The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 2

Beyond direct confrontation, what covert strategies of resistance do the women in the novella employ to navigate the constraints of their society?

How does Beth Brower use the epistolary format to explore the gap between Emma’s private thoughts and her required public performance?

After researching public debates around the Married Women’s Property Act of 1882, analyze how Archibald’s reaction to Emma’s actions reflects the era’s attitudes about shifting gender roles.

In what ways does the novella portray the London Social Season as a system of performance, and which characters are most successful at manipulating its rules?

How does Brower use secrecy and deception in the novella to develop relationships that bypass or subvert formal Victorian social conventions?

If you have read it, how does Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre (1847) function as more than a plot device for the heist, contributing to this narrative’s exploration of female solidarity?

Analyze Emma and Arabella’s respective attitudes toward love and marriage. Does Arabella’s approach function as a critique of Emma’s, a parallel survival strategy, or something more complex?

How does Emma’s unresolved grief for Maxwell Stuart influence her perception of risk and trust in her new alliances with Mr. Pierce, Jack, and the duke?