Who's a 'Modern Girl?' Textbook Meant For School Children Says She's 'Self-Centered and Only Cares For Fashion'
"A modern girl is too selfish to think about others. Only latest fashions and cosmetics are very dear to her."
"A modern girl is too selfish to think about others. Only latest fashions and cosmetics are very dear to her."
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How would you define a 'modern' girl? Well, doesn't matter what your idea of 'modern' is, but a textbook that is "intended for I.C.S.E, I.S.C, C.B.S.E Secondary and Higher Secondary School Students" believes that a modern girl is "too selfish to think about others." And what does she care about? "Only latest fashions and cosmetics are very dear to her."
The book of essays called "Current School Essays and Letters" is meant for 15-16 year-old school children.
The essay begins like this, "The girl in the modern age is generally very smart, intelligent, conscious and fashionable."
So far, nothing wrong. Though we would like to point out smartness or intelligence are no co-related to being fashionable. You can be one without being the other.
"She is always imitating the male in fashion, ambition and professional endeavors."
And there it is - second sentence and the all too familiar patriarchy resurfacing in no time.
"The colourful sarees have no place in a modern girl's stock of garments."
After the second sentence, the entire essay is just a steep drop into a series of statements that seem like jilted accusations at women.
Things like, "The modern girl is no longer shy, obedient and homely creature as she used to be." and "She is more a self-centred creature than a loving daughter or sympathetic sister. She is eager to enjoy life fully and so she does not want to miss any party, cinema show, concert, fashion parades and such like outdoor activities. She talks and makes friendship with boys freely and easily."
Well, hey, first off, no one should be subjected to the terrible grammar and spelling of the essay. Also, is the author trying to say that the modern girl should be jailed?
"A modern girl is too selfish to think about others. Only latest fashions and cosmetics are very dear to her."
As if accusing a woman of immoral things wasn't enough, the essay also puts the onus on the 'modern girl's' parents. "It is true that the parents are partly responsible for the self-centered nature of their daughters. A girl child should be guided how to behave at home."
The photos of this essay were originally shared by a man who noticed the essay in his cousin's book.
Not only is the essay in the book dripping with thinly-concealed hate and prejudice, it is also scary that this is something people are un-ironically learning - as part of their education.
The Internet, rightly, called out the essay.
And while all this is exasperating, guess what we found? The writer of the essay itself is a woman.
This is 2018, and we should have been over this chapter of vilifying a woman for having a mind of their own a long, long, time ago.
The book of essays called "Current School Essays and Letters" is meant for 15-16 year-old school children.
The essay begins like this, "The girl in the modern age is generally very smart, intelligent, conscious and fashionable."
So far, nothing wrong. Though we would like to point out smartness or intelligence are no co-related to being fashionable. You can be one without being the other.
"She is always imitating the male in fashion, ambition and professional endeavors."
And there it is - second sentence and the all too familiar patriarchy resurfacing in no time.
"The colourful sarees have no place in a modern girl's stock of garments."
After the second sentence, the entire essay is just a steep drop into a series of statements that seem like jilted accusations at women.
Things like, "The modern girl is no longer shy, obedient and homely creature as she used to be." and "She is more a self-centred creature than a loving daughter or sympathetic sister. She is eager to enjoy life fully and so she does not want to miss any party, cinema show, concert, fashion parades and such like outdoor activities. She talks and makes friendship with boys freely and easily."
Well, hey, first off, no one should be subjected to the terrible grammar and spelling of the essay. Also, is the author trying to say that the modern girl should be jailed?
"A modern girl is too selfish to think about others. Only latest fashions and cosmetics are very dear to her."
As if accusing a woman of immoral things wasn't enough, the essay also puts the onus on the 'modern girl's' parents. "It is true that the parents are partly responsible for the self-centered nature of their daughters. A girl child should be guided how to behave at home."
The photos of this essay were originally shared by a man who noticed the essay in his cousin's book.
Not only is the essay in the book dripping with thinly-concealed hate and prejudice, it is also scary that this is something people are un-ironically learning - as part of their education.
The Internet, rightly, called out the essay.
What a disgusting definition of modern girl! Students should unlearn this if already they have learned from the book. pic.twitter.com/MONJdSFbkh
— taslima nasreen (@taslimanasreen) August 21, 2018
Wow this is not parody. The definition of a "modern girl" in a school essay book, via @mtanmay from the wall of Abhik Hazra. Modern girls are apparently "self-centred creatures". https://t.co/6cNunsA4ME pic.twitter.com/HMnX4QTlrx — Rituparna Chatterjee (@MasalaBai) August 20, 2018
"A modern girl is too selfish to think about others. Only latest fashion and cosmetics are dear to her". A textbook intended for ICSE & CBSE board by a nanny called Purani Chakraborty. #Shameless #trash @derekobrienmp @HRDMinistry #cisce #CBSE @TheOpIndian @Manekagandhibjp pic.twitter.com/8BsAM5haYS
— Soma Basu (@sbasu_in) August 20, 2018
Current School Essays and Letters by Purabi Chakraborty has misleading, damaging content on the essay "The Modern Girl". Can we together stop for misguiding young minds 🙏#misleadingcontent @narendramodi @SushmaSwaraj @Manekagandhibjp pic.twitter.com/YoCS5qiwhY — MBordoloi (@Priyaz27) August 21, 2018
And while all this is exasperating, guess what we found? The writer of the essay itself is a woman.
This is 2018, and we should have been over this chapter of vilifying a woman for having a mind of their own a long, long, time ago.
Seriously????
(Sent by a batchmate) pic.twitter.com/qvywsfXvR7
— Rema Rajeshwari IPS (@rama_rajeswari) August 21, 2018