The Book Club for Troublesome Women

Set in 1960s America, a historical time and place that witnessed the second wave of feminism, Bostwick’s story centered on four women inevitably touches upon the impact of patriarchy, in ways both large and small, on their lives. Through layered characters and subtle narrative threads, Bostwick examines everyday life within a patriarchy through a lens that goes beyond painting men as villains and women as victims, focusing instead on how pervasive and nuanced gender discrimination and oppression can be.

From the outset, Bostwick illustrates the ways that patriarchy and the attendant discrimination affect women’s everyday lives. In the opening chapters, she introduces the four Bettys and offers glimpses into their background. Each one of them has been impacted by patriarchal ideas and practices in some way: Viv cannot get a birth control prescription without her husband; Bitsy feels obliged to give her husband a child even though she doesn’t want motherhood yet; Margaret faces Walt’s devaluation of her work; and Charlotte’s male psychiatrist, Dr. Barry, offers advice based not on her needs but on bringing her back into line in her marriage. However, rather than paint every man in the novel with the same brush, Bostwick offers a counterpoint with her depiction of Viv’s husband Tony. He is supportive, respectful, and empathetic to his wife’s needs, and consistently remains so throughout the book. With this character, Bostwick underscores the difference between patriarchal individuals and patriarchal ideology. It is the ideology that vests power in men, and while many men do embrace and perpetuate this, individuals are not synonymous with ideology: Men alone are not the patriarchy.

Bostwick further explores this by looking at the different ways in which patriarchy is perpetuated. The limitations suffered by women are highlighted throughout the book, as are the double standards that favor men and disadvantage women. Margaret cannot open a bank account without Walt’s signature, and Bitsy’s professors refuse to give her recommendations despite excellent coursework. In both these cases, the issue is systemic—there are processes in place that prevent women from accessing resources and opportunities the same way that men can. However, once again, Bostwick subverts the idea that men alone are to blame for patriarchy’s oppression. Charlotte’s mother Patricia supports her husband’s decision to force Charlotte to marry, putting considerable pressure on her daughter. Despite being a victim of the system herself, Patricia not only capitulates to it but also forces her daughter to do so, illustrating how this system becomes accepted even by those who are victimized by it.

Bostwick also sheds light on how patriarchal systems impact others, broadening the scope of her examination to include people who were not included in feminist texts of the time, like Friedan’s. Margaret comes to realize that men are also trapped by patriarchal demands. The privilege and power afforded them come with obligations, illustrated by Walt’s history, in which he gave up his intellectual curiosity and settled into a stable career, feeling that it was his responsibility to financially support his family fully. These limitations bring about bitterness, resentment, and dissatisfaction, evidenced by Walt’s confession of jealousy toward Margaret for having found work she enjoys. The novel also examines how patriarchy negatively and more intensely impacts people of color. Earlene, the Black nurse whom Viv meets at the clinic, reveals that despite being trained and capable, she was not allowed to travel overseas during the war. In this way, Bostwick shines a light on those communities who are often excluded from the conversation about patriarchy. Although the novel’s historical setting reflects that era’s feminist movement, which often focused exclusively on the experiences of white women, Bostwick offers a contemporary perspective that addresses the movement’s gaps.

Although the novel focuses on the experiences of four white upper-middle-class women, by emphasizing how the patriarchy affects others, Bostwick underscores its overarching impact of patriarchy on all aspects of society. Through the everyday experiences of the book club members, she illustrates both the obvious and subtle aspects of patriarchal control, examining its pervasive and systemic nature to show how deeply it affects their lives.