55 pages • 1-hour read
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks
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Themes
The Inflexibility of Unwritten Social Rules About Female Conduct
Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses sexist attitudes and the objectification of women.
Frankie’s journey centers on her growing awareness and rejection of society’s rigid standards and expectations of female conduct. Her rapid physical maturation just prior to her sophomore year serves as a catalyst for this awakening since it opens her eyes to these often-invisible rules. For instance, her family does not permit her to walk alone in a small town, underscoring how society controls female behavior in ways that men are exempt from. Further, as Frankie interacts with her school’s popular boys, she becomes aware of these deeply entrenched norms and wants to challenge them.
Frankie’s early messages about the way she’s supposed to behave come primarily from her family. They call her “Bunny Rabbit,” which implies that Frankie is docile and helpless. They also name her “Frances” after her father “Franklin,” which is a nod to his unfulfilled wish for a son and implies that boys are more desirable offspring. Although one of Frankie’s uncles allowed his son to walk alone into town at age 12, Frankie’s mother refuses to allow her the same privilege at 15. Frankie understands that if she “were a boy” (12), things would be different. When she argues against these gendered double standards, she’s accused of “spoil[ing]” the day. Frankie knows her family thinks of her as “Innocent. In need of protection. Inconsequential” (13), just like the animal for which she is nicknamed. She is penalized for failing to accept and perform this role, which mirrors the broader social structure that seeks to contain her within predefined limits.
Frankie’s rebellion against these unwritten norms leads to her alienation from every social group she belongs to, demonstrating how inflexible these rules are. Even at family gatherings, she becomes an outsider because “[she] had surprised everyone. They were not sure quite where she fit in anymore. If she was not Bunny Rabbit […]—who was she?” (331). They are not able to categorize her or understand her. Once her family realizes that she is not the innocent, helpless girl they thought she was, no one knows how to relate to her. Even her feminist sister, Zada, perceives Frankie’s rebellion as “aggression” and insists on getting her counseling; this shows how even though Zada is supposedly progressive, she subscribes to the unwritten rules about feminine behavior and operates within them. In her school, Frankie’s subversive acts alienate her from her social group, with the exception of Trish, whose loyalty stems more from ignorance than understanding.
Ironically, the only person who understands her choices and realizes that he underestimated her is Alpha. He writes to her: “I don’t actually think it is possible to overestimate you. Although you are not a nice person” (333). This quote not only indicates his admiration for her ideas but also reveals the entrenched misogyny that makes Frankie’s actions socially unacceptable and unlikeable. When she is revealed to be responsible for the rebellious acts, she loses her social standing because she broke the unwritten rules and limits that are imposed upon her as a girl.
In the end, Frankie has mixed feelings about her choices: “[She] wants to go to the party on the golf course. She is sorry for everything […]. She wishes she were […] simple, sweet, and unambitious” (340). Frankie misses feeling accepted and recognizes that this will only happen if she follows the unwritten rules and goes back to being “Bunny Rabbit.” However, this would not be true to her understanding of herself as someone who criticizes injustice and behaves independently of social standards. She finally decides that “[she] will not be simple and sweet. She will not be what people tell her she should be” (342). She rejects restrictive social rules and decides she is an “off-roader” who will never enjoy the acceptance of the society she critiques.
The Influence of Covert Misogyny on Female Identity
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks explores how both overt and covert forms of misogyny shape feminine behavior and perception. Although the novel’s male characters either profess respect for women or avoid overtly disrespecting them, their behavior conveys deeply ingrained sexist attitudes. They also disapprove of girls and women who fail to behave in socially acceptable ways. In addition to this, many female characters have internalized Western culture’s pervasive prejudice and objectification of women, unwittingly reinforcing these standards through their behavior and the policing of other women. This control is often covert rather than obvious, using subtle signals to perpetuate gendered expectations. This proves to be just as powerful and dangerous as overt sexism.
Throughout the novel, male characters demonstrate the double standards that underpin gendered norms. For instance, Matthew admires Alpha for planning the Order’s intricate pranks, but his opinion of Frankie shifts dramatically when he learns that she was responsible. He tells her, “You’re crazy, do you know that? […] What you did is psychotic” (318); this is starkly different from his praise of Alpha’s leadership and creativity. This prompts Frankie to ask: “Why is it psychotic if I did it, and brilliant if Alpha did it? […] It’s a double standard” (318). Matthew has internalized the idea that males are permitted—even expected—to lead others, direct projects, and rebel against authority in small ways; women, however, are not. He believes they are supposed to be dependent and submissive. When Frankie challenges this expectation, he punishes her with silence.
