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43 pages 1 hour read

Fern Brady

Strong Female Character

Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 2023

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Essay Topics

1.

What role does Brady’s Scottish background play in how others perceive her, particularly in instances where she is othered? How does this aspect of her experience fit into broader political conversations about the cultural landscape and national identity of the United Kingdom?

2.

Compare and contrast Brady’s depiction of her mother with her depiction of her father. Do you think she holds both parents to the same standards? What roles do they each play, respectively, within her life and the memoir?

3.

How does Brady’s depiction of her own experiences as a stripper challenge stereotypes about the profession and sex work more broadly?

4.

Read Strong Female Character in conversation with one of Brady’s comedy specials, such as Autistic Bikini Queen (2024) or Power & Chaos (2021). What themes are shared between the two works, and how does Brady’s comedic performance affect your understanding of the memoir?

5.

How does Strong Female Character stray from the generic conventions of celebrity memoirs? Consider any relevant literary elements of the text.

6.

Strong Female Character participates in a broader feminist dialogue about the role of women with disabilities in the pursuit of gender equality. In what ways might Brady’s observations about the female autistic experience be applicable to other groups of disabled women? How can neurotypical feminists adjust their approach to the movement to better consider neurodivergent women?

7.

Why do you think Brady titled her book Strong Female Character, given that she never uses this phrase in the body of the text?

8.

What role does socioeconomic class play in Brady’s experiences with undiagnosed autism? How are class disparities critiqued throughout the book, and how do they impact people with autism from Britain’s working class, as presented by Brady?

9.

Strong Female Character offers criticism of two popular British television documentaries that Brady describes as misrepresenting their autistic female subjects: Married to the Eiffel Tower (2008, d. Agnieszka Piotrowska) and Louis Theroux: Selling Sex (2020, d. Louis Theroux). Watch one of these documentaries and respond to it with Brady’s criticisms in mind: how is your viewing experience affected by the information Brady presents about women with autism?

10.

Who is the intended audience of Strong Female Character? How do you think that audience informs the shape of the text?

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