ipl-logo

The Ruined Maid Essay

1728 Words7 Pages

“The Ruined Maid,” is a satirical poem written by the famous English novelist and poet Thomas Hardy. The poem was written in the year 1866 but was first published, in a slightly expurgate form, in Poems of The Past and Present in the year 1901. "The Ruined Maid" is about a conversation between two former friends, one of whom has become a wealthy and respected woman, while the other has become a prostitute. As the first girl flaunts her newfound wealth and status, her friend is fascinated but also somewhat appalled, wondering how she could have ended up in such a situation.

“The Ruined Maid" by Thomas Hardy, through the structuralist lens, is a satirical poem that critiques the superficial values and oppressive social structures of the Victorian …show more content…

The poem demonstrates how society values virginity and purity while also fostering an environment in which women are compelled by poverty or a lack of opportunity into desperate situations, such as prostitution. The poem demonstrates how the subject evolved from a simple country girl to a sophisticated, wealthy adult. Comparisons draw attention to the woman's transformation, which the other cannot not but notice. Some lines emphasize how much Amelia's life has improved while also highlighting how tempting and enticing the woman's life full of wealth and privileges was to the …show more content…

Prostitutes are often looked at as disgusting and immoral. The use of dialect in the poem highlights the class difference between the two women and the way society views them. Overall, "The Ruined Maid" is a thought-provoking poem that invites readers to reflect on the societal norms and values that shape our perceptions of women and their roles in

Show More
Related

  • How Does Tony Birch Produces Melbourne's Past?

    612 Words  | 3 Pages

    In summary, the structure of this poem enables the reader to relate to the poem, as the poem consists of information that the readers would agree to, partly because they may have experienced or witnessed the accuracy of the information, in real life. For instance, the poem suggests that “Women offer themselves” – this line can be viewed as being accurate as the reader would be aware about women offering themselves – to men, “for [whom], she is the keeper of mystery, with the power to charm and to poison” – through the prostitution – that takes place within Melbourne’s red-light district area of St

    Read More

  • The Changeling By Judith Ortiz Cofer Summary

    794 Words  | 4 Pages

    It’s detailed like a memory and provides the audience of just one incidence the narrator was able to recollect. The poem’s main focus is to take a little look into the disparity between traditional feminine

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Trifles And A Doll's House

    358 Words  | 2 Pages

    Women’s Issues in the Past In both Trifles and A Doll’s House the reputation and appearances of the two women are examined within nineteenth century marriages. The men believe that the women only focus on trivial matters. These two poems are so powerful because of the metaphors, emphasis on gender roles, and tone the narrator uses to convey the way women were treated in the nineteenth century.

    Read More

  • Treatment Of Women In The 1800's Essay

    502 Words  | 3 Pages

    The inequality and gender roles made it almost impossible to escape. Servant women were frequently raped and abused by any and all males living in their master’s home. Chloe W. Smith, a teacher at the University Of York, who specializes in the 1800’s, described how in the 19th century, the job of a servant muddled the line between personal and professional and that women were surrounded by sexual pressure from every male in the home, whether that be the male masters or their fellow male servants. Women were commonly and repeatedly raped (Smith). This was the only way these women survived, and the gender roles in society didn’t help these women one bit. Gender roles were strongly set in the 1800’s and didn’t change until around the 1930’s when the Great Depression caused women to have to start working male dominated jobs.

    Read More

  • The House On Mango Street Gender Essay

    1134 Words  | 5 Pages

    Believe it or not, people are not entirely unique. It is certain that no one is truly the same as another person, but it would not be ridiculous to think that everyone does in fact share many similarities. After all, the majority of the population grows and develops opinions or values based on what they see or hear. For Esperanza, the protagonist of Sandra Cisneros’s, The House on Mango Street, the perspective she has is built upon her childhood on Mango Street. This coming-of-age novel illustrates how Esperanza’s experiences on Mango Street play an important role during her period of growth.

    Read More

  • St Lucy's Home For Girls Possessed By Wolves Analysis

    674 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout life, evolution, or change, becomes the center of each day as people overcome many different obstacles. Literature, such as in Thomas Hardy’s poem, “The Ruined Maid” and Karen Russell’s, “St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves,” often upholds the same idea about change. In Hardy’s poem, two country girls simply conversate about the times they were apart to emphasize how ‘Melia changed in the city, yet she kept her same individuality. On the other hand, Russell displays through her writing more obvious change as girls were trained by undergoing five different stages as a way to teach them how to conform to new environments while remembering who they were at the beginning. Both authors illustrate the importance of change while hanging on to one’s roots, but Hardy uses a naive tone to create tension between the two girls while Russell uses an abundance of symbolism to represent each stage of change.

    Read More

  • Social Conflict In Louisa May Alcott's An Old Fashioned Girl

    964 Words  | 4 Pages

    In Louisa May Alcotts novel “An Old Fashioned Girl” the main character, Polly Milton, finds herself struggling against a man versus society conflict, as she confronts the rich first class society that surrounds her. The fourteen year old country girl who ventures into the city to visit her good friend, is constantly being told she is old fashioned, poor, and too simple for the city. The basis of the conflict is that all the people Polly encounters during her time in the city, expect her to look and behave like the rest. When Polly cannot do this, people begin to tease and mock her all because she has no wealth.

