For Thursday: Levin, The Stepford Wives, pp.50-100 (at least)

Answer TWO of the following...

Q1: On page 57, Bobbie confides her secret fears to Joanna, that the town is genetically altering (or poisoning) women to become buxom, brainwashed beauties. She cites an example of something similar occurring in El Paso, and worries the water supply may be tainted from nearby factories. Why might this be a very forward-thinking, and extremely relevant fear for Ira Levin to express in 1972? What does this suggest people (or sci-fi writers, at least) are already starting to worry about?

Q2: How do we know the events of the story (at least up to page 100) aren’t simply in Joanna’s head? Her husband doesn’t believe her, none of the women give her the time of day (even Bobbie looses interest), and her therapist simply says, “I can understand your not being happy in a town of highly home-oriented women...I wouldn’t be either” (93). Does Levin give us clues that support her fears—or does the book suggest that society itself could make a ‘modern’ woman go mad?

Q3: Despite the mystery/science fiction elements of the book, how does Levin explore the problems of modern marriages? What seems to drive Joanna and Walter apart (or other husbands and wives)? What about our modern American culture seems counterproductive to establishing a happy domestic life?

Q4: In a strange passage on page 91, Joanna talks to Bobbie’s son, Jonny, who admits that his mother has had a strange transformation. And yet, he adds, “She doesn’t shout any more, she makes hot breakfasts...I hope it lasts...but I bet it doesn’t.” How might this put an interesting spin on the epidemic of happy homemakers in Stepford? Why add the child’s perspective to Joanna’s fears?