Analysis Of Laura Vanderkam 'Hookups Starve The Soul'

In Hookups Starve the Soul, an essay by Laura Vanderkam, Mrs. Vanderkam argues the fact that the real problem with hookups is not the act of promiscuity, but rather the lack of meaning behind it. I believe one is entitled to do whatever he or she pleases, with his or her body. Having the ability to hook up, particularly for college students, forces the person to become more confident and comfortable along with giving the participant a sense of power. On the contrary, through this sexual freedom, men and women are still held to different standards.

The opening paragraph to Vanderkam’s essay is all too familiar; a group of girls are gathered together after a night out, when one of the women comes back, she shares the news of her hookup that night. When this happens a reticent vibe fills the

Hookups are a revolution within the female community because it is no longer just men who are the “one and done”, “no strings attached” kind of people. The gender roles that have been so prevalent in American culture no longer have the strict limitations and guidelines as they once did. What once was a woman living to please a man has evolved into a woman not needing a man to approach her, but rather, the woman taking initiative. Being assertive is seen as a man’s job but in regards to hookups, a woman can be assertive in what she wants to do and who she wants to do these things with. Going outsize of ones assigned gender role is also where I see society having the most issues with accepting hookup culture. Men particularly are taken aback when a woman displays her sexual freedom because that is what men are supposed to do, while the women are expected to be delicate flowers. What is so mind blowing is that heteronormative men are expecting to get casual sex as they please yet they still expect women to be untouched by others and for those women to lend their bodies for the man’s