Women In Top Careers

Question 1

Marlene’s reply to her promotion as it is an uncommon occurrence.

Answer 1

Marlene: ‘Well, it’s a step. it makes for a party.’ (p.11 Marlene to Isabella)

Question 2

What does Marlene not wear in the office?

Answer 2

Marlene: ‘I don’t wear trousers in the office. I could but I don’t.’ pg. 19 - Rejecting feminism, embracing her masculinity. Gives her authority.

Question 3

Joan’s obsession with her studies. Only way she would have gone up in her career.

Answer 3

Joan: ‘There was nothing in my life except my studies.’ pg. 23 - Priority of studies over everything else.

Question 4

Joan: ‘Pope Leo died and I was chosen…

Answer 4

Joan: ‘Pope Leo died and I was chosen. All right then. I would be Pope. I would know God. I would know everything.’ p.23

Question 5

Joan enjoys being above others

Answer 5

Joan: ‘Yes, I enjoyed being Pope. I consecrated bishops and let people kiss my feet.’ p.25

Question 6

Pope = man, and only man.

Answer 6

Joan: ‘Exactly and I shouldn’t have been a woman. Women, children and lunatics can’t be Pope.’ p.26

Question 7

Joan and her powerful authority over others

Answer 7

Joan: ‘I never obeyed anyone. They all obeyed me.’ p.33 - Ironic as the only reason she is able to have that authority is by pretending to be a man.

Question 8

Marlene toasting the women

Answer 8

Marlene: ‘We’ve all come a long way. to our courage and the way we changed our lives and our extraordinary achievements.’ p.24 - extraordinary as they liven a patriarchal society.

Question 9

Desirability to be superior to other women

Answer 9

Marlene: ‘you’ll be in at the top with new girls coming in underneath you.” p.43

Question 10

Kit’s aspiration to be a…

Answer 10

Kit: ‘Nuclear physicist.’ Joyce: ‘Whatever for?’ Kit: ‘I could, I’m clever.’

Question 11

Limited spaces when moving up in ones career for women

Answer 11

Nell: ‘There’s not a lot of room upward.’ p.57

Question 12

‘poor working girl’

Answer 12

Win: ‘It’s the top executive doesn’t come in as early as the poor working girl.’ p.60 - Ironic as she is talking about Marlene, who once was ‘the poor working girl’.

Question 13

Marlene will soon be ‘upstairs’…

Answer 13

Nell: ‘Not long now and you’ll be upstairs watching over us all.’ p.61

Question 14

Age is a handicap?

Answer 14

Win: ‘It’s not necessarily a handicap, well it is of course we have to face what, but it’s not necessarily a disabling handicap, experience does count for something.’ p.62 - to Louise when discussing her age (46)

Question 15

Louise’ management status at a young age

Answer 15

Louise: ‘I had management status from the age of twenty-seven and you’ll appreciate what that means.’ p.63

Question 16

Louise’s description of the ‘new kind’ of women

Answer 16

Louise: ‘she got a department of her own, and left the company for a competitor where she’s now on the board and good luck to her. She has a different style, she’s a new kind of attractive, well-dressed…But there is a kind of woman who is thirty now who grew up in a different climate. They are not so careful. They take themselves for granted.’ p.63 - Resentment for attractive, successful younger women.

Question 17

Mrs Kidd’s perception of the working woman

Answer 17

Mrs Kidd: ‘ You’re one of these ballbreakers… You’ll end up miserable and lonely. You’re not natural.’

Question 18

Shona’s idea of a successful woman.

Answer 18

Shona: ‘I have a Porsche…Burn up the M1 a lot… And I stay in hotels at night when I’m away from home…’ p. 74

Question 19

The ideal successful women, with both family and high position

Answer 19

Marlene: ‘I know a managing director who’s got two children, she breast feeds in the board room, she pays hundreds of pound a week on domestic help alone and she can afford that because she’s an extremely high-powered lady earning a great deal of money.’ p.90 Idea successful woman who has it all, a family and success.