During the opening chapters, Rawle presents Norma as an obsessively feminine figure whose essence captures that of being an ideal woman during the 1960’s. By utilising fragments of text from women’s magazines, the writer highlights Norma’s inclination towards abiding by the womanly standards she has chosen to live by. For instance, when Norma says “These are the sensations that spring from being young, feminine, and beautifully dressed” – thus allowing the audience to become aware of Norma’s obsession with maintaining a sense of feminine allure amidst society. This becomes apparent already within the first chapter as Norma says ‘It’s what any woman wants when she loves her home. And I’m not much different from other women’, clearly demonstrating the approval she seeks to pass off as a woman within society. 

Nonetheless, her feminine idiolect reinforces the importance of elegance, poise, and beauty – as evident during the first chapter when she says ‘To me there is nothing more pleasant than to retire to my dressing room for a feminine wallow’. Due to the fact that her perceptions of femininity and idiolect of womanliness’ are formed mainly by that of the stereotypes and generalisations in women’s magazines, her ideal interpretation of femininity can often come off as being slightly ‘askew’ or false. This is also evident within the first chapter when Norma says ‘I try to explain that the best dressed women sometimes have to change 15 times a day’. 

Although in terms of Mary’s reaction towards Norma, she seems to share a sense of uneasiness with the audience as exemplified when Norma says ‘Mary seems to resent the fact that I spend so many pleasant hours there in my dressing room’. Rawle’s construction of Nora’s identity seemingly goes against Mary’s wishes as Norma recalls Mary ‘Teasing her about her obsession with maintaining a perfect home’ – as though Mary looks down upon Norma and her ‘eccentric’ ways. 

Despite Norma’s relationship with Roy as being somewhat related yet distant, Norma feels as though she can only express her true self when Roy is on ‘vacation’. She mentions that when Roy is away, ‘her entire day is filled with womanly pursuits and the house is alive with feminine appeal’. Similarly, she feels inclined to accept contributions from her brother as ‘a brothers vote of confidence is all well and good, but is only natural for a woman to seek the approval of others’ – thus Norma is not solely dependent upon Roy, but is still reliant upon him to a certain extent.

With regards to Norma’s interactions with strangers, Rawle sheds light on the idea that although many of their reactions suggest otherwise, Norma seems to interpret positive intentions and flirtatious ‘banter’. For instance, Norma says ‘A dear old lady, refreshed by the sparkle of my unassuming youth and beauty; a teenage boy, intoxicated by the handy perfume of feminine glamour’. This can also be exemplified through her interactions with the postman as she says ‘If you want to know you can guess, I retorted playfully’ ‘Quite the little spitfire aren’t you? The amusement in his tone stung like wasps on a baby’s bottom’. Where even though she perceives equally flirty behaviour, the reality is that he feels more intrigued than allured by her ‘feminine charm’.

The first five chapters of the book lay the foundations required to construct the feminine and alluring identity of Norma – a character who seems to be obsessed with portraying herself as an ideal woman according to the persuasive and generalised adverts within women’s magazines. Through the approval she seeks from both Roy, Mary, and the society that surrounds her – Rawle perhaps foreshadows the inner conflict Norma feels when expressing her true self.  

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email