The Ruined Maid Flashcards
Subject of The Ruined Maid by Thomas Hardy
An unnamed farm worker meets a friend called ‘Melia.
It seems as if they haven’t seen each other for a long time. ‘Melia used to work on the farm but doesn’t anymore.
The farm worker is surprised not only to see her in town but to see a great change in her, apparently for the better. ‘Melia, when she was at the farm, used to have only the most basic clothing and now she’s dressed very well and even has jewellery.
She also talks differently and appears to be much more refined. ‘Melia’s physical appearance has improved too as she looks much prettier.
The worker comments that ‘Melia also seems happier with a much more positive outlook on life. The irony is that ‘Melia - which she herself makes clear at the start and in every following stanza - is “ruined” - a prostitute.
Form and structure of The Ruined Maid by Thomas Hardy
Form:
This poem is a ‘dramatic dialogue’ - a conversation between two people which tells a story and reveals things about both characters.
Structure:
It is set out as six, four-line stanzas (a four-line stanza is also known as a ‘quatrain’) with a regular ‘aabb’ rhyme scheme.
The ‘bb’ rhyme (lines 3-4 in each stanza) is always the same as the last word in each stanza is “she”.
Sound of The Ruined Maid by Thomas Hardy
The aabb rhyme scheme is further supported by the rhymes being ‘exact’ or ‘full’ rhymes. This means that the words chosen sound exactly like each other, eg “crown/Town”, “socks/docks”, etc.
The regular rhythm and rhyme help make it sound like a light, playful ditty, almost nursery rhyme in quality.
There is a happy, musical lilt in lines three and four of each stanza as Hardy emphasises the ‘ee’ sound very clearly.
This adds significantly to the irony when we realise the main character is a prostitute.
Imagery of The Ruined Maid by Thomas Hardy
In most of the stanzas, the language and imagery used in the first part is then contrasted by that which follows it, eg:
‘You left us in tatters, without shoes or socks,
Tired of digging potatoes, and spudding up docks;
And now you’ve gay bracelets and bright feathers three!’
‘Yes: that’s how we dress when we’re ruined,’ said she.
A pattern arises - the naïve farm worker reminds ‘Melia (and informs the reader) how things used to be for her and then comments on how much better things are now.
Another, even more obvious pattern of language is in the last line of each stanza, ‘Melia tells her friend that she’s “ruined”.
Whilst her friend is praising her, ‘Melia constantly reminds her that although on the face of it she is doing well, it has come at a massive, personal cost to her and in some ways, she is worse off than her friend.
The fact she is now a prostitute, however well she might look, is always present and inescapable.
Attitudes, themes and ideas of The Ruined Maid by Thomas Hardy
Attitudes:
The young women display two starkly contrasting attitudes.
The farm worker admires the obvious change in ‘Melia and is very complimentary towards her.
Despite being told time and time again, she isn’t particularly interested that ‘Melia is now a prostitute.
A more extreme interpretation is that the farm worker is so naïve she doesn’t really understand what she is being told.
Hardy’s attitude, unlike that of a lot of men in his era, is not one of disapproval or disgust towards ‘Melia.
He portrays her as very “knowing” - understanding that the seemingly good position she now finds herself in is not “real”.
She knows the price she has had to pay and we get the sense that Hardy feels sympathetic towards her.
Themes:
The role of women in society: Is this the only way a lowly maid could achieve independence in Victorian Britain? Is the farm worker right to admire ‘Melia? Is ‘Melia a victim or in control of her own destiny?
Money isn’t everything: The farm worker admires ‘Melia’s new found wealth (which is probably not much anyway, just more than it used to be) but ‘Melia herself knows that money isn’t everything. The price she has had to pay outweighs the material wealth.
Morals: The poem throws up a lot of questions about ‘right’ and ‘wrong’. Hardy used to condemn those men who would publicly criticise prostitutes whilst being their customers in private.
Ideas:
Where would ‘Melia have been better off?
On the farm in “tatters”, with hands like “paws”, a “face blue and bleak” and with a “home-life a hag-ridden dream” but with her honour still intact? Or as a woman who is much more financially comfortable, better fed and clothed but working as a prostitute?
Example comparisons to The Ruined Maid by Thomas Hardy
River God:
- Humour is used in both poems (black humour in both cases).
- Both poems clearly display a personal voice (the former is a dramatic monologue, the latter a dramatic dialogue though).
- The theme of women being used and abused for an individual’s personal pleasure is in both poems.
- Don’t judge something on first appearance… there might be much more to the individual or situation than meets the eye.
The Hunchback in the Park:
- Life can be very cruel sometimes: both central characters seem to end up in their situation out of necessity (though one could argue ‘Melia had more of a choice).
- Don’t judge people simply by what they look like: the “hunchback” might very well be a nice, friendly man but isn’t even given the chance simply because of his disability; ‘Melia’s former colleague is incredibly impressed by her appearance but doesn’t understand the cost behind it.
- Society has a responsibility to look after people: ‘Melia seems a very sparky, intelligent character who has been driven into prostitution because her prospects were so bleak; the “hunchback” obviously should be taken care of rather than having to exist in such an awful, lonely manner.
How does the poet use humour in The Ruined Maid?
One way the poet uses humour is through the character of ‘Melia’s friend, her former milkmaid colleague. She is either incredibly naïve about how ‘Melia has come to her supposed “good fortune” or she is so excited to see the change in her that she isn’t listening - either way, it’s funny.
She keeps going on, stanza after stanza, saying how well ‘Melia looks, what wonderful clothes and jewellery she has, etc.
Every single time, ‘Melia tries to inform her that, to get to this state of apparent glamour, she has in fact been “ruined” - turned to prostitution. This shattering news seems to have absolutely no effect on her friend who is transfixed by her new appearance.
Another humorous aspect of the poem is the way ‘Melia doesn’t try to hide her new ‘job’. There is no embarrassment or attempt to lie or dress it up:
‘‘O didn’t you know I’d been ruined?’ said she.’
Every time she says something, she makes sure she includes this fact to try and get across to her friend that not all is as it seems.
Another element of humour comes right at the end. Having praised ‘Melia for her new found refined manner of speaking, her act is deliberately dropped in the last line:
‘‘My dear - a raw country girl, such as you be,
Cannot quite expect that. You ain’t ruined,’ said she.’
Firstly, she takes on the airs and graces of someone classy or wealthy, calling her friend “My dear” and referring to her as a “raw country girl” - we all know she is neither classy nor wealthy.
To confirm this, Hardy deliberately takes her back to her old speech to show it’s all an act with “You ain’t ruined.”
Context of The Ruined Maid by Thomas Hardy
Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) was born in Dorset and was encouraged to develop a love for both education and stories by his mother, Jemima.
The death of his wife Emma in 1912 had a huge impact on Hardy and he wrote many poems about her and his feelings for her. Even though he remarried (to his secretary, Florence Dugdale) it is said he never got over the loss of Emma.
Themes which recur in Hardy’s writings are injustice, love, break ups, disappointment, fate and the unfair treatment of women.
He was basically a traditionalist when it came to the form of poetry but one interesting thing he often did was include ‘colloquial’ language (language that is usually heard rather than read; spoken language which is usually not standard English).
