The Ruined Maid Essay
Casey Gonzalez
Professor Paul Niemeyer
English 2323
April 18, 2011
A life without Worries
In “The Ruined Maid” a poem by Thomas Hardy, one may first portray it to be about two women who are contrasting and discussing Melia’s past and now ruined life. In the poem Thomas hardy examines the life of two women, one poor and one rich, debating which women’s life is harder. In the poem Hardy exemplifies melodramatic dialogue between two women revealing the insecurities and ethics of women in the Victorian Era. Moreover the poem satirizes how a prostitute, a woman who may have a ruined life but is still happy, is viewed by the Victorians.
In “The Ruined Maid” the reader has to read between the lines and look at the era the poem was written …show more content…
“Who could have supposed I should meet you in Town? / And whence such fair garments, such prosperi-ty’” (Hardy, 2-3). In this line one can read how the other woman Melia runs into is stunted by Melia’s appearance in town. Hardy portrays by the conversation how the woman is surprised by seeing Melia dressed so sophisticated and how much she had changed since the last time she had spoken with her. On the other hand, Melia openly responds,” O didn’t you know I’d been ruined’ “(Hardy, 4)? As the reader reads he/she can tell that the scene Hardy depicts in this stanza is one where this woman, who is a prostitute, was not ashamed of being a “ruined” woman and does not care to be seen in public. Melia had no problem explaining to her how being “ruined” brought her richness and the woman she had become …show more content…
She wants to be covered in jewelry and dress in expensive garments and be able to walk around town as a rich woman (Guz). "My dear - raw country girl, such as you be, / Cannot quite expect that. You ain 't ruined," Melia tells her (Hardy 23-24). In this stanza the reader can see how even although Melia loves her new life of richness, she does not wish it to anyone else, no matter how good her life maybe. Also one can tell that she is speaking to the farm girl that way she did when she was poor by using “ain’t” showing how she has not forgotten where she came from and want to communicate better the other woman. Perhaps even though she is rich and has everything she is still isolated from the “society” she now belongs to, the high society. Even though she became rich to many other people she is still the worthless farm girl she was
Professor Paul Niemeyer
English 2323
April 18, 2011
A life without Worries
In “The Ruined Maid” a poem by Thomas Hardy, one may first portray it to be about two women who are contrasting and discussing Melia’s past and now ruined life. In the poem Thomas hardy examines the life of two women, one poor and one rich, debating which women’s life is harder. In the poem Hardy exemplifies melodramatic dialogue between two women revealing the insecurities and ethics of women in the Victorian Era. Moreover the poem satirizes how a prostitute, a woman who may have a ruined life but is still happy, is viewed by the Victorians.
In “The Ruined Maid” the reader has to read between the lines and look at the era the poem was written …show more content…
“Who could have supposed I should meet you in Town? / And whence such fair garments, such prosperi-ty’” (Hardy, 2-3). In this line one can read how the other woman Melia runs into is stunted by Melia’s appearance in town. Hardy portrays by the conversation how the woman is surprised by seeing Melia dressed so sophisticated and how much she had changed since the last time she had spoken with her. On the other hand, Melia openly responds,” O didn’t you know I’d been ruined’ “(Hardy, 4)? As the reader reads he/she can tell that the scene Hardy depicts in this stanza is one where this woman, who is a prostitute, was not ashamed of being a “ruined” woman and does not care to be seen in public. Melia had no problem explaining to her how being “ruined” brought her richness and the woman she had become …show more content…
She wants to be covered in jewelry and dress in expensive garments and be able to walk around town as a rich woman (Guz). "My dear - raw country girl, such as you be, / Cannot quite expect that. You ain 't ruined," Melia tells her (Hardy 23-24). In this stanza the reader can see how even although Melia loves her new life of richness, she does not wish it to anyone else, no matter how good her life maybe. Also one can tell that she is speaking to the farm girl that way she did when she was poor by using “ain’t” showing how she has not forgotten where she came from and want to communicate better the other woman. Perhaps even though she is rich and has everything she is still isolated from the “society” she now belongs to, the high society. Even though she became rich to many other people she is still the worthless farm girl she was