Comparing

[mary dea]

I feel like there is a distinct difference between Sondra’s memoir and Nora’s. Sondra is facing a fear of hers as is Nora, but from a much different position. While I admired Sondra’s vulnerability in facing the group of people without faces that she was taught to hate, I found myself being nervous for Nora as she faced down what might very well have been a dragon. Sondra’s journey was one of connection as was Nora’s, but the tone was drastically different. Sondra was finding faces and stories to broaden her world view while Nora was facing stories to confirm or destroy hers. I loved both of these memoirs for very different reasons. As I have stated many times, I appreciate Sondra’s vulnerability and willingness to share her story with others. I am haunted by the pictures, letters, and documents that Nora brings into her memoir. I guess Krug’s memoir was more for herself than anything else while Sondra’s was from the perspective of a teacher – one who wants to share with a clear purpose of educating others. Not that Krug’s memoir didn’t educate me, it did, but I am not sure that was her primary goal.

[Sondra Perl]

Really interesting differences….I hadn’t thought about the memoirs in this way, especially about the different purposes. 🙂

[Author]

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