“The Bolter,” in Taylor Swift’s eyes, is a woman who does not fit traditional society. Swift gives the bolter a voice—one that until now had been silent. She’s a woman not interested in being a trophy wife for the masses to admire. She has her own desires, preferences and demands, but her hopes and dreams are stifled by the rules that others want her to play by. She is unwilling to give of herself to play this role.
Author: Misty L. Heggeness
Misty L. Heggeness is a former principal economist and senior advisor for the U.S. Census Bureau and an associate professor of public affairs and economics at the University of Kansas. She is an expert on gender and the economy. her forthcoming book is Swiftynomics: Women in Today's Economy (U.C. Press).