Joan Jett may not have given a damn about her bad reputation, but Deanna definitely does in Story of a Girl. Why? Because it's totally undeserved. Sure she fooled around with an older boy when she was thirteen, but at sixteen she's practically a born-again virgin—yet she still has to go to school every day and hear the latest version of what a skanky, crazy "slut" she is. While Tommy's a stud, Deanna's practically a ruined woman, left to dream of having a nice, loving boyfriend like the "good" girls have… someone like Jason.
Questions About Respect/Reputation
- Why doesn't Deanna tell her side of the story, just like Tommy told his?
- Is it worse to have your dad think you're promiscuous, or your peers? (We know Deanna has both problems, but if you had to pick one.)
- Why is Lee so clueless about Deanna's anger when Lee tries to talk to her about sex? Does she not get what Deanna's been through, or does she just not think it matters anymore?
- Even though Deanna knows what her dad thinks of her, it really hurts when she realizes he thinks she'd sleep with her forty-six-year-old boss. Why is this even worse than his thinking she'd sleep with another teenage boy?
Chew on This
Deanna wouldn't feel so awful around Jason and Lee if Tommy hadn't treated her the way he did. Her unrequited feelings for Jason just couldn't bother her as much.
Deanna's reputation is one of the reasons Jason doesn't want to get with her, but he'd never tell her that.