Debra Ollivier's Inner French Girl

Paper Summary:

This paper reviews the book "Entre Nous: Woman's Guide to Finding Her Inner French Girl," by Debra Ollivier, on the cultural difference between French and American women. The writer describes how Ollivier portrays both types of women and explains that it reveals an opinionated and somewhat stereotypical representation of both parties. The writer shows that Ollivier regards the French woman as more mature, desirable and self-assured than her American counterpart, who is bound by Puritan morality, consumerism and commercial ideals. Some suggestions are made as to how Ollivier could have improved her book, but concludes that Ollivier's book is important because it attests that the American woman needs to adopt a more relaxed attitude toward life.

From the Paper:

"From the account of Ollivier, the French woman's mystique is based on some basic truths, which are generally universal and have little to do with the reality of French women as such, or for that matter, any particular woman. Ollivier describes a long list of attributes that presumably characterize the French woman. The most central of these are the following: (1) she is self-possessed; (2) she is self-contained; (3) she is not ashamed of her figure; (4) she takes pleasure in the "now; (5) she values quality over quantity; and (6) she is discretionary in her relationships to others."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Ollivier, Debra. Entre nous: a woman's guide to finding her inner French girl. Published by St. Martin's Press, 2003

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