speak to them when she sees them at school on Monday. Her social status precludes it. This is a clear nod to the no-win situation faced by women in reallity. Claire is pressured by her community to conform to the requirements of a patriarchal social structure - to make herself appealing to men - but when she does, she is shamed for it, and is shamed for the privilege the patriarchal social structure rewards her with.

Patriarchy and peer pressure also feature in the stories of the male characters, of course, with Andrew being pushed to his limits by his wrestling-fan of a father, John being abused by his father-figure, and Brian being pushed to the point of suicide by his father’s need for academic excellence. But, none of the pressures placed upon them have anything to do with th...

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