Dollface: A Novel of the Roaring Twenties (44 page)

Renée Rosen
is a freelance writer and the author of
Every Crooked Pot
. She lives in Chicago, where she is at work on her next novel.

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www.reneerosen.com

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. The Jazz Age was a time of prosperity and wild abandon. There was a lot of experimentation, sexual expression, and new independence for women. Lately there’s been renewed interest in the Roaring Twenties. What is it about this period that intrigues people? Is it the music, the clothes, the social mores? Or is it something else?

2. Throughout history, people have been fascinated by gangsters, particularly those of the Prohibition era. Organized crime has been glamorized in movies and fiction, and many of the most violent figures enjoyed more celebrity than the Hollywood stars of their day. Their mystique seems to eclipse the fact that they were ruthless killers. What is it about gangsters that makes them so intriguing and appealing?

3. Friendship and loyalty are strong themes in
Dollface
. Is there a difference between friendship and loyalty, or do you see them as the same? Is it possible to be loyal to someone you don’t consider a friend? Maybe a boss or a coworker? Do you think you can take loyalty too far? Would you remain loyal to a friend even though you knew they’d done something illegal or morally wrong?

4. Aside from the obvious bond between Vera and Evelyn, what other characters in the novel share an equally strong connection? Do you think the men valued their relationships with one another as much as the women did? How do you think men’s friendships differ from female friendships?

5. From the opening of the novel till the end, Vera undergoes a transformation. What do you think caused her to shed her frivolous flapper facade? What factors do you think contributed to the changes in her character? Was it the obvious milestones she experienced, such as marriage and motherhood, or did you sense that there was something else that accounted for her growth and maturation?

6. The twenties were a liberating time for women. If you had lived during the days of Prohibition, do you think you would have been a flapper or would you have been more conservative?

7. In the twenties, women cutting their hair, wearing makeup, and smoking and drinking in public were all signs of rebellion and independence. What sorts of things do progressive young women do today that would be considered comparable? What kinds of things have you done to show your independence?

8. Vera is involved with two men throughout the novel. Do you think it’s possible to be in love with two people at the same time? How was her relationship with Tony different from her relationship with Shep? Which man do you think she loved more? Would she have been happier with one man over the other in the long run?

9. Women’s groups and organizations were popular during this era. In the case of
Dollface
, Vera chose to align herself with the Jewish Women’s Council, but was later expelled when the members learned that her husband was a gangster. Did you feel the women’s council treated her fairly, or should they have allowed Vera to continue participating in the group? Why do you think it was important for Vera to belong to such a club in the first place?

10. Thirteen years after it was enacted, the Volstead Act was repealed and Prohibition was deemed a failure. In today’s society, can you identify any movements to ban certain items or behaviors that echo those of Prohibition? And if enforced, what do you think the outcome would be? What lessons did our nation learn from Prohibition, and are there any obvious mistakes that we as a society continue to make?

11. When she was a young girl, Vera’s father was brutally murdered by the Black Hand Gang, a deadly extortionist group that gave way to the Mafia after it was disbanded in the early twentieth century. How did the murder of her father influence Vera’s life? Do you think his murder had anything to do with her choice of men and the path she ended up taking?

12. Do you think Vera knew in the beginning of the novel that Shep and Tony were gangsters, or was she just naive? Once it was obvious that they were both gang members, how did she justify their actions to herself and others?

13. Mother and daughter relationships factor strongly into this novel. Vera’s complicated relationship with her mother undergoes a major shift through the course of the story. What do you think accounts for this change? How is Vera’s relationship with her mother different from Vera’s relationship with Hannah?

14. When Shep was incarcerated, Vera found herself in survival mode. Do you agree with the choices she made? Do you think she was courageous or reckless to enter into her own bootlegging operation?

15. The women in
Dollface
represent flappers, gun molls, and mob wives. How do you think Vera, Evelyn, Dora, and Basha are similar? How are they different? Was there one character that you identified with more than the others?

16. Vera suffers a great deal of pain and loss at the end of the novel. Did you feel sorry for her or did you think she got what she deserved?