The Gilmore Book Club

We all have our obsessions: the latest binge-worthy show, a celebrity, a series of books that has created its own world. One of my obsessions, besides Gilmore Girls, of course, has been Elizabeth I. You might even call it a fascination- with everything she was and everything she did. Elizabeth I has definitely hit “role model status” in my mind, along with many writers, historical figures, and artists. But when I stepped back and surveyed each and every one of these people, I realized there was something missing. In fact, a lot was missing.

In describing the origins and lives of those I admire and respect, I’ve admitted that all of these people that first come to my mind, are English. In my admiration for them, I’ve ignored an entire world’s worth of stories, lessons, and people that deserve my respect as equally as those whom I’ve already mentioned. While the entire world could turn into a never-ending subject range of which to dedicate myself, I should at the very least, learn about those from my own country, about the people who directly and indirectly shaped the life I live.

Eleanor Roosevelt’s early years seem so similar to others in the New York society. A few years after Eleanor had finished school, she married Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and though it seemed like true love, their marriage had its heartbreaks. Sara Roosevelt, Eleanor’s mother-in-law, controlled much of Eleanor’s life, from choosing a home to decorating it and staffing it. Sara even lived right next door to the newlywed’s apartments. And a marital affair loomed in the distance, unseen as of yet.

The Eleanor I knew spoke up about injustice, welcomed those whom society rejected, and was a central figure in the history and politics of the United States of America. But the Eleanor behind all these extraordinary titles was so different than what I had imagined. Here was a woman plagued with everyday problems we all face: meddlesome in-laws, raising a family, finding her true purpose. Here was, well, a woman- not an invincible hero or a perfect goddess, but a human being with all the trials that are attributed to our mortal and imperfect world. Our society is so quick to judge, even when a judgement is favorable, that we often fail to see the entire picture or consider a person’s entire life. Though my research on Elizabeth I was more extensive than usual, I could easily fall into my habit of loving the summary of her story rather than paying attention to every single chapter. I’m sure much of the world has experienced a similar opinion when it comes to their heroes or to people we think we know, much like Eleanor Roosevelt.

I began to see just Eleanor: a woman who labored through tragedies and prejudice, just like so many other women do. For a woman who is so outspoken about freedom, justice, and truth in her later years, it pained me to see how suffocating her early adulthood had really been. In fact, it wasn’t until after Eleanor and her husband moved away from New York City in response to Franklin’s growing political career, that Eleanor began to educate herself about politics and begin to flourish in projects of her own. As I heard the story of her early years unfold, I kept thinking, “I know exactly how she feels”. Of course, I can’t know exactly how she feels, but despite different circumstances and different periods of time, her sentiments were remarkably similar to mine: her yearning for love, desire for knowledge and truth, and willingness to choose the path not taken. But these thoughts and feelings aren’t just particular to myself and to Eleanor Roosevelt, but to so many others, not just in the present day, but in the past as well.

So many others who have chosen to forge ahead through difficult terrain, not because they saw the action as brave, but because they saw it as necessary, because they knew it to be the best path to a better world. So many others who have come before me to make changes that have shaped the world I live in.

In my devotion to Elizabeth I and my other British heroes, I've made a large mistake. I've neglected the other stories and teachings of the women with the same strength and will who deserve my reverence and their rightful place in history just as much as Elizabeth I. I’ve lived in America my entire life, and though I’ve studied American history and literature in school, I never really revered it as much as I did the history, people, and writings of England.

We honor our predecessors by devoting our time to educating ourselves about their lives and to experiencing their writings and offerings to the world. I clearly excel at honoring British history, but I should devote as much reverence and attention not only to the literature and history of other countries, but to that of my own country as well. And it starts here, with Eleanor Roosevelt.

Eleanor Roosevelt was a woman out of place in her own time. With political aspirations, modern ways of thinking, and an independent personality, she did not fit the traditional mold of a politician’s wife. It’s the breaking of that mold that makes her, and any other woman for that matter, special. We don’t fill history books with tales of women who did exactly as they were told and never stepped beyond their boundaries. We don’t idolize women who accepted their world exactly the way it was. We love those that dared to be different, for in our differences there is immeasurable beauty.

RORY RECOMMENDED READING

If you liked this post and this book, here’s what to read next!