The Girls by Emma Cline generates a rather strong feeling of uneasiness and fear for both strangers and oneself. It shows how easy it is to lose oneself in the madness that is disguised as love, acceptanc,e and boundless freedom. The author portrays people just the way they are. The characters of the novel suffer from their insecurities, loneliness, sexual desires and complexes. It is so easy to recognize oneself in them that it gets scaring.
In spite of the fact that Evie is a protagonist of the novel, there is nothing special about her. She is just a teenage girl who has a huge crush on her best friend’s older brother, wants to be attractive and brave like the popular girls are and, of course, doesn’t want her family to split up. Unfortunately, some dreams are doomed to die unfulfilled. The 70s are still remembered as a decade of freedom and love by the majority of people, but Evie can’t forget them because of completely different reasons. Driven by her loneliness, both hurt and inspired by her mother and father’s neglectfulness, Evie joins a group of people who consider themselves chosen ones. They believe in having secret knowledge that others are unable to understand. Just like any other sect or cult, there is a leader, the one they worship and serve. It is Russell in this story.
This is an allusion to Charles Manson, his gang, and the murders they committed. The whole story is told from the perspective of Evie, which gives the readers a chance to have a glimpse at the reasons that make people join cults. Although she is just a fictional character, the author does endow the girl with the traits that the prevailing number of cult members share. It is like a reminder for all of us to be attentive and sincere with others. Evie is responsible for her carelessness, but she is a teenager and it would be strange to expect her to think over every pros and cons of the decision she makes. But her parents are not children and it is their obligation to protect Evie from decisions she is going to regret later. They are too self-absorbed to even notice that their one and only child doesn’t sleep at home. Parenthood is one of the most difficult jobs and one just can’t allow oneself to do it half-heartedly.
There are many people who are disappointed in life, some of them have rather compelling reasons for that, but it can’t justify horrible crimes they commit. Some members of cults deserve pity, for one has to be unhappy, unsatisfied or just sick to join any group that doesn’t shrug at killing innocent people, but the crimes that they do should not be forgotten. This story shows how important it is not to make oneself an idol. Evie’s life proves that it is a rather painful process to come to terms with oneself after such a destructive experience like that. The worst thing is that a feeling of fear is going to become a constant companion. To be afraid of people and oneself is the most painful torture.
