The Female Gaze

The act of watching and observing is a central theme of Cook’s novel due to its third-person narration, which often pays particular attention to what Agnes and Bea are looking at. Historically, women have been the objects of observation, which is explained by the concept of the male gaze in literature. The male gaze is a literary and artistic phenomenon in which women are depicted from a sexual perspective for the pleasure of a heterosexual, male viewer. In her story, Cook reverses this tradition to give the viewing power to her two female heroines. In fact, the only character who is overtly sexualized is the hyper masculine Carl whose virility and brute strength are frequently referenced in Bea’s sections.

Mothers are their children’s most stringent scrutinizers, exemplified by Bea’s near constant focus on Agnes throughout the novel. In the very...