Review: A Sentimental Education by Hannah McGregor

How do we care ferociously for one another without demanding that we become collectively legible to one another?

This is a very interesting essay collection because it truly acts as an ongoing dialogue. None of its points are absolute—each chapter acts more as a raised question.

While the collection is rooted in ideas of feminism, its more specific subjects are quandaries I hadn't considered before. For instance, the titular essay, "A Sentimental Education," ponders the value of sentimentality, the concept of the anecdote, and later furthers these points in the essay "#Relatable." I've always been someone who values anecdotal evidence in understanding societal issues, but this piece effectively discusses why that and sympathy itself are inherently drenched in white femininity. Cited in the text, Kyla Schuller calls the perception of excess sympathy a "technology of whiteness" that allowed white people to be perceived as the "sole representatives of civilization." Because so often in history, Hannah McGregor concludes, "the world [only] changes when white women feel sad about it."

While for many this may be uncomfortable to read or sound a little too absolute, McGregor makes sure to explore arguments for and against each of her theses. It is true that we must recognize the systemic privilege that allows sentimental narratives to function within society the way they do, but we also cannot deny the value of stories as a whole. (Though the concept of "story" has been warped by the media landscape into something that can also be harmful.) And we must also consider the impact of how these narratives function within a capitalist system—which voices ever even get the chance to be heard. The more I write here, the more McGregor's arguments splinter out, and that's what I wish to applaud this collection for doing: Not trying to decide if sentimental stories are good or bad... [Dwelling], instead, in the gloriously messy process of collective meaning-making.

I must admit that what initially drew me to this collection was an excerpt I saw covering Jo March in Greta Gerwig's 2019 adaptation of Little Women. I am happy to report that section did not disappoint.

The final topics of this book stray a bit from the beginning, but are equally interesting. Similarly to another book I'm currently reading (The Other Significant Others), the later essays delve into the frustrations and challenges of marriage being the only form of care recognized by the state and how that makes maintaining other types of support systems much more difficult. Always gonna love an essay on that, so no complaints.

Overall, a collection that truly allows its readers to think. The issue of sentimentality is uncomfortable at times, but that's why it's important to discuss. And its extension into the issue of "relatability" is a concept I think many older generations struggle to understand right now. People shouldn't have to explain themselves to you in a way you understand, because that implies that your version of understanding is superior. Same goes for grammar, ways of speaking, etc. The linguistic aspect is not something discussed by McGregor, but something I think relates based on what I've studied in the past. There should be no "prescriptively correct" form of speaking. If a form of grammar functions, it is correct. Just because it's not the one you use, doesn't make it wrong. If you think that it does, you have some reflecting to do. And not everything has to be comfortable or have an answer. Not every discussion is an argument. Okay sorry I'm getting a bit off topic, but I've found this to be such a problem when talking to older people about big concepts! Our generation (at least within my university and social circles) enjoys pondering, or has been taught how to have a debate without it getting instantly defensive and unproductive. Haven't found it to be the same when talking to people who have been out of the classroom for a while.

Maybe reading this book and sitting with it instead of yelling at it could foster some progress.