44 pages • 1-hour read
Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand in the Sun and Be Your Own Person
A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
The Pantry
Early in the book, Rhimes recounts a childhood memory in which she would retreat to the family pantry to play. In the pantry, Rhimes could be alone with her imagination—there, she invented worlds and stories, using the pantry items as imaginary people and props. Rhimes credits this time spent in the pantry as the foundation of her passion for writing. As she reflects upon this place as an adult, she grows to understand that part of what made the time spent in the pantry so meaningful and comforting was that it allowed her to practice her passion in secret, without fear of judgement or condemnation from the outside world. As an introvert, Rhimes valued this alone time and was also invigorated by it—creating these worlds inspired and fueled her in a way that interacting with the outside world did not. The pantry, then, represents a place where the adolescent Rhimes flourishes as she develops her passion and nurtures the part of herself that is central to her identity.
As an adult, Rhimes describes moments or experiences in her life that mimic or echo this feeling of contentment as “being back in the pantry.” Writing and working on scripts for her television shows in a solitary setting bring Rhimes both peace and a sense of creative energy. When she is in this comfortable place, she does not have to worry about facing the things she feels—be it conflict at work or the pressure to be a successful parent. She is able to return mentally to that place of comfort where her passions were permissible and validated. Finding a way to bring the “pantry” feeling to other areas of her life becomes an indirect aim of the Year of Yes. Ultimately, Rhimes is able to find the same kind of contentment and fulfilment that writing brings in other experiences because of her deliberate venturing out of her “pantry” comfort zone.
Introvert Tendencies
Rhimes attributes much of her unwillingness to say “yes” to her introvert tendencies. “Introvert” and “extrovert” are terms that describe two opposing personality types. An extrovert feels recharged and invigorated by social engagement and often by being the center of attention. They may find time spent alone unnatural or uncomfortable. An introvert, on the other hand, craves time alone and is recharged and rejuvenated by this alone time. They often feel awkward and uncomfortable at social gatherings or when surrounded by many people. Rhimes characterizes herself as an introvert and stresses that it is this trait that she must reconcile as she begins the Year of Yes. Her inclination to say “no” to invitations and opportunities, she sees, is the result of both her fear that she will be embarrassed during the event and her discomfort with social engagement. She prefers spending time alone, writing and inventing worlds, than having to interact with people, especially those she does not know. At its core, for Rhimes this preference is not always a healthy one as it allows her to retreat to a place where she feels most confident and avoid situations where she does not.
As the Year of Yes progresses, Rhimes comes to understand that as she confronts her fears of public engagement, she not only becomes more comfortable and confident in herself, but that she truly enjoys the events which she would have otherwise avoided. As with other aspects of Rhimes’s life, the key to her happiness involves striking a balance between isolation/aloneness and engaging with others in meaningful ways that prove nurturing.
“First Only Different” (FOD)
This is an acronym that Rhimes coins to describe her experience as an African American woman in the television industry. She notes that they exist in all industries and refer to the pressures and expectations placed upon a person who is in some way a minority (whether because of race or ethnicity or a unique circumstance, such as being physically disabled) to achieve success. Rhimes is simultaneously frustrated by the notion that these successes are seen as praise worthy simply when they are accomplished by a minority but also recognizes the success of future generations is dependent on these successes. When an FOD is praised and his or her minority status regarded as having played a role in that success (or the implication is made that the success occurred despite this status), it has the effect of suggesting that such a person should not have been able to accomplish what he or she did. Rhimes’s memoir suggests that this attitude, though it seeks to recognize and validate the contributions and successes of minorities, ironically is fueled in part by stereotypes and narrow thinking.
During her Year of Yes, Rhimes finds herself drawn to other FODs, recognizing the common pressure they share, not only to succeed, but to succeed in ways that are disproportionately greater than the standards set for “non” FODs. This helps her to develop meaningful connections with people who share her goals and values, especially that of normalizing a media landscape that is representative of the many kind of people who exist in the world. In a similar way, her FOD status motivates Rhimes to excel because she feels that failure means that FODs who follow after her in the generations to come will thus be made to work even harder for her success. Her success will normalize that of the African American women in television who follow.
Unlock the meaning behind every key symbol & motif
See how recurring imagery, objects, and ideas shape the narrative.
- Explore how the author builds meaning through symbolism
- Understand what symbols & motifs represent in the text
- Connect recurring ideas to themes, characters, and events