Social Commentary and Human Relationship Themes in The Cure for Dreaming by Cat Winters

Feminism: noun

"the advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men."

     In 1866 Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton form the American Equal Rights Association with the goal of suffrage for all. 1869- the women's rights movement splits into two main groups: the  "radical" New York-based National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) and the more conservative Boston based American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA). 1890- under Elizabeth Cady Stanton's leadership The NWSA and the AWSA are combined again to form the  National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA).  Women everywhere are fighting for the growing movement and take what is rightfully theirs.

1.      Its 1900 and  headstrong, teen, suffragist Olivia Mead's life is about to take an unexpected turn when the mysterious, young magician Monsieur Henri Reverie comes to Oregon. After her mother left her as a child to escape to the freedoms of New York City, Olivia was left to live under the strict rule of her anti-suffrage father, Dr. Mead. In a quest to keep Olivia from becoming like her mother, and keeping her as a "proper young lady", Dr. Mead seeks out Henri to hypnotize the rebelliousness out of her. However Henri has other plans and secretly gives the Olivia the ability to see others "as they truly are". With this ,Olivia makes a horrific discovery that people are not always what they seem, and many appear to be "monsters"... Including her father. 
2.      The Cure for Dreaming by Cat Winters is a coming of age story of a teen suffragist and how her whole perspective of the world changes in, quite literally, the blink of an eye. She learns about not depending on what others think of you to lead your life and how someone should never be judged right away because no one is almost ever what they really seem. Through Henri and his sister Genevieve's heartbreaking story she learns the importance of family, blood related or not. 
3.      I ride my bike everywhere it is my main source of transportation when the weather is nice. I wear jeans or shorts any where I go without a second thought. In the book Olivia dreams about a pair of women's bicycle bloomers she saw one day in a shop, but her father forbids her to own something so "improper". The women in this time period lives revolve around what men proper and are thought of a social pariahs if they act otherwise. But as Olivia's visions become more extreme and her father more and more rigid, she begins to break free from societies standards and does what she believes is right.
4.      In the book you learn that Henri and Genevieve are orphans and Henri is paying for his sister's cancer treatment. It is estimated that about 153 million children in the world have lost one or both parents. These children range from infants to teenagers and are not all in orphanages or adoption centers but left in the streets to fend for themselves. Henri's story is a small representation of what many children's lives are like in the world.

     In conclusion, Olivia learns that there will always be a standard for everything in life but the best way to thrive is to do what you believe is right and to accept those who are different because everyone is fighting for a cause, common or not. Olivia's struggles in society shocked me, but made me realize that society now is still not completely accepting women as equals. In many third-world countries girls are still not allowed to go to school, something Olivia was able to do in the early 1900s, let alone vote. Even in America, where women make up almost half the workforce and receive more college and graduate degrees than men, women continue to receive less pay than men. According to a study done in 2013 women earn, on average, 78 cents to every dollar a man makes, creating a gender wage gap of 22%. In America, where it claims everyone is created equal, why are women still discriminated against? 

     Olivia's story, though it takes place over 100 years ago, still rings true in a large amount of society. I believe the author wants the reader to realize that Olivia's story is still being written around them and for them to help write the end of her story because the fight for women's rights is still on.

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