I Who Have Never Known Men

At the end of the narrative, the protagonist refers to herself as both “I […] who have never known men” (206) and “the mistress of silence” (200), which was the first title of the novel’s English translation. Compare the two phrases. Why does the narrator describe herself in these ways? How does the focus of the novel change based on which title is used for the translation?

The narrator says that “fate” has the prisoners escape during a rain shower, which they later learn is rare that time of year. What is the significance of the weather in that scene? In which other scenes does the weather play an important role, and how are they thematically important in the narrative?

The novel frequently features long paragraphs that span more than one page and contain run-on sentences. Select two to three examples and analyze the relation to the writing’s form to the ideas and feelings it attempts to convey. Consider the passages’ context and discuss literary elements, such as mood, tone, use of punctuation, and voice.

The narrator says she can no longer produce “eruptions” through stories after she stops isolating herself and instead socializes with the women. Why is this significant? Using textual evidence, discuss the implications for the narrator.

None of the women’s physical appearances are described in detail. Similarly, the narrator is never named. What is the function of these omissions, and how do they contribute to the novel’s themes?

There are contexts in which the protagonist does not recoil from physical touch, such as when Anthea teaches her to swim, when Anthea wraps her in a blanket, and when she is preparing to kill an ill companion. Citing textual evidence, explain why contact is occasionally tolerable to the narrator.

The narrator says the climate is mild enough that the women do not always need clothes, but they wear them because modesty is a luxury that they lacked in the prison. When she is alone, the protagonist continues to wear clothes, even sewing new tunics and boiling the guard’s uniform for use. Based on her character development, why do you think she continues the practice?

Is this a feminist novel? If so, what characteristics mark it as feminist? What observations does the text make on the nature of women’s relationships to one another and the importance of sexuality and sexual development for women’s identities?