Even when Claudine acts out, she is often doing so within a framework designed by men. This meta-textual bondage reflects the limited agency women writers possessed during the period. IV. The Breaking of the Bonds

Watching Annie’s total domestic enslavement serves as a mirror for Claudine.

In the final installment, Claudine and Annie , the "bondage" is contrasted through the character of Annie, who is more traditionally submissive.