Symbolism in "She Stoops to Conquer
Clothing, inns, the jewel casket, and London symbolize various themes in "She Stoops to Conquer." Clothing represents superficial first impressions, inns depict the suspension of upper-class etiquette, the jewel casket signifies social status and love, while London's symbolism is ambiguous reflecting different perspectives of the characters in the play.
Download Presentation
Please find below an Image/Link to download the presentation.
The content on the website is provided AS IS for your information and personal use only. It may not be sold, licensed, or shared on other websites without obtaining consent from the author. Download presentation by click this link. If you encounter any issues during the download, it is possible that the publisher has removed the file from their server.
E N D
Presentation Transcript
She Stoops to Conquer: Symbols Clothing Clothing is a marker of class status and sophistication, but not an absolutely accurate one. Looks can be deceiving, and characters in the play who read too much into clothing can be deceived by those who see what is going on underneath the surface. Mrs. Hardcastle and Marlow are both too fixated on their clothing and the clothing of others to be able to see the truth about the characters around them. At the same time, Mr. Hardcastle s stubborn insistence on dressing himself and his family in an old-fashioned style leads Marlow to easily mistake him for an innkeeper and his daughter for barmaid. The way the characters dress signal something about them, but far from everything. Thus, clothing comes to symbolize the often-superficial nature of first impressions and appearances.
She Stoops to Conquer: Symbols Inns Throughout She Stoops to Conquer, the inn is a place in which the expectation of upper-class etiquette and civility is suspended. Hardcastle s house resembles an inn because he has not redecorated it. So the Hardcastles house seems to Marlow at least like a place where social conventions were once observed, but have since faded away with the sale of the house to members of a lower class. Thus, Marlow and Hastings feel entitled to do whatever they want in Hardcastle s home, as long as they pay the innkeeper (i.e., Hardcastle himself). Marlow sits in the best chair, demands alcohol, and takes his boots off in the living room to demand that they be shined. He also grabs Kate in an aggressive attempt at seducing her because he believes she is a barmaid another thing to which he can help himself as long as he pays. Because Marlow has spent so much time in inns, breaking the rules of polite society by drinking and seducing maids, he is uncomfortable in polite society. A normal social situation like meeting the Hardcastles makes him so nervous that he tries too hard and ends up seeming shy and formal. Thus, the inn becomes a symbol not only for rude behavior, but for the falseness of the pretense of upper-class refinement and civility.
She Stoops to Conquer: Symbols The Jewel Casket Constance Neville inherited casket of jewels receives much attention. She and George Hastings count on the jewelry as a means for independence when they plan their elopement. Mrs. Hardcastle, however, is determined to keep the wealth in the family by betrothing Constance to Tony Lumpkin. Thus, the jewel casket assumes a symbolic importance as a ticket to marital free choice and social status. The most significant development, though, is that the jewel casket, though temporarily filched by Tony Lumpkin from his mother's bureau, makes its way back to its original custodian: Mrs. Hardcastle. Both George Hastings and Constance are ultimately willing to forgo the casket's importance. Compared to the jewels, the young couple's love for each other is more important.
She Stoops to Conquer: Symbols London The symbolism of London is ambiguous in the play. For Mr. Hardcastle the capital symbolizes pretentiousness and foppery. For his wife, however, London symbolizes fashion and excitement. As visitors to the countryside, Londoners George Hastings and Charles Marlow are portrayed as sophisticated and worldly. They are ready, for example, to dismiss Hardcastle as a country bumpkin of low social status when they misidentify him as an innkeeper.
She Stoops to Conquer: Symbols Tony Lumpkin A completely free spirit, Tony Lumpkin may be considered as a symbol of the force of comedy. He is rebellious from the play's beginning, firmly rejecting his mother's order not to go out to the Three Pigeons alehouse. Goldsmith gives Tony by far the major share of imaginative, figurative language in the play. In terms of plot, it is Tony who sets up the key framework of mistaken identity by playing a practical joke on the travelers, Hastings and Marlow. It is also Tony who "saves the day" by pretending to escort his mother and Constance to Aunt Pedigree, but in reality driving them around in circles only to arrive at home once again.
The End SEE YOU NEXT LESSON!
