Delicate Condition

Content Warning: This section of the guide refers to miscarriage, depictions of self-harm, sexism, and misogyny.

“We all give up something in exchange for our babies. Nearly everyone on this planet was welcomed by the sound of a woman screaming.”

This quote from the Prologue establishes the idea of pregnancy as a sacrifice—a sacrifice that is expected and often demanded of women. Ending the Prologue with the image of “a woman screaming” sets Valentine up for further exploring the key theme of Patriarchal Institutions’ Failure to Acknowledge Female Pain.

“It made me think of some of the crueler things fans had said about me online, things about the wrinkles around my eyes, or my hair, which was already starting to grey. Things designed to cut me down, as though people were offended by the fact that a woman my age could still be successful.”

The success of The Auteur forces Anna into the public’s view in a way that proves entirely uncomfortable. This quote demonstrates the intersection of ageism and misogyny that characterizes how the anonymous public views and talks about successful women.

“I felt delicate, almost breakable. It was as though someone had reached into my body and gotten my internal organs twisted between their hands, wringing me out like a dish towel.”

Throughout the novel, Valentine uses evocative and often unexpected comparative language to give shape to Anna’s pain. Here, the image of Anna as an inanimate object subject to the violence of an outside force gives a sense of how disempowered Anna feels within her own body.