Race, Gender, and Genre
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act like. Penny is, contrary to her actions, serious about her work. She examines
a piece of jewelry and thinks that it is “exactly the kind that the Baroness
Penelope St. John-Orsini would wear” {Hard-core 46). This meta-awareness is
suspect. Who is the alter-ego: Penny or Coin? In playing her roles, both as
society woman and protector of society, well, the Baroness shows that women
are just as capable as men in rigorous, dangerous occupations. Each of the
paperback covers depicts her with a weapon in hand or with the upper hand in
unarmed combat. Her team is always loyal and trusts her instincts although she
is a woman. Her friends include many minorities although they may often be
disrespected by the author(s). The novels also give several winks and nods to the
literatures that have influenced them, if not