Feminism

Feminism and feminist movements are quickly established as of tantamount importance to the contributions of Marston in the creation and inspiration of Wonder Woman. Though much of the book reads like a biography of Marston and his family, Lepore consistently frames and situates the long and gestating development of Wonder Woman as primarily rooted in feminism. This is not to say she discounts Marston’s contributions, but rather shows how his contributions were frequently in and of themselves feminist. Lepore inextricably ties Wonder Woman to feminism through the space allotted to feminist history, parallels between Wonder Woman to feminist goals, and how Lepore chooses to close the book.

Throughout the book, frequently large portions of chapters will be dedicated with situating the life of the Marstons with what was happening within the broader national feminist movements. For example, Marston’s time as an undergraduate at Harvard is partially...