Mrs.
Wolff: Don’t talk to me about that slut!
If I could only get my hands on her!
I’d show the hussy! Wouldn’t that
be some fun for you? To fool around with
some fellow every night. The very
thought of it. I’ll beat ya till ya
can’t get up no more. (p 148)
Although Mrs. Wolff’s actions give a
clear description of her character, her attitude can also give us insight. While this is not a central theme in The Beaver Coat, when I read this
passage I instantly thought of our previous conversations in class about slut
shaming. In the play, Mrs. Wolff is
talking about Emilie. Leontine wants to
follow in Emilie’s footsteps and travel to Berlin, but Mrs. Wolff is set
against it because she does not want her daughter to fall in with the wrong
crowd.
Later,
when Adelheid mentions Filitz, Mrs. Wolff is once again outraged and calls him
a pimp, a spy, and a reformer. This made
me think about Mrs. Wolff’s attitude and her dislike of several
characters. Is this slut shaming or
misandry (a strong hatred of men)?
Perhaps it’s both. Could Mrs.
Wolff be classified as a misanthrope? While
she cares for her family and tries to make sure she can provide for them, she
constantly talks down to her husband and berates him. It seems like she would go to great lengths
to protect her daughters, even if that means stealing and lying. She asserts herself as the head of the
household and has a superior mindset. So
maybe she is not a misanthrope so much as she thinks she is better than
everyone around her.
Mrs.
Wolff is the mastermind behind the thefts of the wood and the beaver coat. She believes that she can get away with her
crimes, and she is correct. Mrs. Wolff
thinks that she is above the law and has no faith that the justice system will
ever come around to solving the thefts. She
has convinced others that she is a woman of strong morals and values and could
never be suspected of committing a theft.
Her strong character gets what she wants.
Mrs. Wolff may not be a misanthrope, but she is a narcissist.
ReplyDeleteHotchkiss’ 7 deadly sins of narcissism:
Shamelessness
Magical thinking (I’m perfect)
Arrogance
Envy
Entitlement
Exploitation
Bad Boundaries
--"Others either exist to meet their needs or may as well not exist at all."
Reading your description of Mrs. Wolff really reminded me of my mom and my aunts, MINUS the criminal activity. My mom and aunts all have very strong personalities. My cousins, my brother, and I all have endured listening to them nag constantly, especially about dating. They tell my cousins, my brother, and I to always look for a good man or woman. They tell us stories about women they believe to be sluts or men who they believe to be dirty, little perverts, and they aren't shy at all: they use these people's ACTUAL names in the story. They tell us to don't be like those dirty people. "Blah Blah... sex no good... Blah Blah... he/she no good... Blah Blah... he/she lazy... Blah Blah"... etc
ReplyDeleteAs for my dad and my uncles, they get a piece of the nagging too except in Chinese, Cantonese, Vietnamese, or their own dialect of some Oriental language: "Blah Blah... You don't cook the curry right.. Too salty... Cook too long... Blah Blah EAT DINNER... Blah Blah... Look how dirty the carpet is from your work!... Blah Blah... Ayahhhhh... Blah Blah... Let ME tell/translate to you what's happening..." Of course they don't say "Blah Blah", but I get used to the usual nagging and lecturing that I let it slip thru my ear sometimes.
It took a long time to understand why they do it. The reason is because of how they were raised. They nag alot and repetitively because they want other people to make sure they get their point. They do it out of love and care for their family and friends. They don't mean to sound so harsh by being so straightforward. It's just how they were raised to talk. Also, apparently in my family, to make sure you are noticed and heard (especially at one of my family reunions), you have to talk very loud and keep getting louder. As for why their personalities are strong and overly confident, they feel they must sound this way like Mrs. Wolff because it's their way of earning respect. They believe no one will respect them if they act all shy or weak.
I do not believe that Mrs. Wolff had a strong hatred for men, but I do believe she mistrusted many of them especially those around her daughters. What parent wouldn't? I believe that Mrs. Wolff thinks she is better than everyone because the amount of work she does in her household, as well as outside of it. In my opinion, she has the right to feel this way because she does seem like the only one with a smart mind and determination.
ReplyDeleteThe attitude you are discussing seems aimed at protection, as you observe. It is perhaps the only way Mrs. Wolff can communicate to her daughters and prevent them from making mistakes (though she does hope that they will escape the lower-class life and become famous in the theater). Carol brings up an important point here: is Mrs. Wolff self-serving or does she consider her family? We'll discuss this point in class.
ReplyDelete