Connie is treated like dirt by everybody in part because she's poor, in part because she's Hispanic, and in part because she's been mentally ill. But she's also treated like trash by everybody because she's a woman.
Part of why the future is a utopia is that women are equal—and part of how they're made equal is by making childbearing and rearing the responsibility of both genders equally. Test-tube babies will set women free, says Woman on the Edge of Time.
Questions About Women and Femininity
- How is mothering different in Mattapoisett than in our own time? Which vision of motherhood do you prefer, theirs or ours?
- Would Luis treat Connie differently if she were a man? Would the medical staff at the asylum?
- How would Dolly's life be different if she were born in Mattapoisett?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
In Mattapoisett, there is no such thing as femininity.
In Mattapoisett, there is no such thing as hatred of femininity.