This poem treats a slightly different version of the fallen woman than the others. Here, rather than being a street prostitute, "Melia" seems to be more of a "kept woman" or mistress, whose steady patron is a wealthy gentleman.
1) What can we tell about the speaker of this dramatic monologue? What is her social class?
2) In like manner, then, what do we learn about Melia's past life?
3) In this case, what does being "ruined" entail? What seems to be the advantages or changes?
4) While the speaker has one view of Melia's actions, how is the reader supposed to view the entire situation? From this, are we supposed to assume, then, that being "ruined" is really a good lifestyle change, since it provides such women with finery? Or, does this poem provide more of a commentary of society in general, of a society that would produce such a species of fallen woman?
1. The speaker seems to be from the lower class. When the speaker refers to Melia and herself, she talks about having no shoes and socks and having a life with hard work, and is so amazed by Melia's delicate face and pricey garments.
ReplyDelete2. We learn that Melia used to be in this same lower class that the speaker is in, but eventually moved to be in an upper class as a result of being "ruined" (which is referring to prostitution)
3. Being ruined i believe is a reference to prostitution, which has its advantages (in this case) of wearing nice things, not having to do hard labor, etc. Of course, the downside is the fact that this woman is being used by a wealthy gentleman, and also is looked down upon by society.
4. I think that the reader is supposed to realize that although these ruined women are provided with riches, it is only possessions that they are getting rewarded with, while their status and view by society is diminished. Possibly this poem also reveals how easy it is for women to get sucked up into prostitution because of the rewards received (especially for lower class women who find prostitution as a quick fix to their problems)
(1)Like Everett states, the speaker is from the lower class, and from her, (2) we learn that Melia was also from the lower class before her "rise" to nice material things. (3) For being a ruined women, Melia looks to be living the life of high society. She has nice clothes, she seems more at ease, and her beauty has been enhanced. (4) The speaker then concludes that she should be ruined to obtain this lifestyle. Although the speaker comes to this conclusion, the reader is persuaded in another direction from historically context of the time. The poem, as Everett states, shows how easy it was for lower class women to be sucked into prostitution, and how prostitution seemed to be the answer for many women's problems. This poem shows the helplessness that many women felt during this time. Many women worked hard, and had little to show for it. Because of this, it seems that many women thought the way to a better life was through this profession when only they were used and abused by men, and then finally shamed by society. Although the ruined women would look like a "lady," ultimately she could never be one by the way she obtained her status.
ReplyDelete1 & 2: The speaker seems to be someone who knew Melia in her past life and lives the type of life that Melia used to live on a farm “digging potatoes, and spudding up docks.” We learn that Melia used to be a poor country girl just like the speaker when the speaker says that Melia left them “without shoes or socks.”
ReplyDelete3: Melia keeps saying that now she is “ruined” and since she is “ruined” she dresses well wearing jewelry and feathers and she even speaks differently. Melia says that “some polish is gained with one’s ruin” so now she wears gloves and doesn’t have to work. She makes the ruined life sound glamorous compared to the old life she used to live, that life that the speaker is still living. The speaker sees the ruined life as glamorous with beautiful clothing, jewelry, feathers and a delicate face and hands.
4: At first it seems like the reader would see this life as glamorous compared to life in the country working on a farm until the end of the poem. Melia tells the country girl that she can’t expect all of the things that Melia has because she isn’t “ruined.” She doesn’t try to tell the girl that the ruined life is a better one or encourage her to become ruined. I believe the poem just provides a commentary of a society in general that would make women believe their lives are not good enough working on the farms and that they would have all of these nice things if they became “fallen.” Although it suggests that they may have these things one they become “fallen,” it does not mean that they will be of a higher class or really escape the life they lead before.
1. The speaker, like Madeline states, seems to be someone from Melia's past, which shows they are both from the lower class because upper class women never worked outside of the home unlike them.
ReplyDelete3. 'ruined' means she has sold herself and is now unmarriageable but she doesn't seem to mind it because her life is better than when she was "digging up potatoes" in the farm.
1 and 2. We can tell the speaker comes from the lower class by the speaker saying they are "tired of digging potatoes." In the Victorian Era, women of the lower class had to work to privide food and shelter for themselves; therefore presumming the speaker and Melia are from the lower class. Melia's past life is determined from the speaker saying Melia use to be "without shoes or socks."
ReplyDelete3. "Ruined" means not being a virgin or unclean, most likely a prostitute. Also a "ruined" person is not marriageable. Melia does not seem to mind being "ruined" because she likes wearing nicer clothes and not having a physical labor working job.
3. It's ironic. In this poem, "ruined" seems to be something to aspire to be. It shows the upsides. It shows that that being "ruined" could be an alternative route to women that lead to a "better life." Yes, it obviously had costs, but to some, it may have been better than their current conditions (like the speaker).
ReplyDelete4. The reader is supposed to acknowledge the fact that the speaker is providing an alternative view on the subject of prostitution, but we must also consider that her view may be skewed. We don't get to hear Melia's position. We must note that we are viewing something through the eyes of the speaker, not a unbiased third party. I think it is more of a social commentary than anything. It shows how prostitution could easily seem like a solution to poverty and how not everyone viewed prostitution in the same way.
1. It can definitely be assumed that the speakers social class is of the lower nature, and that she is probably not well educated, and has not experienced a lot of differences in society.
ReplyDelete2. From the dialogue of the speaker, we learn that Melia grew up in the same manner that the speaker did, in a lower income area, perhaps on a farm, since she mentions potatoes and docks.
3. Ruined refers to the something much more like something you would want from people like the speaker and Melia. But maybe the speaker sees these "gay bracelets and bright feathers", and thinks they are much more elegant that what Melia actually is, which she considers herself "ruined".
