My Little Comma

Flipping through the pages of “Twentysomething Essays by Twentysomething Writers” led me through a swarm of issues that "twentysomethings" face. One word. Numerous.

Intrigued by the idea of a life crisis, I stopped at one story in particular by Elrena Evans called "My Little Comma." In the narrative, Evans describes the challenge of balancing family time with career aspirations. She has rigorous personal and professional goals, and her gender adds a whole new dimension to the dilemma of fitting all desires into the short time period we call "life." Through her twisted and repetitive references to the monotony of caring for a young baby, it becomes apparent that Evans has a pit in her stomach: she can't take back the child she already has, whom she loves very much.

I believe this child causes the onset of a life-crisis.

Although Evans never explicitly states her emotional panic, I think she is entrenched in it. She contradicts herself often by expressing her utmost desire to get a degree and maintain a professional life while also wanting "to leave the university" (210). She is self-conscious of others' perceptions of her, asking her audience, "Could I go to a cocktail party, hold my head up high, and introduce myself as a stay-at-home mom?" She wearily validates her authority as a mother by asking "I make milk; what's your superpower?" (206)

How do women balance the their individual aspirations with the needs of their family? What happens when priorities are suddenly forced to change? What will it take for women and men to work together to re-write the social norms that determine our life-story before we even live it? I feel as though women, trapped by society's expectations, hide some of their true hopes and dreams, and I plan on exploring the panic this particular age group experiences as a result.