    Read More

  • Does Atwood Dehumanize The Oppression Of Women In The Penelopiad

    1684 Words  | 7 Pages

    Class status was a major factor in the treatment women received and influenced how society perceived them, especially lower class women, completely changing the way they lived, including the maids in this story. Atwood uses the choruses throughout The Penelopiad to tell the real story the maids longed to tell to the readers, letting them know how women’s voices should be heard in society in order to fully understand and treat situations and involved people fairly. It is important to not look only on the surface and assume, but to rather dive deeper into what’s underneath to understand the different sides and interpretations of the story. Without knowing both sides of a story, it is not fair to judge or make a fair comment on the story just as it was unreasonable for the maids to live with unfair judgment without society knowing how difficult their lives as slave women

    Read More

  • The Yellow Wallpaper And To The Young Wife By Charlotte Perkins

    427 Words  | 2 Pages

    The narrator in “Yellow wallpaper” and the speaker in “To the young wife” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman view women as being oppressed. The stringent social regulations that were in place throughout the 1800s kept women from enjoying numerous social rights and opportunities. The narrator experiences oppression as a result of her marriage, her home, and the wallpaper. Additionally, it tells the story of a woman who was driven insane by the Victorian rest-cure.

    Read More

  • Feminism In Louise Halfe's Body Politics

    459 Words  | 2 Pages

    Judith Butler’s Gender Troubles emphasizes gender as the constant repetition of non-existent ideals to uphold a masculine-dominant culture. Likewise, “Body Politics” highlights this belief within the overtly feminine qualities of city women. As a whole, the poem contrasts idealized feminine “city women” with a “real woman” who possesses both feminine and masculine qualities. The mother figure challenges both the gender binary and the patriarchal order by rejecting the feminine gender norms of the society. This feminist reading of the poem makes many valuable and probable claims, however the feminist approach contains some weaknesses.

    Read More

  • Abject In Patience Agbabi's About Face

    1329 Words  | 6 Pages

    5,6) the issues that have been mentioned above are expressed. Since, especially black women, are considered to be living in the shadow this passage exposes the feelings and representation of black women in society. Their existence in the world which is not considered and respected. Considering especially the fact that the lyrical I is a black maiden, she seeks for recognition and acceptance among the other figures of the poem. Referring to contemporary issues, the lyrical I would be classified as a lower ranked person since she is black and being occupied as a maid, which clearly makes her powerless and voiceless in society.

    Read More

  • Literary Analysis Of Elizabeth Bishop's 'Exchanging Hats'

    1809 Words  | 8 Pages

    The different key features also plays an important role for example the tone that is being formed by the lyrical voice that can be seen as a nephew or niece. This specific poem is also seen as an exposition of what Judith Butler will call a ‘gender trouble’ and it consist of an ABBA rhyming pattern that makes the reading of the poem better to understand. The poem emphasizes feminist, gender and queer theories that explains the life of the past and modern women and how they are made to see the world they are supposed to live in. The main theories that will be discussed in this poem will be described while analyzing the poem and this will make the poem and the theories clear to the reader. Different principals of the Feminist Theory.

    Read More

  • When You Are Old Tone

    553 Words  | 3 Pages

    This quote draws an emotional experience to many readers. Many young people grow up with fairy tales and the idea of unconditional love, regardless of our flaws. So, this emotional connection can see the tone reflects the speaker 's unconditional love for the woman. The poem 's form, diction, imagery, and tone relay the speaker 's attitude toward the woman. The order of the stanzas and the word choice makes it apparent that the speaker loves the woman.

    Read More

  • Grah Kay's Essay: The Type By Sarah Kay

    762 Words  | 4 Pages

    This is shown in the opening line when she says, “If you grow up the type of women...” Throughout this poem, Kay explores the themes of empowerment and identity, through the use of repetition and connotation. Through the frequent use of repetition, Kay puts emphasis on how women are defined in relation to males. Additionally, she also uses connotation to remind women they are more than what they are perceived to be in relation to others and they have the power to define themselves. Therefore the main idea of the poem is to perhaps remind women of their worth and inspire them to define themselves on their own terms, and not through the eyes of men or in comparison/relation to their relationship with others.

    Read More

  • Standing Female Nude Analysis

    904 Words  | 4 Pages

    Society’s superficial viewing of women is also reflected in the poem’s wring, as it may seem that this poem is strictly concerned with a prostitute, but in fact it describes all females. The male representative in the poem, Georges, then asserts his superiority, despite their similar conditions of being poor. Although he is sexually attracted to her as he “stiffens for [her] warmth”, suggesting an erection, he is unwilling to accept her as a human being as he deems her question “Why do you do this?”

    Read More

More about The Ruined Maid Essay

Open Document