Five Cows And A Calf

According to Ensler, “to embody the wish or will of somebody other than yourself refers to “please”. In some way this book is connected to word please. There are poems and some of the stories in this book that talk about how girls should please others or how girl should look that would please others. A lot of the girls in this world do things according to others rather than their selves. Girl’s think of ways that how they should make their selves look good or prettier that would please others.  This is one of the reasons that girls have to face these difficulties in this world. They shouldn’t think about others. They should focus on what they want in life, what are their goals, and how they should make their selves stronger, so that no man can look at them evilly. Girls should be strong enough to make their own decisions and if needed show their family the right path also.

In Emotional Creature, Five cows and a calf is one of best stories. I think this story has both negative and positive phases. It a story of girl named “Mary”, who is fifteen years old living in Kenya. She tells the reader her story, when she was fourteen years old.  Her family lives on blood and milk. They keep cows. Her father is a powerful man, who has at least forty children. Her father sold several of her sisters by marrying them to old men. He sold them for cows.  Her sisters were cut with razors before they became wives. When her father became poor and the cows were dying, he thought of selling Mary. Mary was afraid of going with that old man. She couldn’t imagine being with him, so she ran away looking for the Rescue Center for girls. After walking through the wild sounds, she reached Mama Naanyo. Over there, she went to school and learned about herself. He learned that she can be anything she wants and she can do all those things that boys can do. She can make her own decisions and her father has no right to sell her. After a year, Mama Naanyo made her realize that she is strong enough and she can face her father. When she comes back home, her father looked so much older and weaker. She stood there like a strong confident girl. Everyone cried and hugged each other. Her father thanked Mama Naanyo for making his daughter respectable. Then, he was ready to accept Marry back in the family. The family was together after and they celebrated it. Then, Mary remembers that her father was selling her for five cows, a calf, and a couple of blankets. But, now that she is educated, she can earn more money. Mary dreams about building her father a house and taking care of the family. I think it was a great positive story for the reader. It’s an inspiration for the teen girls or every girl who think that she is just a burden and she let happen whatever happens with them.  This girl Mary is an inspiration for us, because instead of giving up and going with the old man, she chose the right path. The path that changed her life and showed her father that girls can do anything they want. They can take care of the family, probably in a more proper way than men. I think this story is the core of this book. Girls should be confidence and strong enough to make the right decision in their lives.

I think this is a good book. It forces a girl to think about her identity, her desires, her needs, and her capability of facing the world. Some of the poems are well written. They are the answer to those girls, who are unaware of these facts. I think every teen girl must read this book. It’s a good book to begin a new and healthy life. According to Ensler, “this book is call to listen to the voice inside you that might want something different, that hears, that knows, the way only you can hear and know. It’s a call to your original girl self, to your emotional creature self, to move at the speed, to walk with your step, to wear you color”. I agree with her. This books has great facts about girls, those will help these girls to overcome the obstacles in their lives.