The Forest of Hands and Teeth

The idea of female agency in the novel is subtle and complex. While the Sisters wield ultimate authority in the village, young women like Mary and Cass have very little autonomy and are expected to conform to limited roles in this rigid society. Specifically, they must wait passively for a man to “speak for” them and marry them, thereby providing them with a defined role that forces them to sacrifice their own interests and work for the benefit of others. Yet because a ruling class of women perpetuates this oppressive cycle, the novel presents an intricate dynamic that examines the compromised nature of female power within innately patriarchal social systems. The nuances of these interactions are extensively explored through the rebellious Mary’s fraught relationships with Sister Tabitha, the male characters, and Cass.

The Sisterhood strongly influences the villagers’ religious beliefs by compelling everyone to believe in God and to studiously examine the Scripture. They also suggest that perpetuating the human race in the face of the undead scourge should be every villager’s primary concern. Yet although their many social rules are ostensibly designed to aid humanity’s survival, the Sisters take actions that decrease the villagers’ quality of life—particularly when they arrange the lives of young people like Mary with no regard for these young adults’ true preferences.