As if Noisy thoughts, animals talking, and settlers coming in from other planets wasn't enough, The Knife of Never Letting Go has some weird gender issues going on. Mainly this is presented by questioning gender roles. Such as: should the guys or the girls be in charge? Also, why does the author choose for only the men to have the Noise germ, and not the women? And then there's Todd, who doesn't even see a girl until he's thirteen.
The thematic role of gender in the book isn't defined, per say, but there are so many ways that the issue presents itself that it's our job to do the detective work. What does it mean that a whole lot of stress has been put on becoming a man in a world where women are extinct? Why are women treated and respected differently from town to town? So many questions that, without further ado, we'd best get started.
Questions About Gender
- What does being a man mean when there aren't any other gender options to compare it to? How does masculinity get defined then?
- How does not having any women around impact society in Prentisstown? What stresses does it create? Are there any it alleviates?
- How does masculinity get defined through Todd? How does femininity get defined through Viola? Explore similarities and differences between these gender definitions.
Chew on This
While everyone's obsessed with gender, Todd and Viola both fail to fit neatly within gender stereotypes, showing that gender isn't such a concrete thing after all.
Despite its fascination with manhood and masculinity, ultimately this book is a feminist text.