Eve Ensler wrote The Vagina Monologues with the intent to not only celebrate femininity and raise awareness of the mistreatment of women, but to maybe incite feelings of shock and other reactions. This is clear in not only the language Ensler uses, such as words as controversial as "cunt", and the advertising endorsed for the performances of the monologues. Ensler posted the word "Vagina" in vibrant, large red lettering on buses, billboards, and other forms of advertising to stir up any audience who would see it. And all this occurs before one even indulges in the novel.
The Vagina Monologues epitomizes the type of book that is described by the cliche, "unable to put down" while reading. Ensler's novel is entertaining because of its content and especially its shock value. Its scandalous nature easily peaks interest in its audiences, much as we saw illustrated by our own class in discussions of the novel. Many shared reactions of discomfort, shock, humor, and a jubilee of others. Regardless of what was being felt, the point remains that Ensler was able to incite true emotion in her readers, and more so, effectively get across and communicate the points she wished to.
Personally, when I read some of the monologues, as alien as some of the concepts were to me, being a teen male, however, they were communicated in such a shocking way, I was able to still somehow relate through my inability to initially relate. By forcing me to feel shock, Ensler was also coercing me to understand that I did not understand the material, and look more deeply into it and try to be empathetic towards the entire female population. Without summoning genuine reactions from her audiences, Ensler may not have had the success she did with The Vagina Monologues and the V-Day movement.
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