What a tough life love leads some women to. The lower classes in Dicken's world had a difficult time, and then, even when offered a chance to improve her lot, Nancy chose to "stand by her man".
"Will you return to this gang of robbers, and to this man, when a word can save you? What fascination is it that can take you back, and make you cling to wickedness and misery? Oh! There is no chord in your heart that I can touch ! Is there nothing left, to which I can appeal against this terrible infatuation?"
"When ladies as young, and good, and beautiful as you are, " replied the girl steadily, "give away your hearts, love will carry you all lengths - even, such as you, who have home, friends, other admirers, everything, to fill them. When such as I, who have to certain roof but the coffinlid, and no friend in sickness or death but the hospital nurse, set our rotten hearts on any man, and let him fill the place that has been a blank through all our wretched lives, who can hope to cure us? Pity us, lady - pity us for having only one feeling of the woman left, and for having that turned, by a heavy judgement, from a confort and a pride, in to a new means of violence and suffering."
"You will," said Rose, after a pause, "take some money from me, which may enable you to live without dishonesty - at all events until we meet again?"
"Not a penny," replied the girl, waving her hand.
"Do not close your heart against all my efforts to help you," said Rose, stepping gently forward. "I wish to serve you indeed."
"You would serve me best, lady," replied the girl, wringing her hands, "If you could take my life at once; for I have felt more grief to think of what I am , tonight, than I ever did before, and it would be something or to die in the hell in which I have lived. God Bless you, sweet lady, and send as much happiness on your head as I have brought shame on mine"
Thus speaking, and sobbing aloud, the unhappy creature turned away, while Rose Mayle, overpowered by this extraordinary interview, which had more the semblance of a rapid dream than an actual occurrence, sank into a chair, and endeavoured to collect her wandering thoughts."
Again, I wonder what similarities there are with society today? How many people (not just women) stay in relationships which are harmful to them and their families? Dickens has done it again - he was a social reformer of his time - yet, I think, reading his works could give valuable insight to our society today.
OK - I am off quad-biking in about 10 minutes, so I need to finish this now and find somewhere that I can upload it. Oh, and in case you were wondering, the weather here is now beautiful - the t-shirt got an outing today!
"Will you return to this gang of robbers, and to this man, when a word can save you? What fascination is it that can take you back, and make you cling to wickedness and misery? Oh! There is no chord in your heart that I can touch ! Is there nothing left, to which I can appeal against this terrible infatuation?"
"When ladies as young, and good, and beautiful as you are, " replied the girl steadily, "give away your hearts, love will carry you all lengths - even, such as you, who have home, friends, other admirers, everything, to fill them. When such as I, who have to certain roof but the coffinlid, and no friend in sickness or death but the hospital nurse, set our rotten hearts on any man, and let him fill the place that has been a blank through all our wretched lives, who can hope to cure us? Pity us, lady - pity us for having only one feeling of the woman left, and for having that turned, by a heavy judgement, from a confort and a pride, in to a new means of violence and suffering."
"You will," said Rose, after a pause, "take some money from me, which may enable you to live without dishonesty - at all events until we meet again?"
"Not a penny," replied the girl, waving her hand.
"Do not close your heart against all my efforts to help you," said Rose, stepping gently forward. "I wish to serve you indeed."
"You would serve me best, lady," replied the girl, wringing her hands, "If you could take my life at once; for I have felt more grief to think of what I am , tonight, than I ever did before, and it would be something or to die in the hell in which I have lived. God Bless you, sweet lady, and send as much happiness on your head as I have brought shame on mine"
Thus speaking, and sobbing aloud, the unhappy creature turned away, while Rose Mayle, overpowered by this extraordinary interview, which had more the semblance of a rapid dream than an actual occurrence, sank into a chair, and endeavoured to collect her wandering thoughts."
Again, I wonder what similarities there are with society today? How many people (not just women) stay in relationships which are harmful to them and their families? Dickens has done it again - he was a social reformer of his time - yet, I think, reading his works could give valuable insight to our society today.
OK - I am off quad-biking in about 10 minutes, so I need to finish this now and find somewhere that I can upload it. Oh, and in case you were wondering, the weather here is now beautiful - the t-shirt got an outing today!
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