Essay Questions

How does the theme of male chauvinism evident in The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer?

Meg Wolitzer depicts some men as dogmatic and such a trait is manifested in the character Darren Tinzler. He ensures that he molests any female who refuses his moves. He is attracted to Greer because she is a beautiful girl. He starts to make advances towards her. However, Greer is in love with Cory who is schooling in another institution. She refuses Tinzler’s advances and this makes him very angry. To revenge, he twists Greer’s breast. The author shows that some men think that they are entitled to date and have sex with any girl and this is what he describes as male chauvinism.

Why is Greer remorseful and why is she visiting Zee after a long time?

Greer becomes remorseful after the realization that blocking Zee from getting an opportunity to work with Faith's organization was a selfish move. The reader finds it ironic that Greer is blocking Zee from getting the job when she is the one who connected her with Faith. Even after apologizing, zee still feels betrayed but Greer decides to move on with her life.

Do you agree with the author's statement that "People's marriages were like two-person religious cults, impossible to understand”?

If there is one complex thing that one can comprehend is a cult. Only people within that cult circle can explain what is going on. There are many perceptions about cults but the truth lies with the members of the cult itself. Therefore, those outside cults can only make assumptions that they believe to be true regarding the cults. The author compares marriages to a cult because the couples might seem to be happy but in reality, the marriage is going through difficult times. Indeed, it is agreeable that marriage is an institution that only those people in it can have the moral authority to say what marriage is about.