Deenie
Encyclopedia
Deenie is a 1973
young adult
novel
written by Judy Blume
.
, and is prescribed a body brace to wear for the next four years. At the same time, Helen has fallen in love with Joey, a charming and romantic young gentleman who works for the family business (a gas station). Mrs. Fenner, upset that her plans for her daughters are coming undone, has Joey fired
and still exhorts Deenie to pursue a modeling career once she stops wearing the back brace. Though fearful that Helen will hate her because Mrs. Fenner said that Joey was let go because of the family's doctors' bills, Deenie is astonished to learn that Helen refuses to blame her for Joey's departure, and the sisters close ranks.
Though initially upset at having to wear the body brace, Deenie eventually resigns herself to her fate. She finds herself at peace with the idea of not becoming a model, and, inspired by her experience, begins to ponder a future career as an orthopedist, concluding that she never really wanted to be a model herself. The book concludes with Deenie asking her father to not wear the brace to a party, and though her mom is surprisingly relaxed about it, her father, who until now was rather mute about everything, firmly says 'no', rightfully pointing out that she'd want to not wear it for every special occasion if he gave in. In defiance, she brings a bag with clothes that fit her without the brace with the intention to change once she got to the party, but once there, Deenie changes her mind and leaves the brace on.
Other story arcs include Deenie's friendship with a girl whose eczema
alienates her, and Deenie's anxiety over whether her crush will still like her in spite of her back brace.
Deenie is named after the character Natalie Wood
played in Splendor in the Grass
. The movie itself was mentioned in description in the book, though the name of the movie was not, possibly due to copyright reasons.
and sexuality
. Deenie is on the American Library Association
list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990–2000 at forty-sixth.
The passages that are most frequently cited as reasons for removing the book from libraries are:
"[That week] I touched my special place practically every night. It was the only way I could fall asleep and besides, it felt good" [p. 79 in the 2005 Laurel-Leaf edition] and "Usually I take showers and get in and out as fast as possible. But the hot water [in the bathtub] was very relaxing and soon I began to enjoy it. I reached down and touched my special place with the washcloth. I rubbed and rubbed until I got that good feeling" [p. 129].
These, along with a discussion about menstruation
and masturbation [p. 79-82] led by a gym teacher, are the core of the objections to the novel. The book is otherwise usually described as insightful and accurate in portraying a young girl dealing with her diagnosis of scoliosis, as well as coming of age. Another important topic is of a parent or parents "pigeonholing" their kids into a profession they want them to go into, as was the case of Deenie's mother to both her and Helen, with the excuse that she "just wanted better" for them. In her words, "Is that so wrong?"
1973 in literature
The year 1973 in literature involved several significant events and the writing of many notable books.-Events:*September 25 - The funeral of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda becomes a focus for protests against the new government of Augusto Pinochet...
young adult
Young adult literature
Young-adult fiction or young adult literature , also juvenile fiction, is fiction written for, published for, or marketed to adolescents and young adults, roughly ages 14 to 21. The Young Adult Library Services of the American Library Association defines a young adult as "someone between the...
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
written by Judy Blume
Judy Blume
Judy Blume is an American author. She has written many novels for children and young adults which have exceeded sales of 80 million and been translated into 31 languages...
.
Plot summary
Deenie chronicles the life of thirteen-year-old Wilmadeene "Deenie" Fenner, whose mother is determined to have her become a model. At the same time, Deenie's 16-year-old sister, Helen, who is academically proficient, is being pushed by their mother to keep her grades up so that she can eventually become a doctor or lawyer. One day, Deenie is diagnosed with scoliosisScoliosis
Scoliosis is a medical condition in which a person's spine is curved from side to side. Although it is a complex three-dimensional deformity, on an X-ray, viewed from the rear, the spine of an individual with scoliosis may look more like an "S" or a "C" than a straight line...
, and is prescribed a body brace to wear for the next four years. At the same time, Helen has fallen in love with Joey, a charming and romantic young gentleman who works for the family business (a gas station). Mrs. Fenner, upset that her plans for her daughters are coming undone, has Joey fired
Termination of employment
-Involuntary termination:Involuntary termination is the employee's departure at the hands of the employer. There are two basic types of involuntary termination, known often as being "fired" and "laid off." To be fired, as opposed to being laid off, is generally thought of to be the employee's...
and still exhorts Deenie to pursue a modeling career once she stops wearing the back brace. Though fearful that Helen will hate her because Mrs. Fenner said that Joey was let go because of the family's doctors' bills, Deenie is astonished to learn that Helen refuses to blame her for Joey's departure, and the sisters close ranks.
