From there she enrolls in high school, where she places fourth in her class, and plans to attend a community college. Unfortunately, this meant that she wasnt around to supervise Shanae. She is a very smart girl who rejoices when given a chance to move on to another facility and then return home to her father and mother. He also states that although many of the girls leave Waxter and go on to live lives free of crime, others lives deteriorate when they get back home because of the dangers and tempations of life in their often crime-filled neighbourhoods (remember most of the inmates at Waxler are coming from Baltimore!). Other aspects reveal themselves when she grows older. Press ESC to cancel. ''Girlhood'' is the newest entry in Ms. Garbus's long list of socially concerned documentaries made for theaters and television. Furthermore, at the end of the documentary, she enrolls in a community college nearby. This may be a psychological scar due to her relationship with her mother. Copyright 2022 My Essay Writer. I wasn't alone. This confused young girl ran away from ten foster homes and wound up attacking another . This led to a pregnancy at the age of 11 which her mother arranged for her to have terminated because it was feared that because of Shanaes heavy-drinking the baby would have fetal alcohol syndrome. She receives more family support than Megan is, but she does not seem to reciprocate it at the beginning of the film. New York: Psychology Press. When Megans mom got released from jail, she even lived there for awhile. Required fields are marked *. This difference in their experiences seems to be related to their familial relationships. ''Girlhood,'' which follows Shanae and Megan over three years beginning in 1999, doesn't pretend that a place like Waxter can hope to do the job by itself. As you watch it, you wish the film would fill in more of each girl's background. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Megan, a pretty girl with a devilish gleam in her eye, tries to get by on charm, but she doesn't have Shanae's focus. To come to those safe conclusions is something that no one in their right mind would argue, but it really doesnt get to the heart of what has gone wrong in this affluent country that has so many children in trouble with the Man. From there she enrolls in high school, where she places fourth in her class, and plans to attend a community college. This is where politics comes in and things get ugly. In the documentary "Girlhood, " the two main characters Shanae Why is Shanae in the juvenile facility? As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. AQA Psychology: AS and A-level Year 1. "I started using cocaine, I was strung out on drugs -- bad. "I decided to change some of my ways because I didn't want the system raising my child," she says. April 24, 2023. At 14, she was hit by a stray bullet during a gunfight. Shanae Owens and Megan Jensen in girlhood. Liz Garbus, who was nominated for an Academy Award in 1999 for The Farm: Angola, USA, shoots in her latest an unflinching cinema verite documentary about two teenager girls who committed violent crimes and are now incarcerated at Marylands Waxter Juvenile Facility. What Shows Have Been Renewed or Canceled. At 17, she was living in her own apartment in a druggie neighborhood. Megan admits to having a special relationship with a fellow inmate which seems to be of a romantic nature. Is the Megan inside Waxter the same Megan outside Waxter? These girls are the subjects of Liz Garbus' documentary, Girlhood. She gets her place to live. The Girlhood documentary highlights the plight of girls in juvenile centers with some psychological disorders. girlhood tells the story of Shanae Owensand Megan Jensen. Shanae Owens and Megan Jensen in girlhood. She has lived in foster homes most of her life, as her white mother Vernessa is a drug addict and a prostitute who served a long stretch in jail and is currently once again serving time in the Baltimore Detention Center. The other protagonist is Megan, a troublesome mixed race teen who has a tattoo going up her right arm and is always giggly thinking everything is not serious. Shanae, after much perseverance, overcoming her appalling behaviours and graduate from high school.
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