Rosemary Daniell | Author
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1. In the section "The Deer Who Loved to be Hunted: A Reflection on James Dickey's Women," Daniell describes her affair with James Dickey as a "performance." What do you think Daniell means by this? Do you think her purpose in describing a number of love affairs throughout the story is to show the various roles men and women play in relationships? If so, what are those roles?
2. "But early on, I suspected that the freedom that almost all men experience--to move freely within their bodies and the world--is only experienced in the South by a woman who breaks the rules" (p.160). What do you think the "rules" of the South are? Aside from her writing, in what other ways does Daniell show that she is a rule-breaker?
3. In her foreword, Daniell writes about how "security," "comfort," and "approval" have been voluntarily crossed off her list of life dependencies. Do you believe her writing reflects this? Which of her articles best represents this non-dependent attitude of hers, and why?
4. What does Daniell mean by "The Feminine Frustration"? Discuss the various ways in which this concept can be applied to this book.
5. Throughout her writing, Rosemary Daniell continually refers to herself as an anarchist. Do you believe her views and/or actions are really that different from other women, or does her description merely relate to the obvious differences between herself and her mother?
6. How do Rosemary Daniell's four different husbands reflect her growth as a female?
7. Daniell writes "Today, I look back and recognize how the Pill saved my life, perhaps even made it possible to become the woman I became" (p.187). What do you think she means by this statement?
8. While reading this book it is impossible not to take notice of Daniell's continual mentioning of the South. (She discusses the various aspects of it including the men and women, the scandals, the traditions, and even the "taboos.") How do you think growing up a Southerner has shaped Rosemary Daniell in a way that no other region could?
9. The men mentioned in Daniell's work play a vital role in her life. How did her view of them change in the article "In Search of the Macho Man," and why do you think it did?
10. In her final piece, "I Wrote About Sex and Got Called a Whore," Daniell states that one aspect of feminism is about "women being able to speak their truths, honestly and without fear." What other aspects does Daniell convey in her writing that also help to define feminism? Discuss the way(s) in which the title, Confessions of A Female Chauvinist, either reflects or refutes those beliefs.