Though initially upset at having to wear the body brace, Deenie eventually resigns herself to her fate. She finds herself at peace with the idea of not becoming a model, and, inspired by her experience, begins to ponder a future career as an orthopedist, concluding that she never really wanted to be a model herself. The book concludes with Deenie asking her father to not wear the brace to a party, and though her mom is surprisingly relaxed about it, her father, who until now was rather mute about everything, firmly says 'no', rightfully pointing out that she'd want to not wear it for every special occasion if he gave in. In defiance, she brings a bag with clothes that fit her without the brace with the intention to change once she got to the party, but once there, Deenie changes her mind and leaves the brace on.
Other story arcs include Deenie's friendship with a girl whose eczema
Eczema
Eczema is a form of dermatitis, or inflammation of the epidermis . In England, an estimated 5.7 million or about one in every nine people have been diagnosed with the disease by a clinician at some point in their lives.The term eczema is broadly applied to a range of persistent skin conditions...
alienates her, and Deenie's anxiety over whether her crush will still like her in spite of her back brace.
Deenie is named after the character Natalie Wood
Natalie Wood
Natalie Wood, born Natalia Nikolaevna Zacharenko was an American film and television actress. After first working in films as a child, Wood became a successful Hollywood star as a young adult, receiving three Academy Award nominations before she was 25 years old.Wood began acting in movies at the...
played in Splendor in the Grass
Splendor in the Grass
Splendor in the Grass is a 1961 romantic drama film that tells a story of sexual repression, love, heartbreak, and manic-depression, which the character Deanie suffers from...
. The movie itself was mentioned in description in the book, though the name of the movie was not, possibly due to copyright reasons.
Reception
This book, like many others written by Blume, has been banned in schools for themes deemed inappropriate for adolescents; in this case, talk about masturbationMasturbation
Masturbation refers to sexual stimulation of a person's own genitals, usually to the point of orgasm. The stimulation can be performed manually, by use of objects or tools, or by some combination of these methods. Masturbation is a common form of autoeroticism...
and sexuality
Human sexuality
Human sexuality is the awareness of gender differences, and the capacity to have erotic experiences and responses. Human sexuality can also be described as the way someone is sexually attracted to another person whether it is to opposite sexes , to the same sex , to either sexes , or not being...
. Deenie is on the American Library Association
American Library Association
The American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....
list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990–2000 at forty-sixth.
The passages that are most frequently cited as reasons for removing the book from libraries are:
"[That week] I touched my special place practically every night. It was the only way I could fall asleep and besides, it felt good" [p. 79 in the 2005 Laurel-Leaf edition] and "Usually I take showers and get in and out as fast as possible. But the hot water [in the bathtub] was very relaxing and soon I began to enjoy it. I reached down and touched my special place with the washcloth. I rubbed and rubbed until I got that good feeling" [p. 129].
These, along with a discussion about menstruation
Menstruation
Menstruation is the shedding of the uterine lining . It occurs on a regular basis in sexually reproductive-age females of certain mammal species. This article focuses on human menstruation.-Overview:...
and masturbation [p. 79-82] led by a gym teacher, are the core of the objections to the novel. The book is otherwise usually described as insightful and accurate in portraying a young girl dealing with her diagnosis of scoliosis, as well as coming of age. Another important topic is of a parent or parents "pigeonholing" their kids into a profession they want them to go into, as was the case of Deenie's mother to both her and Helen, with the excuse that she "just wanted better" for them. In her words, "Is that so wrong?"
Characters
- Deenie Fenner — The main character who is thirteen and gorgeous.
- "Aunt" Rae — Deenie's mother's best friend
- Janet — One of Deenie's best friends
- Midge — Another of Deenie's best friends
- Helen — Deenie's sister
- Buddy Brader — A boy Deenie has a crush on.
- Steve — A boy Janet has a crush on.
- Harvey — The President of the School and also Janet's love interest
- Thelma — Deenie's mother.
- Frank — Deenie's father.
- Joe — Works at the garage with Deenie's father. Has a brief love interlude with Helen until he is fired.
- Barbara — a friend of Deenie's who suffers from eczemaEczemaEczema is a form of dermatitis, or inflammation of the epidermis . In England, an estimated 5.7 million or about one in every nine people have been diagnosed with the disease by a clinician at some point in their lives.The term eczema is broadly applied to a range of persistent skin conditions...
. - Susan — an obnoxious classmate of Deenie's who always copies everything she does
- Eileen Rappoport — Deenie's gym teacher