Ward uses the mistress to symbolize the financial corruption found throughout society. The mistress is a beautiful and seductive representation of the numerous ways that money will try to corrupt the artist and all people. Corruption infiltrates every aspect of society. The legal system, organized religion, law enforcement, and even the military are not immune to corruption. The most hurtful though, is the corruption of physical and emotional love for financial gain as the artist quickly discovers. The mistress corrupts various people and is not prejudiced by social status or class. Her first appearance in Ward's novel is of a seductress. Her physique is alluring and sexual. She is not abashed by her large breasts, low cut dress, and cleavage, rather she looks proud and elegant. Her provocative body temps the crowded room including the artist. When the artist first interacts with the mistress, he was naïve to her ways. She is sitting alone with her nude breasts fully exposed. The expression on his face was not that of concupiscence, rather the surprise and awe preluding copulation. But, she was far from chaste in her intentions. Unbeknownst to the artist, the mistress had ulterior motives. She is, in this sense, a prostitute. Money corrupts …show more content…
The mistress in the company of the judge on the bench is a significant representation of the corruption in the legal system. The justice system should be blind to corruption and temptation. What faith can we have in the legal establishment if it too has fallen into corruption? When the elected officials who are sworn to uphold the laws that dictate the foundation of the society we live in, have been tainted with corruption then there can be no reliance in the system of law. Innocent men can be sent to prison for lacking the money to defend themselves, yet guilty criminals with enough wealth are free to continue their transgressions without fear of
“Corruption is like a ball of snow, once it’s set a rolling it must increase (Charles Caleb Colton).” Colton describes that once corruption has begun, it is difficult to stop. Corruption has existed in this country, let alone this very planet, since the beginning of time. With corruption involves: money, power, and favoritism. Many people argue today that racism is still a major problem to overcome in today’s legal system. American author (and local Chicago resident) Steve Bogira jumps into the center of the United States justice system and tells the story of what happens in a typical year for the Cook Country Criminal Courthouse, which has been noted as one of the most hectic and busiest felony courthouses in the entire country. After getting permission from one of the courthouse judges’ (Judge Locallo) he was allowed to venture in and get eyewitness accounts of what the American Legal System is and how it operates. Not only did he get access to the courtroom but: Locallo’s chambers, staff, even his own home. In this book we get to read first hand account of how America handles issues like: how money and power play in the court, the favoritism towards certain ethnic groups, and the façade that has to be put on by both the defendants and Cook County Workers,
As stated in the title, "Lusus Naturae" is a hyperbole of how the narrator does not meet society’s expectations of beauty. The doctor says that “she’ll want to drink chicken blood” (Atwood 225). The doctor is treating the narrator as an inhuman being, and no family member questions him about it. Also, a doctor is a part of the middle-class society, so he should be more understanding of the narrator’s situation since he has his own children take care of. Furthermore, Atwood creates a monster through the use of unique verbs and adjectives in diction. The narrator even knows that she has red-nailed hands,which shows her acknowledgment as a freak. The narrator performs questionable actions, such as biting a guy’s neck, which really brings out the monster in her. A village mob going after a strange creature is a stereotype in itself. The speaker in "My mistress’ eyes" states “no such roses see I in her cheeks” (Shakespeare 891). The speaker does look for characteristics that define beauty, but he gets only natural traits. He never exaggerates any of the horrible attributes. He is basically saying that she is not beautiful, but she is not ugly either. The speaker does at one point state that his mistress has awful, sounding voice that he rather listen to than music. The speaker does not compare beauty at this point, but he goes further into other physical traits. Regardless, the speaker puts such quality in the unpleasant category. Writing the piece as a Sonnet merits a joyful tone in itself. The pathway chosen by "Lusus Naturae" had a more lasting impact compared to "My mistress’ eyes", as it had a more intense
In the prologue, Douglas gave a detailed account of the master from the governess¡¦s point of view. She regarded him as ¡§handsome and bold and pleasant, off-hand and gay and kind; he struck her¡¨ (James 4). Later on we learn from Douglas that the governess accepted the job at Bly for the master¡¦s sake, and of course the generous salary offered by the master. Without any experience, the governess¡¦s passions for the master supported her to accept the job and confirmed her decision to take the challenge even though she feared not having the ability to accomplish the job. ¡§The moral of which was of course the seduction exercised by the splendid young man. She succumbed to it¡¨ (James 5). With the love for the master, the governess had the courage to visit the master again and eventually took the job. ¡§He held her hand, thanking her for the sacrifice, she already felt rewarded¡¨ (James 6). Her obsession with the master was somehow repressed owing to the absence of the master and the condi...
