"Nancy Drew was always changing her outfits. I despised girls' clothing, I couldn't wait to get home from school and get out of it. The last thing I wanted to read was minute descriptions of Nancy's frocks"

This quote by Alison Bechdel speaks to the gender norms of her youth. She expresses her contempt for ladies' clothing, which she was anticipated to wear, and her absence of interest in the comprehensive descriptions of Nancy Drew's clothing. This quote shows the gender functions of the time, where women were expected to be interested in clothes and fashion, while kids were not. It likewise talks to the idea that girls were expected to be more interested in the lives of female characters than male characters. Bechdel's quote is a reflection of the gender norms of her time, and how she felt limited by them. It likewise speaks with the idea that girls were expected to be more thinking about the lives of female characters than male characters. Bechdel's quote is a pointer of the value of challenging gender standards and allowing individuals to reveal themselves without judgement.