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“Women – they have minds, and they have souls, as well as just hearts.”

Ayla Batz Student Contributor, St. Bonaventure University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SBU chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

“Little Women” remains in the top three of my favorite movies. The movie is inspiring and heartfelt. It is also about sisterhood highlighting the four girls, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy.

While the story is beautiful and entertaining, it touches on feminism while showing the struggle of being a woman during the Civil War period. You will be sure to laugh, cry, and smile during this film. If you have not watched it, seriously what are you doing?

This story is impactful. This story was set years ago, yet some of these quotes I can apply to myself still. Isn’t that weird? We have made progress but really how much? Women are still judged, used, criticized, ignored, belittled, hidden, and unappreciated.

Words are important. So here are my favorite words from some wise women.

“The world is hard on ambitious girls” and “Why be ashamed of what you want?”

-Amy

Both quotes are perfect. Sometimes if we know what we want, it will be questioned by other people. Sometimes we know what we want, and it’s judged. We are intelligent but never heard. We have strong ideas and creative brains, but society might not even listen. Ambition is one of the most powerful things a person can have and should never be wasted, especially because of others.

“Just because my dreams are different than yours doesn’t make them unimportant”

-Meg

For context, Meg dreams of having a family and getting married. This is the stereotypical dream that all women “should” have. This is the standard that was set. Sometimes, women do want a life like this, but not because that is what society says, but because that’s where their heart belongs. The dream you choose does not make you unintelligent or less than anyone else.

“Women – they have minds, and they have souls, as well as just hearts. And they’ve got ambition, and they’ve got talent, as well as just beauty. I’m so sick of people saying that love is just all a woman is fit for. I’m so sick of it.”

-Jo

I have never had a boyfriend. However, it has never been the right time, so I am not necessarily upset about it. I have spent 18 years of my life building myself without a relationship. I have focused on myself first. I understand what I want and what I look for in the future. I will love myself before I love anyone else. I will not be known because of my boyfriend or my husband, I will be known because of my good doings.

“Girls have to go into the world and make up their own minds about things”

-Marmee

We are our own people. We can figure things out ourselves. We have the right to our own opinions about people, hobbies, jobs, religion, politics, and the world. Society cannot and will not tell us how to think or act. We are independent and will strive because of it.

Ayla Batz is a second-year member and Social Media Co-chair for St. Bonaventure's chapter of Her Campus. Ayla plans to write about college life, fashion, mental health, movies/tv shows, girlhood, and more.

Ayla is a sophomore majoring in Strategic Communication with a minor in Marketing. She has a small clay jewelry business, AMae's Clays, where she creates fun and intricate pieces. She loves to run the social media page for that as well. AMae's Clays is what led her on the path of studying communications. Her dream is to work in the fashion or beauty industry one day. You can also find her on campus with the SBU Dance Team for her third semester!

While not in class or at Her Campus, Ayla likes to hang out with friends and family, make crafts, play games, listen to music and explore nature. You can also find her wrapped up in a good show...currently she is obsessing over One Tree Hill and Big Brother!