Similarly, Frankie is filled with “guilt […] and fear” when she stands up to Porter (145). While her boldness makes her feel proud, the power also makes her feel like a “monster,” showing how she, too, has internalized society’s misogyny and views assertiveness as a flaw. Her female peers and family members also embody and reinforce these ideas. For instance, Alpha’s girlfriend tells Frankie she has “some balls” when she sits by herself at the senior table, reducing courage to a male trait. When Frankie contradicts her, Elizabeth speaks “snidely” to her, mocking Frankie’s history with the debate club. She doesn’t applaud Frankie’s courage or address her directly; instead, Elizabeth employs covert means to enforce gender norms, showing how women can become enforcers of misogynistic values.
Frankie’s interactions with her family also underscore these dynamics. When she tries to explain her desire to be accepted by the Bassets to her sister, Zada tells her, “The institutions of male supremacy only have real power over you if you buy into [the] notion” that “power is localized in institutions created years and years ago by” men (201-02). First, Zada belittles Frankie’s interpretation of her own experience; then, she denies the power of organizations like the Bassets, failing to recognize that they enshrine the covert misogyny on which the Order is founded. Her dismissal of Frankie’s concerns and goals—even calling her “Bunny Rabbit”—aligns Zada with male authority rather than any feminist subversion of the patriarchy.
Through these interactions, Frankie observes how both overt and covert misogyny shape women’s experiences. Everyone—from her sister and mother, to Alpha and Porter—reinforces society’s gender norms. Frankie comes to realize that the most insidious forms of misogyny are subtle and covert.
The Impact of Patriarchal Privilege on Interpersonal Dynamics
Through Frankie’s experiences at home and at school, the novel shows how gendered power structures pervade social and personal interactions. She observes that men enjoy special privileges—social, professional, personal, and so on—simply because they are men, and they expect and prefer women who are “harmless” and unempowered. Frankie’s intelligence and ambition enable her to challenge men’s privilege, but she is punished and alienated, demonstrating the barriers women face when confronting gender expectations. Patriarchal privilege underscores men’s power and positions women as subordinate and dispensable.
Matthew and his group of male friends demonstrate the benefits of patriarchal privilege. Unlike Frankie, they navigate social interactions with confidence, knowing that their rebelliousness and rule breaking is not only condoned but expected: “They were not afraid to break the rules, because consequences rarely applied to them. They were free. They were silly. They were secure” (104). One of Frankie’s favorite things about Matthew is his apparent immunity to embarrassment, which reflects his deeply rooted privilege that allows him to act with impunity. For instance, when he squirts milk from his nose one day at lunch, he laughs at himself and how “grodie” he is, even challenging other boys to do something grosser. Matthew’s privilege gives him a sense of security that Frankie finds attractive, reinforcing the power his privilege confers.
However, it is in Matthew’s interactions with Frankie that his male privilege is most apparent. From the start, he takes liberties that highlight the gendered imbalance in their dynamic. For instance, “Frankie and Matthew had [only] been going out for two weeks when he first blew her off for Alpha” (104). Their romantic relationship is still new when he begins to treat Frankie as a secondary priority in his life. He counts on her dependence, just as he relies on his own power as an attractive, wealthy male. He casually disregards her feelings, knowing that she will tolerate his behavior; he is confident about the social and emotional power he wields. This is an example of patriarchal dominance—while Matthew is not malicious, he is content to enjoy his privilege rather than question it or the effects it has on others.
The feedback Frankie receives from Matthew and his friends lets her know that she must be charming, tolerant, and subordinate if she wants to enjoy the social benefits of remaining his girlfriend. Eventually, she concludes that “[Matthew] just loved her in a limited way. Loved her best when she needed help[,] […] when he could set the boundaries and make the rules[,] […] when she was a smaller, younger person than he was, with no social power” (313-14). She believes Matthew truly does care for her when he believes her to be “harmless” and “adorable,” but when she proves that she is ambitious, intelligent, and independent, he abandons her and returns to his loyal friends. This is also what Senior did when he divorced Frankie’s mother, “dismiss[ing] […] her intellectual capacities and personal endeavors” because he believed they made her less desirable as a partner (18).
When Frankie confesses her ambitions to Matthew, she says, “I wanted to—prove myself. I wanted to make things happen, wanted to show you that I’m as smart as any of you, or smarter even” (315). She clearly expresses her need for recognition and equality. Matthew reacts by calling her “crazy” and “sick,” which exemplifies men’s fear of losing control over established hierarchies. He cannot understand her choices and becomes “defensive.” He isn’t interested in a girlfriend who is intelligent, though he praises boys who are. Though he lied to Frankie many times about his activities and whereabouts, he dislikes that she did the same. These double standards illuminate the patriarchal privilege that gives him his social power and reinforce the cultural expectation that women should be charming and subservient.
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