Valley of the Dolls

What are some of the ways in which Allen marginalizes Anne after he announces that he is going to marry her? How does this behavior relate to Mid-Century Patriarchy and the Objectification of Women, and how does it relate to other men’s behavior in the novel?

Why do so many people, including Henry, Helen, Lyon, and Neely, criticize Anne for refusing to marry Allen? How does this relate to the book’s portrayal of marriage more generally?

What are some of the ways that people in New York demonstrate that they are among the elite? What are some of the status symbols in Hollywood? How do these excesses relate to the book’s themes?

Jennifer’s mother, who constantly hounds her for money throughout her life, continually warns her against gaining weight or allowing her appearance to diminish in any way. What sort of message about self-worth does her mother impart to her? What does this say about women’s roles in reinforcing patriarchal norms?

How does Neely’s experience in New York differ from her experience in Hollywood? How is the treatment of stars on Broadway similar to the treatment of stars in Hollywood? In Europe? What does this say about the pervasiveness of mid-century patriarchy and the objectification of women?

Susann portrays many of the protagonists’ love interests as shallow, chauvinistic, controlling, and unfaithful. Are there men in the narrative who might be seen as positive role models? In what way?

All three of the main characters become dependent on dolls, prescription drugs. How does Susann describe the process of becoming addicted? How does drug addiction impact their lives? In the last paragraph, the author describes Anne taking two dolls to go to sleep. What does she imply about Anne’s drug use? How do the dolls relate to the text’s themes?

Susann begins the novel by saying that all three protagonists climbed Mount Everest. How did their efforts change them as individuals? How do their priorities change because of this ascent?