The Invincible Miss Cust

How did the time Aleen spent at Newton Hall in the company of Lady and Major Widdrington and Dorothy influence the woman she would grow up to become?

Aleen’s landlady in Edinburgh, Mrs. Logan, at one point says, “It is possible to outgrow family, you know.” Do you agree or disagree with this statement?

One of the reasons the RCVS gave for wanting to prohibit women from becoming veterinarian surgeons was that they lacked the physical strength to do the job, the same excuse used by the U.S. military to prevent women from enlisting in certain areas. Do you think this is a valid reason women should be excluded from some professional endeavors?

Even though Aleen’s family tried with all their might to keep Aleen from pursuing her dreams and didn’t support her at all, she was still concerned with drawing attention to her case and further humiliating her family. To the very end, she still hoped for reconciliation with them. If you were in her position, what would you have done?

Aleen scored the highest marks of her class at New Veterinary College. But rather than that accomplishment being a cause for celebration, her classmate and the principal recommended adjusting her scores so as not to call attention to her proficiency from the RCVS. Do you agree with the decision to do so? Do you think it was necessary? Do you think the outcome would have been any different had she submitted her actual scores?

Aleen had many advocates along the way who supported and encouraged her to pursue her dream despite the obstacles set before her—Professor Williams and the New Veterinary College, Mr. Andrew Spreull, the Widdringtons, and Willie Byrne. Do you think she would have accomplished her goal of becoming a veterinary surgeon without their backing?

Even today, when children are asked what they want to be when they grow up, one of the most cited careers is veterinarian. Has that ever been a dream job for you? What did you want to be when you grew up, and how did your answer then differ from what you do today?

Discuss how Aleen was able to win over and earn the respect of her peers and clients. How would this have been different had she been a man?

Aleen and Willie kept their relationship a secret, mostly because of their differences in religion, nationalities, and the social statuses of their upbringing. Do you still see people facing these kinds of barriers today?

Dorothy Widdrington expressed to Aleen that she was not sure she wanted to marry, that she wanted to do something else with her life. Ultimately, she did marry though. Why do you think she decided to do so? Do you think it was a personal choice? Pressure from her family or from society? Or some other reason?

Bertie offered to marry Aleen when he discovered she was pregnant with Willie’s child. She initially accepted but then reneged after she lost the child. Do you agree with Aleen’s decisions? Or do you think Aleen should have committed to Bertie? If she had married Bertie, how would her life and career have been affected?

Were you surprised that none of Aleen’s family—her brothers or sister—were willing to reconcile with Aleen and that they didn’t show up to the celebration when she received her official RCVS certificate?

The word ambitious is often used as a negative trait when applied to women but a positive one when referring to men. What other attributes or descriptive words can you think of that connote something different for women than for men?