My final project will be based on the book Red Mars. Red Mars has a very interesting way of describing the different forms of power held by women of the novel. I will focus on the contrast between Nadia and Maya in the ways that they have obtained authority. Women, through descriptions in Red Mars, seem to have control either through the use of their features as women (their bodies, sex, manipulation through men) or through working for it (being smart, strong willed, diligent). Maya’s influence over Frank, Michael, and John all show examples of how a woman can use their mind to change the actions of men even without lifting a finger, whereas; Nadia chooses the different path of working to prove her importance. In this paper, I will argue that Red Mars wants readers to believe that women gain the most power and authority working behind the scenes through men. Therefore, creating a dynamic of puppeteer and puppet through the use of the manipulation of men to gain control in order to fulfill the true desire of the woman.

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