The question is what could possess one to change so radically when given power over another human being. Prior to the mistress’ change, Frederick Douglas, author of The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas (1995) describes her as “a woman of the kindest heart and finest feelings.” (19) This brings us to one of Douglas’ motifs of how slavery can carry a fatal poison that if one possess’ can change their outsight to life. This poison affects some people more then others. For example, if one compares all of Douglas’ slave owners, it is easy to see that those born into a slave holding
The Victorians thought that their woman should be motherly and uninterested in sex. Women were supposed to be pure and virginal, and even after marriage, they should still be uninterested in sex. The bed is nailed to the floor, which is a metaphor for the culture of male dominance at the time. The narrator's husband, John, is a very successful physician. He tells the narrator time and time again that she is sick. He can be viewed as a very controlling man in which everything must happen his way or not at all. John was a metaphor for the type of society in the 19th century. He is the image of a male-dominated culture where every woman and child had to follow the rules without complaint. The narrator is like a child taking order for the male doctors in her life, even going on to say, “personally, I disagree with their ideas.” She does not accept their diagnosis but has no other choice but to follow it’s harsh procedures, much like the woman of the 19th century. The wallpaper, rules, and opinions of other stood between the narrator’s imagination and intellectual desires, eventually driving her to insanity. However, she is not the only woman in the story to feel this snared feeling. John’s sister, Jennie, claimed that she wouldn't mind tearing the wallpaper apart herself, proving she also felt oppressed by the strict rules of society. The narrator finds
During this era, women were intended to be ruled rather than be in a position to rule themselves. Lines 660-664 of The Wife of Bath describe not only Janekyn’s view of a husband’s supposed dominance of a wife, but also the general view held by society at the time. Through the passage, Janekyn advices that “Thanne woulde he saye right thus withouten doute/ Whoso that buildeth his hous al of salwes/ And priketh his blinde hors over the falwes/ And suffereth his wif to go seeken halwes/ Is worthy to be hanged on the galwes” (Chaucer 297). In other words, Janekyn is suggesting that any husband that is a pushover and not only allows, but also encourages his wife to run around and go on trips is foolish and worthy of the worst punishment. These lines are important because they seem to contradict what has happened in the paintings. Janekyn talks as if he defines social hierarchy as a man controlling what his wife does in order to not be seen as one who is stepped all over. The Wife of Bath’s description in her prologue suggests that she was not easily dominated, and more of the taking rather than giving type. It also implies that her love stems from ability to satisfy her appetite, and she often chose direction based on satisfying these desires rather than rule. Similarly, Phyllis atop of Aristotle suggests her overpowering of him. Not only were the roles of men and women reversed in this work, but also the roles of man
Many women who were part of the middle classes were often not sent to school and so didn’t usually learn a skill that they could use to make a living. Consequently, as they were women and so were often not left much, if any, inheritance when their parents died, women found that they must. marry in order to have money and to keep their place in society. Charlotte takes advantage of her situation to marry purely for money. and not for love, this is what many women do and what society.
She then moves on to be a gracious host to all of these men, again showing success in her womanly duties. Later that night one of the visitors, Sextus Tarquinis, comes into her room, and forces himself upon her, telling her that if she does not comply he will make it look like she had an affair with one of the servants (Livy, 101). She yields to him because she does not want it to seem as if she had an affair and is not able to explain what occurred.... ... middle of paper ...
Throughout the narrative, the text utilizes the conflict over the crisis of cognition, or the very mystery regarding the Marquise’s lack of knowledge surrounding her mysterious pregnancy, as a catalyst for the presentation of the plurality of opinions associated with the Marquise’s current status in society and presumptions to the father’s identity. In itself, this state of cognitive dissonance prevents the Marquise from making any attempts at atoning for her supposed sin, as she herself is unaware of any possible transgressions responsible for her current predicament. In turn, this separation from the truth pushes the marquise to fall into the conviction that the “incomprehensible change[s] in her figure” and “inner sensations” (85) she felt were due to the god of Fantasy or Morpheus or even “one of his attendant dreams,” (74) thereby relinquishing her subconscious from any guilt. However, despite her self-assurance of innocence and desperate pleas at expressing her clear conscience, the marquise becomes subject to external pressures from both her family and society, who come to perc...
From the beginning, readers could easily define the subject Shakespeare portrays. The Mistress was detailed in humorous tone, which negates the typical blazon. The striking first four lines of the poem contradict the common blazon. Traditionally, blazon is to compliment and praise the subject’s features, and not to insult, which in this case, the Mistress. However, Shakespeare does not ignore the format and goes forth describing her from head to toe. Shakespeare started the first four lines picturing the Mistress’ eyes, lips, breast and hair. Symbolically, eyes, lips breast and hair are essential cliché features of a female beauty. Nevertheless, from his intense sketch of her features, he portrayed that she does not carry any representation of beauty. From the simile in line one; Shakespeare negates the comparison of the Mistress to the sun: “My Mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun;” (Woolway). Line two to three mentions the shades like red coral, and “dun”. Coral is a fami...
Comparing Tone in To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time and To His Coy Mistress
Another character is woman who is a mistress. Now the question arises that whether his love towards the young man differ from his love for the dark lady or not.
In the poem “To His Coy Mistress”, the speaker is trying to seduce his wife. In the assumption the mistress is his wife; she is being bashful towards losing her virginity. The speaker, which is the mistress’s husband, develops a carefully constructed argument where the speaker seeks to persuade his lady to surrender her virginity to him.
...s is the next worst thing to buying a slave" (317). Jane feels that becoming Rochester's mistress would be "degrading", highlighting Jane's strong, feministic values (317). Jane conceals her passion for reason, as she is firm in her morality.
... women teamed with the inability to change their lives. There is an economic dependence on men, and a naivety that is beginning to be lost with potential for fulfilment. All of Katherine Mansfield's women seem to be on a very fine dividing line between sanity and a nervous breakdown, and the large amount of internalisation of desires and wishes that they experience cannot be projected out to the world so remains in their heads thus intensified and likely to become a danger to their mental health. There is a sense of female sexuality, with deep unfulfilled desires that remain in the realms of fantasy. There is no relationship in the writings of Katherine Mansfield that is emotionally fulfilling, in sharp contrast to the Victorian novel there is never a happy ending. The women are always excluded from the relationships that were meant to define and fulfil their lives.