{"id":705,"date":"2020-06-29T08:39:20","date_gmt":"2020-06-28T22:39:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/?post_type=articles&p=174710"},"modified":"2020-10-29T17:42:31","modified_gmt":"2020-10-29T17:42:31","slug":"emily-ratajkowski-normal-people","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/emily-ratajkowski-normal-people\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cNormal People\u201d Superfan Emily Ratajkowski Discusses How Social Capital Ruined Marianne and Connell"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Emily
Instagram @hulu<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThis book changed my life,\u201d says Emily Ratajkowski in reference to Sally Rooney\u2019s \u201cNormal People.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI read it in two days and I was on vacation in a beautiful place and I had no interest in the place. I was just obsessed with reading this book and sobbing my eyes out actually, crying happily on a beach so there’s an image for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reviewing the book\u2019s adaptation to television, the 29-year-old model and activist acknowledged that in Marianne and Connell’s search for themselves and the equilibrium of what they believe to be \u201cnormal\u201d was not unlike \u201canybody who is existing in the world in 2020.\u201d<\/p>\n

What I found particularly interesting about Ratajkowski\u2019s views on Normal People<\/em> was her idea that their seesaw relationship didn\u2019t come down to timing or their emotional or physical connection. No, in Ratajkowski\u2019s opinion, the reason they didn\u2019t work out came down to an imbalance in social capital (that is, the shifts in social power in different environments whether it be high school or college or home. It was ever-changing and never really matched up.)<\/p>\n

\u201cMarianne and Connell both fear being ‘The Other’ and that\u2019s the whole title. They are not able to connect because there\u2019s this imbalance of social power and capital,” says Ratajkowski.<\/span><\/p>\n

“When I say capital, I mean money, social status based on popularity \u2013 for example, Connell is a really good football player \u2013 their looks and even love,” she continued. “I think Connell has this amazing relationship with his mom. I remember reading the book and watching the show too just thinking I really hope I\u2019m that kind of mom because she loves him in such an honest way, she respects who he is but she also had really good boundaries and she\u2019s just cool.\u201d<\/p>\n

READ: “Normal People” will retuRN with extra episodes.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe show starts with Marianne having no social capital. She\u2019s not cool at all but Connell obviously is. He\u2019s socio-economically much more on the same page as most of the people in town and in their school so he has an advantage in that way,\u201d says Ratajkowski.<\/p>\n

\u201cMarianne on the other hand is super rich. Connell\u2019s mom works at Marianne\u2019s house as a maid. So there\u2019s a sort of weird imbalance where Marianne\u2019s not cool and also an outsider and an \u2018other\u2019 because of her money… Connell is embarrassed of her.\u201d<\/p>\n

READ: A Sartorial Dissection Of “Normal People”<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

But that changes when the pair get to college. \u201cThen Connell becomes the outsider because the thing that make you cool [in college] is being really smart and well-read and that\u2019s something that Marianne is amazing at. Everybody has money and Connell doesn\u2019t and they are both considered these country bumpkins. Marianne definitely has an advantage.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s an interesting thing to think about in our own lives,\u201d continued Ratajkowski. \u201cWhat gives people status and privilege?\u201d<\/p>\n

READ: EMILY RATAJKOWSKI WAS A GUEST ON KAIA GERBER\u2019S BOOK CLUB \u2013 AND WE TOOK NOTES FOR YOU<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Ratajkowski goes on but I\u2019ll let you listen to it below. She makes some really interesting points.<\/p>\n

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Emily Ratajkowski (@emrata) is a known superfan of\u00a0#NormalPeople\u00a0so naturally we\u2019re inviting her to our platform for a review! She's been an outspoken advocate and role model on her own channel, so we\u2019re excited to share her thoughts on the story. And stay tuned until the end to see how you can enter for a chance to win a gift card for 1-year of ad-supported Hulu.\u00a0\ud83d\ude0a _____________ NO PURCH. NEC. US residents, 18+ only. Void where prohibited. Ends 7\/3\/20, 9:59AM PT. Rules: hulu.tv\/Emrata<\/a><\/p>\n

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