In Zambreno's "Heroines," the diary and confessional writing serve as crucial tools for the heroines to navigate their identities and experiences. These women, like Virginia Woolf, Zelda Fitzgerald, and Vivien Eliot, use their diaries as a means of self-expression and survival, capturing their innermost thoughts and emotions. This form of writing allows them to reclaim their narratives, especially in a male-dominated literary tradition that often suppresses or misrepresents female experiences.
The diary and confessional writing in these narratives challenge the traditional notion of literature as a masculine domain. They highlight the importance of emotional intensity and personal experience in literary creation, which has historically been undervalued or dismissed as "unliterary." By emphasizing the significance of confessional writing, Zambreno contributes to a broader literary tradition that seeks to recognize and celebrate the voices and experiences of women writers.