Jess’s Reviews > Wife Shaped Bodies > Status Update

-oppressive system & connecting with one another instead.

The fungus wasn’t a plague; it was separate from the radiation apocalypse. The men deceived the women into becoming a part of the fungus experiment. I like the literal & metaphorical themes of participating in something larger than yourself. I also liked that Nicole allowed the child to be herself while still taking care of her. Like fungi itself, the women are starting a new world by dissolving the men’s-

Nicole was carrying a male fetus; was Silas trying to reincarnate his son? Are the mushroom clone women incubators, used for breeding in an attempt to revive past generations, then discarded as husks more so than actual people? Silas keeps giving Nicole the illusions of consent & agency, ugh.

-eager to learn more internally/where it’s safer. I hope the women/her & Teagan (sp…?) can escape! Better yet, I hope they eradicate their abusive husbands <3

-dystopian themes. Nicole having to walk on eggshells around him, anticipate his moods & try to regulate his emotions for him, having to shrink herself for him… ugh! All textbook symptoms of women living in abuse, sexism, & comphet. Nicole is an intriguing character; she’s trying to learn about herself through her fear & oppression. She is subservient as needed for her survival, but still remains stubborn &-

-a way that may be expected of a misogynistic villain. He’s not violent, angry, or aggressive all the time (like most abusers, despite what many fictional examples portray). He shows her some measures of patience, affection, & vulnerability. But still, he only allows things to be done his way. It’s all a veneer to keep things under his definition of control. It’s repulsive & realistic, when you set aside the-

-Is there really no life outside of their walled village? There’s so many lies about the nature of the fungus plague, so it’s entirely possible that it may not be that dangerous outside. The lab seems to be cloning new generations of women, taking the fungus dust/dirt & making the younger women eat it as they conceive. Silas is also a uniquely horrifying character. He’s not straightforwardly, directly evil in-

-a real life application, sexism would have women engage with each other less in a free capacity. Because when we do, we share thoughts, opinions, & expand our critical thinking skills. AKA progressive ideologies, or rhetoric of any kind, can spread. Maggie, Nicole’s (MC) sister, unfortunately has turned bitter & resentful as a result of their oppression. She blames her sister instead of the men truly responsible-

-wives. Physically, there are strict, ever changing beauty trends & norms women are expected to follow to be viewed as beautiful & normal. Similarly, we also shouldn’t be too big, strong, or expressive. Moreover, the fungus growths seem to allow the female characters to connect with one another, & their own inner feelings & senses as well. However, the men tell them the fungi are dangerous & must be removed. In-

Where to start! The shaving of the mushroom/fungus growth can be applied more literally to the social expectation of women irl shaving their body hair. I think that’s a valid interpretation, but (thus far), I also interpret this metaphor to be more than that. I think it can be seen as a more wholistic analogy for how women mold themselves to be socially & societally acceptable; particularly in the role of men’s-