4. I think the reader is looking up to this idea of prostitution, but we also much remember that she is looking at it from the bottom class, so what is acceptable in their ideas, may not be acceptable to the middle class and upper class ideas, who probably look down upon Melia for even coming from this.
1. The speaker seems lower class for sure and has a lack of education.
ReplyDelete2. Maybe raised on a farm and seems somewhat unhappy.
3&4. It's almost like ruined is the "better" way of life. Maybe she likes being poor because she is happy that way. Lines 21-24 kind of go against each other but still implies that being poor does not mean your ruined.
1. The speaker is of a lower working class. As she compares the lifestyle of Melia's past to her present, the dramatic difference is clear.
ReplyDelete2. You can tell that Melia past life consisted of her living domestically. She was a poor, run down, unhappy working woman.
3.She is deemed ruined because she is living a more lavish and what its looked upon as sinful lifestyle. The irony is that though she is now a "ruined woman", she displays a brighter, beautiful and confident side of herself.
1. 1. The speaker is of lower class, a farm worker. 2. Melia used to work on the farm too, but gave it up to become a prostitute. 3. Ruined is the word she used to describe passing over form the working side to the selling yourself side of society. She is now a fallen woman and perhaps ruined from marriage. Advantages: She does not need to do hard labor anymore and she seems to have a much nicer lifestyle. Disadvantages: the way society views the individual. 4. I think the poem gives us an insight on the reason why some women chose this path. Their lives were obviously hard, and this may have seemed like an opportunity to some women. I think this sheds light on the problems that structure of this society can create where there aren’t enough men to marry women and the women must provide for themselves.
ReplyDelete1. I agree that the social class of the speaker to be lower class because of how admirable the speaker sounds of the "ruined" life that she has obtained and also how descriptive and knowledgeable he/she is about the lower class life.
ReplyDelete2. We learn that Melia was once living in the same way of life as the speaker which was perhaps a maiden who obtained a life of caring for others and obtaining a life in the garden.
3. I thought that being ruined entailed a higher class life that several lower class women wanted to obtain with advantages or changes including the fancy fashion as stated "And now you've gay bracelets and bright feathers three!" "Yes: that's how we dress when we're ruined," said she."
2)Melina used to be poor and disadvantaged woman who labored for everything and talked in a peasants slang. She had callous hands and was bruised and tired.
ReplyDelete3)Being ruined entails being unmarried but at the same time off the market. She is a mistress and like a personal prostitute. She will never be a wife but always the other woman.
1. The speaker is a country, farm girl.
ReplyDelete2. In lines 10 and 24 there are examples of dialect associated with the country life.
3. Since she because ruined, Melia has stopped working, earned money, changed the way she dresses and talks. All of which make the speaker jealous.
4. The poem highlights only the positive things from the ruined life, but both girls envy each other.
1. The speaker is a woman of low class. Melia calls her a "raw country girl."
ReplyDelete2&3 Melia also used to be of low social class, just like the speaker. However, Melia now leads the "ruined" life which refers to prostitution. The advantage of being ruined is that now she has money to buy herself nice things like clothes and jewelry. The disadvantage of being ruined is that she will never be married, no man will ever love her, and she will be mocked by other women.
1. The speaker of this monologue is definitely not an upper class woman, but a girl who lives on a farm.
ReplyDelete2. Melia was a woman like the narrator, but moved up in class by becoming a fallen woman. Line 7-8” And now you've gay bracelets and bright feathers three! Yes: that's how we dress when we're ruined"
3. She is a prostitute for a higher class gentleman; she has been polished with new words to say. She never does work that she has been “ruined” and she says life is lively now that she is “ruined.”
1 and 2. The speaker and Melia are both from the same class. They are both country, only Melia was sleeping with a wealthy man who she then felt the need to keep with appearances, so she, in her mind, rose to his class.
ReplyDelete3. I think that in this poem, "ruined" doesn't necessarily mean that she's sleeping with several men, more like that she is "ruined" in purity for the man she would possibly someday marry.
4. I feel that the poem highlights the positive things, but that the speaker is saying them in jest. She is probably extremely jealous that Melia got out of the country and is now a society woman even if she is doing it in a sleazy fashion. The last line to me says that the speaker thinks that Melia is not "ruined" meaning that deep down inside, Melia is still a country girl at heart.
1. The speaker seems to have come from a lower or working class. She speaks of being left in tatters, with no shoes nor socks. I think she may in the working class because one lines refers to digging up potatoes and spudding up rocks; things no higher class women would take part in.
ReplyDelete2. We come to learn that Melia's life is quite the same as the speakers. The poem infers that the speaker and Melia may have been in each others past.
3. Being "ruined" in this poem is referring to becoming a prostitute. Although the standard belief of prostitution may be a negative one in this time it was sometimes the only way out for women in poverty. An advantage of being a prostitute is living the lavish life that there wealthy man also lives.
4. The reader is supposed to view the idea of being "ruined" as a positive one. As I stated before, prostitution may be thought of to be negative, but for these women it only brought them to better lives, removing them from their previous lives of poverty.
1) Like most said, this woman appears to be lower class, but not bad off.
ReplyDelete2) It seems that she was a prostitute, but like mentioned earlier, a mistress or something - not a woman on the streets.
3) In this case, ruined means she is morally compromised. The advantages are she gets to wear nice things, she's taken care of, and isn't on the street starving or dying.
4) I think the reader is supposed to see both views. Melia speaks as if she's doing fine, and monetarily she is, but she IS still a prostitute. So there will alaways be a negative cloud over her according to everyone else.