"The Good Soldier"

Paper Summary:

This paper explains how female inequality to men plays an important role in the outcome of Ford's classic story by setting into play the motivating factors behind Edward's desires and Leonora's reactions. It concludes that "The Good Soldier" reveals a great deal about how the subservience of women can damage both friendships and individual marriages.

From the Paper:

"Ford's diction often makes us subtly aware of the inequality of women within the novel. In describing Edward, the narrator notes "He wanted only moral support at the hands of some female, because he found men difficult to talk to about ideals. Indeed, I do not believe that he had, at any time, any idea of making any one his mistress. That sounds queer; but I believe it is quite true as a statement of character." In this quote the use of the phrase "some female" is extremely telling about the attitude toward women prevalent in the novel. The phrase is dismissive, with the connotation that any woman would be acceptable, and that their support was neither truly valued nor valuable."

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