Liza Mundy’s literary nonfiction – Code girls tells “the true story of the American Women who secretly broke codes in World War 2”, showcasing their intelligence, resilience, and the impact of their work on the war effort. The story narrates from female code breaker’s perspective rather than male soldier’s view on World War 2, which is very rare in non-fictions. Through this book, Liza Mundy depicted a time when women were not welcomed in high-level work environment. which is rare in nonfiction. Mundy highlights a time when women faced severe sexism, discrimination, and unequal treatment in high-level work environments. Her words made readers reflect on these ongoing social issues in today’s society. Through the unit “Stranger Than Fiction,” I have gained a deeper understanding of this book and found it truly inspiring. Here are some of my notebook pages that demonstrate my thinking.
In a mini lesson where we studied the causes and effects in our book, I identified World War II as the main cause in my book that allowed the story to unfold. With men going off to war, women were left to take on the “backstage” jobs. As I delved into the effects it creates, I also found another side of World War 2’s tragedy. Shown on the bottom of the page.
I was surprised to see how war could lead to a change in society and a conceptual change on women. This helped me find a central idea that kept echoing throughout the book: Women had encountered many difficulties in workspace. There is always a hard process when fighting for equal rights, especially when trying to change a situation that has lasted for hundreds of years. Women at that time was paid less, respected less and had less opportunities. Here is how I organized my thinking:
The women’s heavy workload reminded me of the word “responsibility.” This leads me to another theme in the book: Responsibility can come with a lot of pressure, but it also provides opportunities for growth and empowerment. As the image displayed below, I have found seven pieces of evidences throughout the book to support this idea, which I explained in blue. The quotes are divided into two parts: the top part shows the pressure they faced, while the bottom part highlights the fulfillment and growth the women gained from their jobs.
I found the lesson on descriptive passages fascinating, especially when I didn’t expect to explore this topic in a nonfiction book like Code Girls. I discovered that the author used descriptive language to construct scenes and convey her perspective on specific topics. This lesson deepened my understanding of the two central ideas/themes I mentioned earlier. I have shared my reflections on the page below.
Thank you for reading my blog. I enjoyed the reading journey throughout this book. Book club really is a great way to read, my favorite time in this unit was the discussions we did. It is very interesting to view different people’s perspectives in reading this book. I would recommend Code Girls to people seeking to explore women’s social perfective and the history of feminism.
Recent Comments