Women and Men Are Taught to Play Roles

Melton’s memoir talks about the idea that women and men are taught to play roles, and those roles are governed by strict sets of rules. Even as a young child she knows that there are certain rules a girl is supposed to follow to be liked. Girls are to be small, pretty, simple, and pleasing to the people around them. She knows that showing her intelligence makes people uncomfortable because it makes her complicated. When her body begins to change in ways that do not allow her to conform to the rules, Melton to tries to numb herself through binge eating, then purging so as not to grow any larger.

As a teenager, Melton discovers that she can hide her true self behind clothing and makeup by playing a role. She calls this role her representative and it allowed her...