Depiction of women in Deserted Village by Oliver Goldsmith - Essay Example

Depiction of women in “Deserted Village” by Oliver Goldsmith Introduction In this poem, Goldsmith, the persona of this poem is complaining about the deeds of the government who together with the rich people of his village decided to drive away the poor. This was is because they wanted to get rid of the bad image the poor people brought to the village. He, therefore, conducts his argument by making use of an assortment of clear material that supports this argument. This includes scenery, interiors and sharp human portrayal. In his laments, the persona seems to send out the message of equal importance to anyone in the society. This is because the society benefits from the contributions of ever member no matter how much contribution he avails. Therefore, Oliver Goldsmith represents the absolute country life and happiness. He is worried about the disappearance of life that once existed in this once vibrant village. Therefore, all through the life of the speaker, he had been yearning to go back to his village after being evicted so that he could get to spend his last years in rest and peace. He had thus dreamt of overpowering his youthful poor friends with the knowledge and the story about the things he has achieved. However, these expectations to come and set home in the beloved village are now in vain, for they have been shattered. For him, life that follows sequestration must take that form of a blissful life (Greenblatt, 53). This is because it is only these conditions that will lead to graceful death and make a smooth transition from his people. This paper explores the imagery the persona has used in sending out his message of tolerance to one another to achieve the desired success by focusing on the solitary poor widow, and the betrayed country girl as signs of hope and despair. To pass across this message, he has used a variety of female characters such as the solitary poor widow and the betrayed country girl in the city. In line 29 of the poem, he talks of the bashful virgins whose looks symbolized love that existed in his boyhood years. He depicts this woman as a symbol of love that normally existed during those days when love rocked his life and those of his age mates. This was mostly experienced during the dances that were organized in the village with most of them dancing in pairs. Therefore, the persona uses the term virgin to symbolize how love used to be pure during those days, and that it formed a significant part of his life (Greenblatt, 54). However, to counter this, the persona uses the matrons as a measure of how love was a guarded value that the matrons that attended the dances kept a close eye on the virgins. This may be because they were everyone’s desire to court. In line 31, he admits that this was the charm of those days that kept their life moving (Greenblatt, 54). However, he is sad that this life is no more in line (34). The persona uses the solitary widow to depict women as pedestals that make the community strong. This is because as he brings in this character it is amidst the absence of all other things that once existed in the village but they are all gone. However, there still stands the solitary widow who continues to carry out her duties as pertains of her even though she has no strength. Another woman used in the poem is the betrayed country girl in line (332) (Greenblatt, 54). In using this girl, he depicts women as symbols of humility. This is because the persona describes the woman as having stooped to a low position just to make both ends meet. In the village, this woman used to be a respectable person with plenty of food, clothes and the other basic needs. However, due to her sending off from the village, she is homeless and in a foreign land. However, the humility and the struggle for her survival, as it is normal for women to struggle fending for family in the absence of a father, she is capable of getting a warm place to have a nap. This depicts women as down to Earth and always wanting the best for the family. However, this depicts women as the most vulnerable to suffering following problems that affect families. This is how the persona has used the woman to present the unfavorable conditions that posit the harsh outside world. This is evidenced in line 329 and 333 where she is rained on and cold that makes her shiver. She innocently looks at the cottage beside which she has lain near a thorn tree (Greenblatt, 55). The two women play different roles in the poem. The solitary widower is a symbol of how life is lonely in this Aurban village. This is used to contrast the once existed life and the current life. This means that, in such situations where there happens a disaster, it affects the population so much. However, this is normally immense on the women most of which are left alone to fend for themselves and the children. Most probably, the husband to this widower might have lost his life during the conflict that saw most poor people thrown out of the village. However, it also means that women are strong in nature regarding to their stronghold of the family. Therefore, in spite of the adversities they are prone to, they still have to struggle for the betterment of the family. Therefore, this woman plays the role of a heroine in this poem, where she stands out as the remaining hope of the village going back to its original status. The betrayed girl in the city plays the role of a villain in the poem. This is because of the suffering she is undergoing in a foreign land. The persona uses almost ten lines to describe the situation she is in trying to hold on to life. Therefore, even though she sees an opportunity, she is unable to seize it. Therefore, she resorts to continue lying at a rich man’s homestead waiting for her death that is so imminent if she does not wake up and fend for herself. The persona has characterized the women as opposites in trying to bring out a picture of how things turn out after a crisis. He has invented the roles of women in uniting families to send the message that situations do come and go, and it is upon people to know the best way out. The solitary widower is seen as the remaining hope after everyone has already given up. This is because the village is almost dead with no sounds to be heard except for the evening breeze. The persona accentuates this by claiming that what remains is a poor window of the whole village that once existed. Even, though, the woman is in her old age, she is forced to gather water and food and keep herself warm. Therefore, this solitary widower is the remaining witness to the tale of the change of this village from the wealth to desolation. The characterization of these two women is noteworthy to the significance of the poem in many ways. First, the women have been used to show the pleasure that has existed during the boyhood days of the persona and show how life used to be sweet. This is because the persona has asserted that the dances they used to participate in were the charm that he dreamt of going back to once he returned after his retirement. Another meaning emanates in how he has characterized the women to show the present situation of the village he once adored. This means that those who managed not to leave the village faced many problems just like those who chose to live. However, those who chose to live seemed to have suffered in an immense way that coming back to the village and rebuilding it seems to be way out of these problems. This entire poem tries to show the importance of the poor people in any given community. This is because when the poor people were displaced from this village it was thought that it would develop. However, the worst happened. This means that just as the rich people, the poor also have significance in any given community. Therefore, if this had been taken into consideration, the persona would have been in his once fancied village enjoying his last days in peace. Conclusion This poem is political and the same time informative for those rich people and governments who are out to harass the poor on the grounds of social constructions. Therefore, it is noteworthy that the rich and the poor coexist well for the profit of the entire society. This is because if the poor had not been driven away from this village, then the village would have developed as opposed to the current situation, and this would have seen the persona enjoy his retirement days. Work cited Greenblattt, Stephen. The Norton anthology of English literature. Ed 8.New York: Norton, 2006. Print. Read More