Feminism

The novel’s idea of feminism revolves around allowing women to be whoever they want to be rather than forcing them into family roles that may stifle their dreams. While Claudia is an example of regret that can stem from those strict expectations, her stories and encouragement allows Clover to flourish in a world that is slowly changing.

Claudia’s story about her loveless marriage and regrets for not pursuing Hugo perfectly encapsulate the expectations that women are often put under. She tells Clover, “Your husband, your children, your parents- their happiness all mattered more. You were always someone’s wife, or mother, or daughter before you were yourself. It’s like I didn’t live my life for myself, as myself” (189). While Claudia never refers to any of these titles as bad, she recognizes the stress it put on her when she was not given...