While I was reading The London Merchant, I saw something familiar once again. In act 1 scene 2 Sarah Millwood is talking to Lucy. Millwood is basically telling Lucy that she is going to use her feminine charm to trick George Barnwell (which she successfully does).
**LUCY. Innocent, handsome, and about eighteen. You'll be vastly happy. Why,
if you manage well, you may keep him to yourself these two or three years.
MILL. If I manage well, I shall have done with him much sooner. Having long
had a design on him, and meeting him yesterday, I made a full stop, and,
gazing wishfully on his face, ask'd him his name; he blush'd, and bowing very
low, answer'd: »George Barnwell«. I beg'd his pardon for the freedom I had
taken, and told him that he was the person I had long wish'd to see, and to
whom I had an affair of importance to communicate at a proper time and place.
He named a tavern; I talk'd of honour and reputation, and invited him to my
house. He swallow'd the bait, promis'd to come, and this is the time I expect
him.**
I know we talked about this in class, but I would like to talk about it as well for my post. During the time that this was written, women were still viewed as the less powerful sex, however if something went wrong, the women was always to blame. I am wondering if Lillo shared this view by his portrayal of Millwood? When George Barnwell gives in to Millwood's seductions, I somewhat pitied him at first. I felt that Millwood put him in a awkward spot, and after pressing him over and over again to give in to her seductions he finally did. However in class we talked about vice and virtue, which made me change my position on George Barnwell. Even though he was put in a tough spot, he still chose vice over virtue. Even though Millwood is the vice that he chose, she is not to blame, because in the end it was Barnwell's choice to say yes. I understand that Millwood is the most beautiful girl he has ever seen, but the honorable choice would be to stick to his guns of virtue. If Kate Upton asked you to jump off a bridge would you do it? Well, I think Barnwell would
In the end Barnwell feels guilty (as he should), and he has to face Thorowgood. At least we see that Barnwell has some sense of guilt when he can't even answer to Throwgood's questions
Good post, Donnie; and I agree with your point. At first read I thought that women were portrayed in an unfavorable light, especially by way of Millwood. Her dupery of Barnwell is a case in point. However, I never really felt any sympathy for him, because even though Millwood put the full-court press on him, Barnwell chose to succumb to her charms. I was reminded of Gulliver's Travels in a way. He was gullible like Gulliver when he was treated as a thing, but unlike Barnwell, Gulliver had no choice in the matter.
ReplyDeleteI think many times men blamed women for seducing them because they didnt want to admit their own weakness. Sure, there's no doubt that Millwood certainly did seduce him, but as you said he didn't have to give in. Werethe rolesreversed and a woman gave in to a man the woman would still be blamed for giving up her virtue. Women were just easy to blame as they were considered weak and below men and this easily prone to sin.
ReplyDelete