Tina Fey Bossypants Summary Sparknotes

Bossypants, an autobiographical book, tells the story of author Tina Fey as she faces new college romances and odd jobs. While the book is written a comedic tone, Fey presents and new perspective on women in the world. Particularly, the book liberates women from the typical role they play in literature. Rather than displaying women as vulnerable and an object of desire, Fey defines women as a diverse yet strong group. Overall, Tina Fey’s portrayal of women is refreshing to read as it gives a modern outlook of women in society. In Bossypants by Tina Fey, women are freed from their typical role in literature as they are portrayed as strong, which defies the usual perspective of women in literature.

Through each story, Fey explains how women

Bossypants completely takes on a new perspective that I have never been exposed to. Tina’s writing style is comedic, sarcastic, and extremely personal. She writes, “This is what I tell young women who ask me for career advice. People are going to try to trick you. To make you feel that you are in competition with one another… Don't be fooled. You're not in competition with other women. You're in competition with everyone.” (88). Her ability to interest the reader with comedy, but also deliver important messages to women, is something that contrasts greatly from the typical portrayal of women. For instance, in Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, Curley’s wife is a perfect example of the typical portrayal of women in literature. She is portrayed as a beautiful and promiscuous women and throughout the book, she is treated like an animal by the men on the ranch. She is described in the book as a pretty women that the men are fascinated by. Infact, Steinbeck does not even give her a real name, but rather is referred to as an object of her husband’s possession. Curley’s wife is a character that completely embodies the typical role women are thought to hold. Bossypants versus Of Mice and Men shows the difference between male and female authors, as they portray women differently in each text. Steinbeck’s book represents what women often represent in literature; the weak object of desire. However, women