding it kind of funny, and relaxing into it.” (Wolitzer 624). By wondering, Greer wonders if she will slowly out live them all, Greer shows that the power dynamics and politics are constantly shifting.
Impling that even as Greer has risen to fame, she will always feel a deep sense of loss for Faith. The cycle continues of mentors, because it is destined to repeat it, with Greer’s daughter Emilia most likely to be mentor by Kay.
