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Jennette McCurdy provides a riveting account of her life growing up as a child star and being forced into a competitive industry by an emotionally manipulative mother. Unlike other autobiography content, McCurdy’s self-accounts are raw and barely refrain from exposing those who put her in uncomfortable situations. 

The book also shares the narrative that McCurdy’s negative actions are often a direct result of verbal and emotional abuse by adult influences. In her autobiography, I’m Glad My Mom Died, McCurdy takes her power back by using little censorship with her words as she details the abuse inflicted by her superiors. 

The Significance of “The Creator” 

McCurdy shows great strength and courage as she tells her truth while using vivid phrases to reveal those who do her wrong. The significance of limited censorship in McCurdy’s I’m Glad My Mom Died is it establishes the narrative of whom is to blame for the detriment of her childhood and upbringing. She is very raw in her truth, to the point that readers familiar with her work can use context clues to figure out who she discusses or wants to expose. 

Her autobiography is not simply her life story but also serves as an exposé. She exposes her mother, grandmother, and TV executives, as the adults who fail her and contribute to her downward spiral. These spirals include her eating disorder, secrecy, and burgeoning maturity. 

Although the focal point of the autobiography is McCurdy’s relationship with her mom and how Jennette was forced to be the breadwinner by booking TV roles, she notes other influences who inflicted pain upon her. She vaguely mentions a prominent Nickelodeon executive using terms like “The Creator” to issue a powerful statement. By using terms like “The Creator” to describe her abuser, her audience can understand the power that person has on her and the industry. 

McCurdy does not use their name for privacy reasons, but still illustrates the power dynamic this person has on her by calling them “The Creator.” The Oxford Dictionary defines “creator” as “a person or thing that brings something into existence.” In this case, The Creator symbolizes both the maker of a show and a person of power. The Creator brings her show into existence which also serves as McCurdy’s big break in acting. Like her mother, The Creator is also one of the adults in her life that she tries to never displease; she will not face repercussions. 

Why such a title?

On the cover of her memoir, McCurdy wears a salmon-colored attire and smirks while carrying a pink urn. One may think that the cover image and title I’m Glad My Mom Died is a rather harsh take on a toxic maternal relationship. But, it helps to create the story about McCurdy’s truth. 

There are portions in this autobiography in which McCurdy empathizes with her mother. In specific chapters, she cries about her mother’s illness and does what she thinks will satisfy her mother or gain approval. Even though McCurdy shows human emotions over particular events that impact her mother and their relationship, she is still a victim of abuse. The grieving and mourning for her abuser’s health or obedience to her mother’s wishes, don’t make her any less of an abuse victim. 

A large percentage of the abuse she endures is emotional and verbal. Her mother is one of the figures who know how to emotionally manipulate her. She is glad the abuse is over. The death of her mom puts life into perspective. It brings an end to her manipulation that otherwise would remain had she not passed. The abuse, control, and suffering are gone. She is done living life on eggshells; she is free.   

Growing up and losing control

I’m Glad My Mom Died is a coming-of-age book. This book cover’s McCurdy’s childhood, awkward teen years, and ultimately her becoming a woman. Despite McCurdy’s stages of growth, her mom fails to provide her daughter with the independence that comes with maturation. 

McCurdy discusses the discomfort she feels due to the lack of respect her mother has for her daughter’s body. As McCurdy grows older, the feeling of owning her body doesn’t come with it. Throughout her book, she discusses the awkwardness of having her mom still bathe her, wash her hair, and wipe her. Her mother never wants her to grow up and it’s obvious. Youth is significant to McCurdy’s mom because it enables a stronger acting career for her daughter. 

The younger and smaller she looks, the more child roles McCurdy will book. In McCurdy’s case, appearing young allows her mother to treat her like a child rather than a teen. Her mother seems to suffer from “good little girl” syndrome. She does not want to let McCurdy grow up. This is a crucial part of her memoir because the lack of space between the two, or the coddling that goes on between them, signifies an unhealthy relationship that leads to an unhealthy self-image. Like her relationship with The Creator, this is also a power dynamic issue. 

Drawing Conclusions

McCurdy concludes that she spends the majority of her youth pursuing an acting career she never sought. It takes McCurdy years and a little self-discovery to realize that she lives out her mother’s dream not her own. Although she establishes a name for herself in the industry as a successful Nickelodeon actress, she no longer wishes to act. In the pursuit of an acting career, McCurdy instead discovers a toxic industry. She learns that the vast majority of the adults in her life are abusers, and through this memoir, she unveils their truth.

Jennette McCurdy’s I’m Glad My Mom Died is now available as an eBook or audiobook at Barnes & Noble.