Lol Stein

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the novel "The Ravishing of Lol Stein" by Marguerite Duras and attempts to determine the turning points in the life of the protagonist, Lol Stein. It discusses how Lol is a character dispossessed of herself when she sees how the person she loves is falling in love with another woman which means that she, the main character, is suddenly is pushed into the background. It shows how the rest of her life is spent seeking the rush of achieving the status she lost and how her personality does not allow anyone beyond her zone of comfort. It discusses how the narrative is unique because of Lol's life, which is really a struggle against herself is told by Jacques one of her acquaintances and it can be construed as his story and not Lol's.

From the Paper:

"From the time of the ball to her marriage of Bedford and ten years in Uxbridge during which she had three children, an outsider looking in would see the neat and orderly home, the well-cared for husband and children would ascertain that everything was alright with Lol, in essence, the perfect housewife and mother who is happy in this role. The story, however, obviously embellished by Jacques, indicates that Lol's psychological profile is that of a loner who is deeply disturbed. She has always very effectively shut off everybody from her life. There is no emotional relationship with John (who married her under selfish circumstances) or the children."

More papers on Lol Stein:

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• Analytical Essay # 140091 : "Edith Stein, Jean Paul Sartre and Empathy"
• Term Paper # 127687 : "Gertrude Stein's Prose"

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