Jenna Hunterson, the heroin from the musical "Waitress" who is an incredible pie maker, a waitress at a diner in a small town, and is in an abusive marriage, can teach us a lot about ourselves.
In the musical, she falls pregnant unintentionally and subsequently begins to have an affair with her gynecologist. Her strengths, which include her ability to persevere, her belief in herself, and using her pie-making talent as a coping mechanism, helped her to overcome the challenges she encountered, such as domestic abuse/oppression, male dominance, unwanted pregnancy, and combatting gender roles.
As a result of studying Jenna, I have learned that I strongly identify with her not only because we both have experience with abusive relationships, but also because I, like Jenna, am no stranger to adversity and having to persevere. Ultimately, I have learned to put passion into the things I love, just as Jenna does when she bakes a pie. Therefore, it is valid to assert that Jenna embodies the characteristics that many of us can relate to, especially characteristics such as being resilient, determined, and happy with who you are.
While Jenna possesses several unique strengths that help her to survive in her day-to-day life, some of the most notable ones, which I previously mentioned, such as her ability to persevere and her belief in herself, really are the driving forces that help her not only to build up enough courage to leave her abusive husband in the end of the story, but also to discover that she is so much more than just a wife and a waitress. She is a powerful woman who doesn't need to be ashamed of being proud of who she is and can make her own decisions and finally be able to do what makes her truly happy.
In addition, using her pie-making skills as a coping mechanism to deal with her abusive husband and all of the other obstacles that come her way, Jenna soon realizes that she can no longer conceal her issues within a pie recipe, and therefore she must be resilient and face her obstacles head-on. This idea of utilizing coping mechanisms as a means to face obstacles head-on and gain resilience is something many people face.
Throughout the story of "Waitress", Jenna faces numerous challenges, such as dealing with domestic abuse/oppression, male dominance, unwanted pregnancy, and combatting gender roles. Through facing these challenges, she demonstrates what a strong woman she is. In fact, she uses these challenges as an opportunity to grow as an individual.
While dealing with all of these situations can be seen as a challenge, especially when we consider the unwanted pregnancy, this situation can actually be seen as a positive thing because she gained psychological grit. With all of this in mind, we can confidently state that while difficult at times, Jenna Hunterson effectively combats all of the challenges that come her way, which is why her character is such an inspiration to me.
As a result of studying this woman in depth, I have realized that I identify with Jenna more closely than I originally thought I did. Having once been in an abusive relationship myself and facing adversity every single day due to my physical disability, I have had no choice but to persevere and tackle various challenges, both big and small. Also, while I might not have great pie-making skills like Jenna, I too tend to deal with my problems by using coping mechanisms. However, ultimately I've learned to put every ounce of passion that I have into the things I love.
