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Thomas Hardy's 'The Ruined Maid'

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Thomas Hardy’s “The Ruined Maid” is very similar to Reba McEntire’s most known song, Fancy. In Hardy’s poem published in 1866 a story is told about a once farm girl who left life on the farm and is now pursuing prostitution. After sometime, her job has her living in a very nice town, rich, and well put together. In the Reba McEntire song “fancy” a story of an impoverished mother whose husband just left her. The mother had two kids, a baby and a daughter Fancy who had just turned eighteen. Due to the fact Fancy was now ineligible for welfare, her mother spent all the money she had to buy fancy a dress. The mother then left Fancy on the street corner with her lasts words of advice “just be nice to the gentleman fancy and they’ll be nice to you”.

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