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- What does the Duchess state are her reasons for writing her autobiography? Can you think of other reasons she may have had?
- Of what things does she seem most proud? What seems her attitude toward her family and upbringing?
- What are some unusual features of her background and family unit? Do her observations show evidene of biases of rank?
- Why do you think this woman, of all 17th century women, chose to write such an introspective memoir? What were some unusual features of her experience and character?
- What seem to be her political views?
- Which features of her life and character do you think may have been affected by conventions for women at the time?
- About which of her actions does she seem defensive or ambivalent?
- Does she admire different qualities in men and in women? Does she make any comments on the role of women?
- What are her attitudes toward marriage and her husband? What seems to have been their relationship?
- What may have been some of the causes of her great interest in fame?
- Wht types of things does she seem to hate or contemn above all others?
- Do you find her final self-characterizations reasonable or consistent?
- What does she say about her methd of writing? What are feaures of its style?
- What does she mean by "meancholy"?
- Do you feel the True Relation is a unified work?
- At the end of the memoir, do you believe that you understand the Duchess?
- How might the Duchess of Newcastle's life or memoirs have been different had she lived in the twenty-first century?