Poor Things

The events unfold during the Victorian era, a time of rapid industrial growth and strict social mores. Scientific curiosity and radical experimentation sit alongside rigid gender roles and class divisions. The plot tracks Bella's development from a newly revived being to an autonomous participant in a male-dominated world.

Set in 19th-century Glasgow, the city is depicted as a smoky, rapidly industrializing hub where science and poverty collide. It then carries the characters across Europe and the Middle East, highlighting the era's cosmopolitan reach. The setting juxtaposes grand rooms and opulent wealth with the struggles of the poor, shaping Bella's awakening and Archibald's ambitions.

🧭 Identity and Agency

Bella grows from a controlled experiment into an autonomous, intelligent woman who makes her own choices. Her maturation challenges the Victorian expectation that women be passive companions. The relationship with Archibald becomes a test of equality rather than possession. The later revelation about the fabrication of her origin reframes her life as self-made, not myth.

🪞 Truth and Memory

The narrative unfolds as a postmodern puzzle about who gets to tell a story and how memory shapes reality. Archibald’s memoir constructs a fairy-tale origin for Bella that may not be truthful. Bella’s own voice and a letter reveal discrepancies, inviting readers to question reliability and the nature of truth in memory.

⚖️ Social Reform

Bella becomes a champion for women’s rights, public health, and social reform, using her agency to challenge the era’s hypocrisy. The tale contrasts the power of independent thought with oppressive social structures. Her partnership with Archibald is framed as an equal collaboration, not a tool of male authority. The work critiques class privilege and calls for systemic change.