The novel is like most of Brantenberg's other works – norm-breaking in such a way that it questions the social, existential and erotic position of women in the society.

Even though Petronius sometimes fantasizes about a quiet and peaceful life with a strong woman to take care of him, he continues his tough fight for a better future for men.

In the novel a number of examples of the current matriarchy are offered, as poor Petronius is forced to use a “PH” ("penisholder," a humorous invented masculine equivalent to a women's bra for the penis; the German term for "bra" is BH for "Brusthalter," "breast holder"), experiences a violent sexual attack, and is introduced to birth control pills for men.

The language in the novel is key: the English, German, and other translations do attempt to match the original Norwegian in effect.

Language used in society today often reflects patriarchal norms; the novel turns this on its head by making the core of each word feminine, for instance (in the English translation) using “wim” as the root for "person" (instead of "man"), and “menwim" for "masculine person" (instead of "women").