I am proud to be a girl. I am proud to be such a strong one, especially after seeing so many females be oppressed and judged. I believe that no one can tell me what I should and should not do just so I can please males. Sara B., writer of “Seventeen Years Old”, feels the same way and portrays it perfectly in her piece of writing. In her passionately written short story, Sara shows us how she has been treated as a female. People have told her that she is a distraction to boys just because she shows her legs, and has even been told that boys wouldn’t like her because she has short hair. At 17 years old, she understands that none of these are true. Sara, along with all females, has more to show than her legs, and her hair length should not be the deciding factor of whether or not boys are attracted to her. I’m disgusted at the downgrading comments that have been made towards her but I’m more proud of the fact that she doesn’t let them affect her. Instead, she writes about it and shows us how strong she is.
    

I enjoyed reading this piece because it reminded me of how powerful females are. We are constantly being scolded and given rules for how to act for males, no matter what age we are. Almost everything Sara wrote about has been said or done to me too and I’m sure it’s been done to other girls. Sara reaches out to all those girls through her writing and tells us that we don’t have to listen to things like that. If you want to cut your hair, cut it as short as you please. If you’re told that you can’t wear this piece of clothing because it distracts boys, just remember that boys have the ability to look away and respect females. Like Sara says, “I am more than a distraction, more than a pair of legs.” Girls are more than just a toy that boys can control. We are strong, independent females that don’t have to listen to comments that restrict us. I am proud to be a girl.