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Seven Sisters, TheBy: Margaret Drabble
Category: FICTION
Guide Created By: Ginny Anderson
Discussion Leader(s): Ginny Anderson
Click here to visit the discussion
Guide DescriptionA middle aged woman begins a journey of two kinds. Told in journal form through several voices, this confusing, controversial, yet debatable book is perfect for a book group discussion.
Background Information Click Here for a new perspective: Seven Sisters ~ Redux 2007
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Seven Sisters
by
Margaret Drabble
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ZZZ
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"A beautifully rendered story, this is Margaret Drabble at her novelistic best. "
--From the Publisher
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Plot SynopsisA middle aged woman, divorced and alone, living in London, contemplates her life, her family and her circumstances. The novel is told in journal form and through several different voices, which give different perceptions on the reality of her existence. She plans a trip with her Virgil class to Italy to visit the Cumae and the classical allusions in the book overpower the plot, rendering the book a confusing but very debatable experience for a book group. Our composite rating of the book was 2.1.
Biography of the AuthorMargaret Drabble, Biography
Bibliography of Author's works
Margaret Drabble: Bibliography in US Editions:
Questions
For Your Consideration:
Part I ~ Pages 1-86:
1. If you had to characterize in one word one feeling you get from the presentation of the character in the opening pages, what would it be?
Jane: sad, almost pathetic
Lou2: pathetic
Malryn: dull/ familiar
Joan Pearson: daring
marvelle9: shocked
viogert:detached
ginny: angry
MmeW: drab
2. In the first 18 pages the character explains to the reader in the voice of the first person, such thoughts as:
Nothing much happens to me now, nor ever will again.
I grow ever more cowardly with age.
I am quite interested in the bleating, whining, resentful, martyred tone I seem to have adopted.
I don’t remember choosing it, and I don’t much like it.
I am quite good, for better or worse, at avoiding people. …that’s because I was lacking in self-esteem
I don’t know what colours to wear.
Do you tend to agree with the character's own assessment of herself or do you see something else?
3. In addition to the narrator’s voice, and the narrator's overvoice, there is a ….gloss? A sort of Greek Chorus? At the beginning of sections, such as She tells the sad
story of her
marriage.
What is this?
What function does it serve?
At present it merely reflects what she’s saying, will it change?
Whose voice is this?
Why do you think it’s here?
4. Do you see her move to London as positive or defeated behavior?
5. What hopeful signs if any do you see in the Narrator in the first 86 pages?
6. What would you say is the tone of this book so far?
7. There are no dates in this “diary,” no expressions of time, does that make it not a diary or is there a difference in diary and journal?
Did “she” write these third person observations into her diary? If not who is the author of those statements?
Is this use of the third person an effort to organize her thoughts and stick to the subject and the facts?
What do you think the narrator's purpose is in writing the diary or journal?
8. Can you identify personally with this narrator in any way?
9. Why are the names of the daughters listed in bold? (page 48)
10. What would you say the overall tone of the book is in the first 86 pages?
11. What is meant by "Why do I feel so powerful a need to betray myself to her? What hold does Sally Hepburn have on me? What are these games we play?" (on page 71, Harcort edition).
12. If you could give Candida advice at this point, what would it be?
13. How many references are there mentioned in this book to the word Seven?
Seven Sisters Constellation District of London called Seven Sisters(Viogert)
"Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings?
And not one of the is forgotten before God." Epigraph Dedication:
"For Ann, Kay, Pat, Per, Viv and Al"
That's six names - Seven Sisters. Is "Maggie" the seventh? (Joan P)
14. The narrator's new world contains some fairly exotic characters (page 64 ff). The "elegant young man with dreadlocks," the "man with the crucifix," and others. What do these characters represent to the narrator and why do you think the author included them in the story?
15. What does the view of the gray dove through the distorted window glass mean? (page 62) (Malryn) A reference to the birdless Lake Avernus follows, does that have any connection?
16. The concept of being a "lady" is an old one.
Is it outdated in 2003?
What is YOUR concept of a lady?
Why do you think the narrator brings it up now and what is it in reference to? (taken from a point by Viogert)
17. Drabble mentions the story of the golden bough, found in Book VI of the Aeneid. Are there any parallels the author makes to what might symbolize the narrators own "golden bough?" as she crosses "the threshold into my own life?"
18. Do we know the time frame here...year-wise? Are we in the 1990's or the 1970's or ? (Jane)
19. Is the narrator expected to offer a sacrifice as Aeneas did, or has she sacrificed enough? (Malryn)
20. Is there anything that Candida feels deeply about...has a "passion" for? Or is it that she's been a doormat for so long she has no personal interests/passions? (Jane)
21. What do you suppose the narrator means when she says “Julia is a wicked woman. I am a wicked woman. Her sins are of commission, mine of omission.” (page 77)
22. Is the concept of “lady” an anachronism in 2003? (Joan P)
23. Is she feeling so guilt-ridden by her own perception that maybe she's the one with the "agenda" that she's projecting this onto everyone around her--or is she suffering with mental illness? (Jane)
24. What is meant by this statement on page 83: "They play with tragic brilliance the endgame?"
25. What instances of the narrator's feeling guilt do you all see beyond the "sins of omission?"
26. What does the protagonist mean by:
"If I break my routine I will die. I must measure out my days correctly , as I promised myself I would, or liberation will never be mine." (p.21)
"I haven't played Solitaire for two days now. I congratulate myself. Writing is a good substitute." (page 24)
More Topics for Consideration:
Part I ~ Pages 87-109: Questions
Part II ~ The Italian Journey Questions
Part III ~ Ellen's Version ~ Part IV ~ The Dying Fall
Questions
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Quotes by our Participants
~ Quotes ~
from our Participants
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"Allusions serve an important function in writing in that they allow the reader to understand a difficult concept by relating to an already familiar story. I don’t see that here. I see almost a showing off, as in "Look how many allusions I can make, whether they pertain or not!" I don’t really understand the point in using an allusion if the parallels are not there. How satisfying and illuminating it is when they are, when you can make the connection. And here we are floundering with the golden bough." ---MmeW (Susan)
"Reading part 4 for the LAST time, I noticed updates and chat were in first person and good news in third. She, ole’ CW, can’t believe good things are happening to her?? So she has to relate them in third person?? She really did contemplate suicide?? But she got past that and now has a good full life. Maybe?? And I think for me that’s the most telling thing about this book… I have been lied to so many times, I don’t trust the author. I can’t feel good about CW even now."---Lou2
"I still like the withered hand one (for one thing the words are the same, Stretch forth your hand), but as a kind of faith thing—her personality, if you will, was withered, and she needed to have the faith that if she just believed, she could find whatever it was that was calling her." --Mme
"The Golden Bough is something you've earned that you sacrifice to be reborn, to learn about yourself. I think readers were Drabble's Golden Bough. Despite that sacrifice of her readers, I found the discussion worth the reading of Seven Sisters. I hadn't read the Aeneid in a long time and that was fun to re-read and then there was the author I hadn't read, Broch, to consider. I learned about participants and how they read, and about London and Drabble and her worlds, and Tunisia and Naples and the Sibyl, and revisted communication concerns and familiar and not so familiar authors. What an incredible trip we took together!" ---Marvelle
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Interesting Information
Interesting Links
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