Girls Who Persist and Resist: Resistance in Girlhood Studies and Girls’ Literature

Abstract

As we write this introduction, we are watching a viral moment of a girl’s resistance – made even more powerful because of her personal record of persistence – unfold in real time. We are referring to Greta Thunberg. On December 27, 2022, nineteen-year-old Thunberg replied to a tweet sent to her by professional misogynist Andrew Tate. His tweet, obviously intended to mock Thunberg’s longstanding commitment to environmental activism, stated, “Please provide your email address so I can send a complete list of my car collection and their respective enormous emissions.” With his tweet, Tate included a photo of his cars. Rebecca Solnit describes the photo’s energy: “Cars are routinely tokens of virility and status for men, and the image accompanying his tweet of him pumping gas into one of his vehicles, coupled with his claims about their ‘enormous emissions,’ had unsolicited dick pic energy.” In response to Tate’s tweet, Thunberg tweeted, “yes, please do enlighten me. email me at smalldickenergy@getalife.com,” which Solnit characterizes as a response that “burned the macho guy to a crisp in nine words.” As of January 1, 2023, Thunberg’s response was listed as one of the top ten tweets of all time (Solnit). Since her first climate strikes at age fifteen through her addresses to the United Nations’ General Assembly and numerous national parliaments, Thunberg has been lauded for her persistence in pursuing action on climate change. Noting her influence as the “Greta Thunberg Effect,” Anandita Sabherwal et al describe her as “the most popular climate activist of our time” (330), acknowledging that “familiarity with [her] predicts collective action across all ages,” and that, furthermore, “These findings suggest that Greta Thunberg’s call to action could motivate public action across the political spectrum” (331). Despite that influence, or perhaps because Thunberg’s persistent commitment to combatting climate change has garnered the recognition and praise of world leaders, she must also deal with being publicly mocked and even attacked by individuals such as Tate and