Loyal to the title, there are many contrasts presented
in the play. Other than the obvious contrast between the characters in the
play, I find myself most attracted to the contrast between the initial and the
final shapes of certain characters.
One
of them would be Maria. She is a symbol of the transformation that the women of
her time went through. Typically preserved as a reproducing medium and a house
keeper, women did not have much say in decisions concerning their welfare. This
is shown in the story when Maria attempted to talk to her father about breaking
the marriage but backed down instead out of love and respect for her father. However,
when Dimple’s cheating was exposed, Maria finally had an official reason to break
up with Dimple, much like how the colonists of the American land finally had an
official reason to reject the British ruling when taxes were collected without
any real standards during the revolutionary war.
If Maria were to end up
marrying Dimple, that means this play is no longer a comedy because it does not
have a happy and fair ending. Unlike the Venetian Twins where Tonino ended up
with the girl of his dreams while Pancrazio was punished in death, Dimple
settles in with Maria thus causing grief and pain to three women, Maria,
Charlotte and Letitia. Just like if the colonist surrender
completely to the British government, America would not be independent just
like how Maria would be forced to obey Dimple.
Maria’s change
definitely brings out the transformation that she went through, creating a
divergence between the Maria at the beginning and the end, which was parallel
to the transformation that is promised of the new America after war.
I like how you compared Maria to the colonists of America. Part of me agrees in your comparison, but another part does not. (Sorry!) The part that does not agree would be when you mentioned her almost breaking the marriage when talking with her father. The American colonists had the guts to revolt for their freedom, whereas Maria was close to doing so. She only got out of that marriage because of luck. Luck was able to expose the selfishness of Dimple and ruin his chances with her. Luck allowed her to meet Colonel Manly instead. Personally, I just didn't feel that fire/courage/passion for freedom in her. She was too tied down by her father's happiness.
ReplyDeleteThe part of me that agrees with you is her transformation. I didn't see it at first, but I remembered in the text, she read those books and became educated. Those readings educated her to see that "there's more than what's on the outside". She realized living with the materialistic and vain Dimple would be horrible like how American colonists realized they were being oppressed and treated unfairly by the British. Maria is in a sense like the American colonists, but she was paired with Colonel Manly because he symbolizes the freedom, the honor, the passion needed for the revolt/reform. He brings out the "transformation that is promised of the new America after war."
You're right, I might have assumed the writer's intentions on Maria although I felt like she actually wanted to give breaking her marriage with Dimple a shot but backed down after seeing how firm her father's stand was. To me, it was as much courage an obedient and oppressed daughter can gather against her father.
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