Lenù’s feminism appears very superficial. She is able write “feminist” literature, and discuss feminist topics with other academics around her, but when it comes to her own life and her own actions, she does not put much of it to use. For example, the ways she treats and perceives Lila. When Lila criticises Lenù’s actions, Lenù immediately proclaims it as Lila being ‘jealous’: “Only now – out of jealousy, surely, because I had taken Nino – did she remember the girls, and wanted to emphasize that I was a terrible mother, that although I was happy, I was causing them unhappiness” (page 23). Instead of seeing Lila as a rational person, she diminishes her. Instead of using her power or status to help other women, she looks down on them, such as with Lila in this example.

Lenu’s lack of concrete real world feminism could be explained in part by her mother-in-law, Adele. Being in a way, a role model for Lenù for many years now, Lenù must have at least in some way absorbed how Adele interacts with others. While Adele seems to be a supporter of women writers, such as by encouraging Lenù in her career, it seems this is just as superficial as with Lenù. Instead of continuing to support her Lenù as a writer, Adele attempts to derail her career when she is no longer with Pietro, being behind a number of bad reviews of her book. She also does not respect Lenù as her own autonomous being, and the work Lenù has done to achieve what she has: ”I’ll take away everything I’ve given you” (page 25). When this is one of her few ‘feminist’ idols, it would be hard for Lenù to know any other way of being a feminist.