Dealing with Social Prescriptions

Even though she is a unique person, Andrea has to deal with being prescribed a type throughout the novel, as there are social expectations of a 39-year-old woman who is single. The publication of a book about a single woman begins the attempt to define Andrea, as everyone, including a random date and her mother, try to get her to read the book, as they think it is something that she would be able to identify with since she is single and does not seem inclined to try out a serious relationship. During therapy, Andrea challenges the idea, telling her therapist that she is an individual, her own person. When asked to define who she could be, Andrea lists different aspects of her life, including her profession and ethnicity, but she does not say anything with conviction. Though she is a professional who...