The Role Of Feminism In ‘The Cows’ by Dawn O'Porter

'You might be conversational to some, but to others, you’ll be an inspiration.’

O’Porter is a British novelist currently living in Los Angeles with husband Chris O’Dowd whose literary focus is on feminism and women’s lifestyle. Her first novel, ‘Paper Aeroplanes’, was published in 2013 and she has continued to write hugely witty yet emotionally challenging books surrounding everyday women with everyday problems.

The Cows follows the lives of three women; Tara, Cam, and Stella. Tara is a single mother, who becomes the subject of a viral video where she is caught masturbating on a train. We watch how her life spirals from one ill-timed mistake, causing extreme damage all through the lens of social media. Next is independent Cam, a lifestyle blogger who uses her platform to promote her choice to not become a mother. She is soon labelled as ‘The Face Of Childless Women’, facing opposition from mothers who see her choice as an attack on femininity. Finally, there is Stella, who has lost both her mother and twin sister to cancer. She is diagnosed with the BRCA gene so, therefore, is given a timer on motherhood and life, we watch her desperately grasping at any attempt to get pregnant, whether morally correct or incorrect. The three women find themselves with their backs against the wall throughout the book, each struggling with how they are perceived by the outside world. Dawn touches on many incredibly important themes throughout such as love, identity, womanhood, social media, and relationships, but she does so in a subtle manner that is light-hearted and fun.

The Cows derives from the fact that for cows ‘there is no other purpose apart from to reproduce and provide us with milk, in many echelons of society it's very much seen that that is also the role of a woman, and so a woman decides not to do that and people think: ‘Why, why are you so cold?’ Initially, O’Porter intended to publish a novel featuring three childless women, but since becoming a mother herself, she became increasingly drawn to writing about motherhood as well. Whether a woman chooses to become a mother or not, conversations surrounding motherhood are at the forefront of female identity. And yet, the crucial question we must ask ourselves is why should it matter to other women, whether certain women choose or do not choose to become mothers? These rules of society are heavily ingrained, with the focus on the linear path generated for us. Anyone who chooses to live outside this prism is viewed differently and their aspirations are questioned.

With regards to feminism, O’Porter has seamlessly delved into deep and important topics with admirable humour. Throughout The Cows, all three women experience real-life scenarios, encouraging the reader to relate to them. And yet, all three women present highly contrasting scenarios. Their raw emotions ring true for most women; anxiety, insecurity, shame, jealousy, bitchiness, all examples of the flawed human traits we possess and can so often use against each other. Despite these feminist issues being central to O’Porter’s writing, I believe that she thus sacrifices a lot of depth. The novel is therefore incomplete, not fulfilling its potential, which I think is a common theme with such texts of this ilk. What I will celebrate is O’Porter’s ability to tackle sensitive topics with such a bold demeanour, discussing everyday female issues such as sex, periods, pregnancy, hormones, masturbation and abortion. It certainly opened my eyes as to how we can approach these topics and I began to change my preconceptions of femininity.

O’Porter captures the pure subtleties of everyday life for women. Some days can be fairly routine but all of a sudden a catastrophic event can occur which can completely blindside you. Due to the fact that this a relatable representation of most women’s lives, it keeps the book fresh and the audience on their toes throughout. One minute we’re laughing with Stella and the next we’re balling our eyes out with Tara.

This book is not about the patriarchy and its negative connotations. Instead, O’Porter tackles feminine gender roles with a pronounced wit and lightheartedness, which is a refreshing approach.

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