Introduction

“A confident, impressionist portrait of a feminist life.”--Kirkus Reviews

Infused with a passion for justice, this sublime, expansive memoir by a Peruvian American feminist will appeal to fans of Crying in H Mart and How to Raise a Feminist Son.

Through braided memories that flash against the present day, Portrait of a Feminist depicts the evolution of Marianna Marlowe’s identity as a biracial and multicultural woman—from her childhood in California, Peru, and Ecuador to her adulthood as an academic, a wife, and a mother.

How does the inner life of a feminist develop? How does a writer observe the world around her and kindle, from her earliest memories, a flame attuned to the unjust?

With writing that is simultaneously wise and shimmering, nuanced and direct, Marlowe confronts her own experiences with the hallmarks of patriarchy. Interweaving stories of life as the child of a Catholic Peruvian mother and an atheist American father in a family that lived many years abroad, she examines realities familiar to so many of us—unequal marriages, class structures, misogynist literature, and patriarchal religion. Portrait of a Feminist explores the essential questions of feminism in our time: What does it look like to live in defense of feminism? How should feminism be evolving today?

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Excerpt

Prologue: Feminist or Not?
(California, 2013)

I scan the formal dining room. Twelve young faces look back at me, expectant. The group is all girls, all of them long-haired and most of them pony-tailed, all but one white. This is a National Junior League meeting a friend of mine asked me to lead. Her daughter, blonde as well as long-haired and pony-tailed, sits among the others at the polished mahogany table. I have two hours to teach them about media literacy. ... view entire excerpt...

Discussion Questions

From the author:

1. Discuss the book’s title, Portrait of a Feminist. What do you think feminism means to the author? How do you think she came to this definition?

2. Discuss the author’s voice and role as narrator. In what ways does she explore identity, family history, relationships, and gender roles through the prism of her life experiences?


3. The book is organized in essay-chapters. Why do you think the author structured her memoir in this way? How did this structure affect your experience of reading the book?

4. Discuss the main events or turning points that shaped the author’s understanding of feminism. How do they reflect your own ideas about feminism?


5. Some of the chapters depict the intersections of identity, specifically a gendered identity, and various cultural norms. Did any of these depictions challenge, enhance, or reinforce your experience of feminism?

6. In some chapters the author questions her own values and assumptions around gender identity and women’s rights. One such chapter is “It’s Sometimes Gray,” and another is “Leda and the Swan.” Discuss the effect of that kind of interrogation on the reading experience in general and your own assumptions about gender.


7. There are many “characters” in this book, from the narrator herself to family, friends, colleagues, and strangers. Do you have a favorite? A least favorite?

8. Do you have a favorite chapter? Or one that stayed with you?


9. What were some of the “takeaways” from the book? Did any resonate with you?

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