Venus Cupid Folly And Time Analysis

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Peter Taylor’s short story Venus, Cupid, Folly and Time tells the tale of an odd brother-sister duo, Alfred and Louisa Dorset, who reside in the small, presumably southern, town of Mero. From the very beginning, readers are led to believe that the Dorsets are more than just brother and sister – they are lovers. Several occurrences throughout the story hint at a depraved relationship, however the story offers no firm confirmation of an incestuous relationship actually occurring. Despite their peculiarities, Mr. and Miss Dorset seem to have a great deal of influence on the social traditions of the town, the most important one being the annual party they host for the young children in the community. These parties are exclusive events that …show more content…

As such, these parties seem to be an indication of the social order of the town, with the Dorsets acting as the unlikely social arbiters. Venus, Cupid, Folly and Time is a subtle examination of upper-class life, in which Peter Taylor uses the Dorsets’ seemingly incestuous relationship as a symbol for the greater idea of “social incest.” Furthermore, the Dorset’s fall from the top of the social ladder ultimately brings about the end of social incest in Mero. Alfred and Louisa Dorsets’ relationship is not literally incestuous; that is, they are not lovers. Rather, their seemingly incestuous relationship is symbolic of a much larger societal characteristic – a type of incest defined in much more expansive terms. Mr. and Miss Dorset engage in a different brand of incest known as “social incest.” Simply put, social incest is the inclination to only marry within one’s own class. In an interview with Barbara …show more content…

It was a result of Ned and Emily Meriwether and Tom Bascomb’s seemingly harmless prank on the Dorsets. Ned and Emily Meriwether are two children of high social standing in the Mero community, as understood by their invitation to the Dorsets’ party. Tom Bascomb, on the other hand, is the paperboy for West Vesey Place. As such, he was not invited to the party. However, the three children contrive a plan to trick Alfred and Louisa. Tom is going to attend the party with Emily in Ned’s place, and Ned will sneak in as if he is Tom, an outsider. As noted above, the Dorsets take pride in only inviting the “best” children to their party; Tom is not such an individual. Tom lives on Division Boulevard, an aptly named street. Tom takes this prank as “an opportunity to mock the group from which he has been excluded,” or more precisely, to mock the “social pretensions” of the Dorsets’ (Robinson 287-88). As stated above, Alfred and Louisa are thoroughly convinced that they can recognize a quality child when they see one. Consequently, it is devastating for the Dorsets to find out that they have been tricked: “‘Why, we know nice children when we see them’…a pleading quality in her voice” (Taylor 166). They are reluctant to admit that they have confused Tom, an outsider, with Ned. They continue to insist that “it isn’t just the money,” but ironically, the presumption of money is

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