48 pages • 1 hour read
K.J. Dell'AntoniaThe Chicken Sisters
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2020A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Background
Cultural Context: The Popularity and Pitfalls of Reality TV
Reality television purports to document the unscripted lives of real-life people or events for the entertainment of the viewer. The genre rose in popularity in the 1990s with shows such as MTV’s The Real World, a show that followed several young adults from different backgrounds as they shared a home. Reality television became a prominent and expansive genre in the 21st century with shows such as The Bachelor, Big Brother, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, and The Real Housewives series. Reality television shows vary from portraying the daily lives of celebrities, such as the Kardashian family, or following contestants as they attempt to navigate a particular situation or setting, as on Survivor. Like the show Food Wars in the novel, reality shows often feature contests or challenges, in addition to portraying interpersonal dynamics between participants.
The purpose of reality television is to entertain its viewers by providing an unscripted look into the lives and challenges of non-actors whom the average viewer might relate to. However, reality television has evolved to veer away from relatability through content that focuses on the wealthy—whose daily lives differ drastically from viewers in lower economic classes—or portray events that many would not experience, such as a survivalist or dating game show. Despite being unscripted, reality television’s primary goal is entertainment. By editing and curating footage or coaching participants, show creators can therefore decontextualize and highlight conflict, capitalizing off of dramatic events that may be manipulated for entertainment rather than prioritizing true nature or the context of the events portrayed. In the novel, the showrunner, Sabrina, is depicted as charismatic yet conniving, seizing moments in which she can pit the contestants against one another.
Nonetheless, reality television is a broad genre that focuses on a wide range of topics, allowing for the opportunity to appeal to a variety of audiences. In The Chicken Sisters, Dell’Antonia utilizes the genre of reality television to explore how family dynamics can be manipulated for entertainment, while also exploring how individuals attempt to portray themselves when they know a camera is following them. By doing so, the novel intertwines the mediums of writing and television to portray relationships between characters.
Authorial Context: K. J. Dell’Antonia
K. J. Dell’Antonia is a novelist, journalist, podcaster, and author of multiple parenting books. She was the former editor of The New York Times’ Motherlode blog, which focuses on family life and the intersection of news and family. Dell’Antonia’s novels, such as The Chicken Sisters, Playing the Witch Card, and In Her Boots, explore themes regarding family dynamics and the value of life. Much of her writing, including her articles and essays, focus on parenting, particularly the relationships between mothers and their children. Her work includes the nonfiction titles How to be a Happier Parent and Reading with Babies, Toddlers and Twos. In 2019, she also wrote the viral New York Times essay, “Why I Didn’t Answer Your Email,” about the struggles of balancing work and family life as a working mother.
K. J. Dell’Antonia’s work centers around family dynamics and the meaningful relationships between parent and child as well as between siblings. These themes are evident in The Chicken Sisters, which focuses on these dynamics among two adult siblings who have their own children, as well as an aging mother with Parkinson’s disease. The author incorporates the backdrop of reality television to bring these themes to the context of the 21st century and explore the ways that televised drama impacts their relationships. The novel is set in Kansas, where Dell’Antonia spent part of her childhood. As a journalist, editor, and novelist, Dell’Antonia applies her experience across different media fields to focus on the value of life outside of technology and the media.
