“The Patient Griselda”, by Giovanni Boccaccio, has hidden meanings to it. Domestic violence from Gualtieri to his chosen wife, Griselda is apparent. Gualtieri feels as though his is condoned to such abuse of his wife because of her low-born social class status, her non-nobility. He further oppresses his power over her by disallowing her to have control over the upbringing of their children.
Gualtieri, a young Italian marquis, was pressured by his servants to marry. His subjects were in fear that there would not be an heir to maintain the stability of their state. Gualtieri agrees to marry, but makes it clear to his subjects that he will he will find his own wife. The marquis makes his people promise that they will not question him nor criticize his choice for a wife. “My friends, since you still persist in wanting me to take a wife; I am prepared to do it, not because I have any desires to marry, but rather in order to gratify your wishes. You will recall the promise you gave me, that no matter whom I should choose; you would rest content and honour her as your lady”, (Boccaccio 164).
The beginning of the marriage was peaceful. Then Griselda gave birth to a daughter. It is at this time that Gualtieri begins to “test” Griselda. His tests are actually forms of emotional abuse. He begins by testing Griselda’s obedience by having the child taken away to be raised elsewhere by woman kinfolk. He told Griselda that their daughter was dead, that he had her killed by his subjects. He repeats this same test with the birth of their son a few years later. Griselda, with no words of protest, surrenders both her children to their deaths by their own father, her husband.
Griselda was abused by Gualtieri from the beginnin...
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...ers as you would have others do unto you”. If it had been Griselda putting her husband through these so called “tests”, the outcome would have been very different. There would not have been any kind of a “happy ending”.
Works Cited
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Fulton, Helen. "The Performance of Social Class:." Domestic Violence in The Griselda Story (n.d.): 42.
Jaster, Margaret Rose. ""Controlling clothes, manipulating mates: Petruchio's Griselda"." (2001): 13.
After a few days of grieving, Editha went to George’s mother’s house. During a tragic even in a love-war story, both sides of the family would come together and overcome the obstacle. However, in Editha when she went to George’s parent’s house the mother gave more guilt to Editha saying, “He told me he had asked you to come if he got killed. You did not expect that, I suppose, when you sent him” (1499). The mother continues to say, “When they give their men up to their country, they think they will come marching back, somehow, just as gay as they went...and they are so much the prouder of them” (1500). This comment is reffering to the typical type of love-war stories that have been written, undercutting the romantic plots.
Fetzer, Scott. The World Book Encyclopedia. Vol. 8. Chicago, IL: World Book, 2009. Print. G
Guenever’s dialogue with Lancelot shows signs of guilt, but an overall distinct feeling of love. On page 549, she states that “You (Lancelot) will be killed, and I shall be burned, and our love has come to a bitter end.” The love she has for Lancelot is obviously strong, enough for her to accept her own demise. This sad articulation of her love for him is quite powerful. She understands her actions, and also shows signs of paranoia. She claims, on page 567, that “Tristram used to sleep with King Mark’s wife, and the king murdered him for it.” Guenever is thoughtful of what’s to come, for both her AND her partner. It is obvious that she knew she could not always “have her cake and eat it too.” As a woman, suffering through the psychological battle of “what is right”, Guenever had an awareness of her love and it’s outcome.
Meyer, Michael. The Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2008. 2189.
2nd ed. of the book. New York: St. James Press, 1995. Literature Resource Center -. Web.
Demetria Martínez’s Mother Tongue is divided into five sections and an epilogue. The first three parts of the text present Mary/ María’s, the narrator, recollection of the time when she was nineteen and met José Luis, a refuge from El Salvador, for the first time. The forth and fifth parts, chronologically, go back to her tragic experience when she was seven years old and then her trip to El Salvador with her son, the fruit of her romance with José Luis, twenty years after she met José Luis. And finally the epilogue consists a letter from José Luis to Mary/ María after her trip to El Salvador. The essay traces the development of Mother Tongue’s principal protagonists, María/ Mary. With a close reading of the text, I argue how the forth chapter, namely the domestic abuse scene, functions as a pivotal point in the Mother Tongue as it helps her to define herself.
GRISELDA: I am doing well. I am sure you know that Gualtieri felt he had to test me to see if I was worthy of being his wife. I am just glad I was able to keep my word because I had sworn to him that I would “always try to please him and never be upset by anything he said or did” (1636). I am glad Gualtieri does not feel as frightened of a long term commitment as he did before.
... World Literature. Ed. Martin Puncher. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2012. 441. Print.
Boccaccio's representation of love through Griselda's situation seems soft and gentle-like, she doesn't have the confidence to overpower her husband and so she must put up with the treatment."Griselda was secretly filled with despair. But she prepared herself to endure this final blow as stoically. . ." In the end of the story, the husband confesses that the acts of distrust were proof of how strong their love is, as the happy couple lives happily ever after.
Lawall, Sarah and Maynard Mack, Eds. _The Norton Anthology of world masterpieces: The Western Traditions_. New York. 1999.
Damrosch, David, et al., ed. The Longman Anthology of British Literature: Vol. B. Compact ed. New York: Longman - Addison Wesley Longman, 2000. p. 2256
Damrosch, David, et al., ed. The Longman Anthology of British Literature: Vol. B. Compact ed. New York: Longman - Addison Wesley Longman, 2000.
Damrosch, David, et al., ed. The Longman Anthology of British Literature: Vol. B. Compact ed. New York: Longman - Addison Wesley Longman, 2000.
Damrosch, David, et al., ed. The Longman Anthology of British Literature: Vol. B. Compact ed. New York: Longman - Addison Wesley Longman, 2000.
Puchner, Martin. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Vol. A. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2012. Print.