51 pages • 1-hour read
The Dollhouse
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Essay Topics
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of gender discrimination.
How does the dual-narrative structure juxtapose the challenges faced by Darby in 1952 and Rose in 2016 to create a broader argument about the enduring nature of female ambition and its societal costs?
How do the fates of Darby, Esme, and Stella illustrate the varied price of female independence in defiance of 1950s patriarchal expectations?
Analyze Esme as a plot device. How do her ambitions, deceptions, and ultimate fate drive the narrative arcs of both Darby and Sam, propelling the central mystery of the novel?
Trace the evolving symbolic function of the Barbizon Hotel throughout the narrative. How does the building transform from a symbol of glamorous aspiration into a self-imposed prison and then into a site of historical reclamation?
How do the parallel motifs of bebop jazz and global spices function to define a world of authenticity and creative expression that stands in opposition to the Barbizon’s restrictive propriety?
Discuss the novel’s meta-commentary on the ethics of storytelling. How does Rose’s journalistic journey, from her TV career, to her work at WordMerge, to her final book project, critique the media’s consumption of trauma and argue for a more holistic form of narrative?
Consider the novel’s approach to romance and sexuality. How does Davis draw on, subvert, and otherwise use the tropes and expectations of romance subplots to explore heterosexual relationships?
Darby’s veil is a symbol of concealment and shame, but it also represents a form of agency or control. Analyze how Darby’s decision to hide her face allows her to construct a new, albeit isolated, identity.
Compare the novel’s male characters. What kinds of masculinity do Sam Buckley and Jason Wolf exemplify?
While the 1950s narrative depicts overt societal restrictions on women, how does the 2016 timeline illustrate the more subtle forms of professional and emotional dependency that challenge Rose’s autonomy?
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