Theme 1: Gender Roles & Patriarchy — No Thank You, J

Question 1

What quote from No Thank You, John rejects patriarchal expectations of romance?

Answer 1

“I never said I loved you, John.”

Question 2

What does “I never said I loved you, John” reveal about gender roles?

Answer 2

The speaker refuses to conform to societal expectations of female submissiveness in romantic pursuit.

Question 3

What Victorian context informs No Thank You, John’s rejection of courtship?

Answer 3

Vindication of the Rights of Woman (Wollstonecraft): argues for rational female autonomy beyond marriage.

Question 4

What does Simon Avery say about assertiveness in No Thank You, John?

Answer 4

“Rossetti’s speakers refuse to be defined by male perspectives.”

Question 5

What staging comparison links No Thank You, John to A Doll’s House?

Answer 5

In Act III, Nora also rejects a romantic role defined by male need when she tells Torvald, “I don’t love you anymore.”