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What Does My So-Called Life Mean

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What Does My So-Called Life Mean
My So-Called Life

What is the underlying meaning of the title of the series?

The title of the show, My So-Called Life, suggests the understanding of

meaninglessness that many teenagers experience. It shows us how it is to feel judged by

others and it encapsulates the main theme of the series. The show depicts the teenage years

as being difficult and confusing rather than a light, fun-filled time.

This series deals with the expectations that people have of teenagers. The main

character, Angela felt like she was being expected to do certain things even though she had

just become a teenager and she was still trying to figure out who she was for herself. In high

school, Angela found two new friends named Rayanne and Rickie, who are not the best
…show more content…
In the show, a main focus is how people are judged by their appearance. Angela felt

misunderstood and judged when she dyed her hair red after it being blonde her whole life.

Angela didn’t want to be seen as that “goody goody blonde girl” anymore, she wanted to

stand out and make a change. Her personality had changed; the people she hangs out with

had changed, so why not change her hair too. But her parents and old friends judged her

because of it.

The show covers all of the characters going through rough times; each and every one

of them was put into different situations where they felt meaningless or unwanted. They all

took turns feeling uncomfortable and not knowing how to deal with their situation. At the

beginning of the series, Angela felt unwanted by Jordan. Later on, Rickie felt alone after he

was involved in a shooting and had no one to talk to about it. Also, Rayanne was jealous of

Angela when she found out how great her father was and that Angela didn’t even

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