Chapter 12 Summary and Analysis

On her way home from Quantico, Florence finds she has a concise definition of a malkin: "a woman who worries about her femininity" (pg. 169.) When school reopens, her sorority sisters tease her about Marine camp, laughing that all female Marines are lesbians, and when Florence says lesbianism cannot be that bad if they are all against it, she is asked to leave the sorority. As it is her senior year, Florence fears becoming a malkin after graduation since there are no good jobs for women, yet she always thought she would be an exception because of the three women who raised her. The solution comes in Dr. Newton's Renaissance England course when Florence's answer to a question earns her a look of resentment and admiration that takes her seriously. She realizes she must stay in school to continue getting that look...