This is the weekly discussion of students enrolled in English 4326--Studies in British Literature I at Texas Wesleyan University, Fall 2008.
Friday, October 24, 2008
The Way of the World??
Both Fainall and Mirabell use the phrase "the way of the world" near the end of the play. Do both use it with the same purpose and effect? What does this comment from these two characters tell you about the significance of the title of the play?
The rivals Fainall and Mirabell must find a remedy for both of their predicaments, and I would pin their usage of 'the way of the world' in a similar sense of sacrifice. Fainall, an adulterer and a man of deceit, uses it to mean ultimate sacrifice--or in a sense, the end for him. After his master plan to inherit both his wife's and mother-in-law's estates backfires, he realizes that he must set his greed aside and settle for conceding all power to his wife due to his past treacherous and greedy altercations. Mirabell, on the other hand, struggles from a love-sickness that he attempts to escape by finally landing Millimant. Although clever and generous in nature, he, too, has his devious ways. When things don't seem to go the way he wants, he rebounds but does so at a cost. He must sacrifice playing his games with the people in order to stop the drought and secure is love. Needless to say, the way of the world is obviously sacrifice as a means to an end.
Sorry this is late, but...I think Fainall and Mirabel use the phrase in much the same way, but with some slight difference. Both use it to excuse the cunning ways they have employed - Fainall in his plot to take sole possession of his wife's estate, and Mirabell in having her estate signed over to him before she ever married Fainall. When they use the phrase to justify their actions, though, Fainall is basically saying that it is "the way of the world" to get as much as you can, however you can. Mirabel's statement, on the other hand, seems to be more from a defensive perspective - that because there are the Fainalls of the world, one must always look out for self.
It's really interesting that you took Fainall's comments to mean something totally different from the way I read them. I interpreted it as Fainall justifying his lies, affair, etc. as "the way of the world," while you seem to think he's referring to the coming punishment for those offenses. Perhaps that's the point of the title...that people continue to engage in these selfish, deceitful acts despite the tendency for it catch up to them in the end.
Jamie, justification is an interesting point. I can see who you would say that he uses these as sort of excuses or cop-outs. I do believe that people inherently do that, but I think my point of the 'sacrifice' comes as a result of your idea. When you use these personal shortcomings as a means to justify your acts and yet you still fail, where does that leave you? Ground zero. It is then that you have to sacrifice what you're accustomed to doing, turn a 180, and take strides in the opposite direction.
I think they used the phrase with same effect but with different purposes. Mirabell's uses of the phrase to describe his feelings after he has solved some personal probelms for himself and friends he was talking about the way of the world in the fact that, this is the way that love and the love of money will cause people to act and treat each other, even though he probably thought that his plot was for the right reasons. Fainall use of the phrase to describe his feelings after he realizes that Mirabell has pulled a fast one on him and that his plan will not work. So his use of the phrase the way of the world is describing the world from his prospective that sometimes you win some and sometime you lose some.
I think Fainall and Mirabell use the phrase "the way of the world" differently.
Fainall uses it in the way to express his acceptance that his plan did not work and that he was not the only one who was deceiving others. In the end he was tricked as well and he was just saying that sometimes things don't happen as planned and that people are always plotting against one another due to their own self-interest and greediness.
Mirabell doesn't get everything he wants either. He uses the phrase in such a way that the reader understands that he feels a little cheated but he accepts the fact that love and money often conflict and complicate things.
I like how you discussed that the phrase "the way of the world" was used in a sense of sacrifice. I especially like that you concluded your discussion with "the way of the world is obviously sacrifice as a means to an end."
How often have people had to sacrifice something that they have worked so hard for just to get some peace and to end their current troubles?
8 comments:
The rivals Fainall and Mirabell must find a remedy for both of their predicaments, and I would pin their usage of 'the way of the world' in a similar sense of sacrifice.
Fainall, an adulterer and a man of deceit, uses it to mean ultimate sacrifice--or in a sense, the end for him. After his master plan to inherit both his wife's and mother-in-law's estates backfires, he realizes that he must set his greed aside and settle for conceding all power to his wife due to his past treacherous and greedy altercations.
Mirabell, on the other hand, struggles from a love-sickness that he attempts to escape by finally landing Millimant. Although clever and generous in nature, he, too, has his devious ways. When things don't seem to go the way he wants, he rebounds but does so at a cost. He must sacrifice playing his games with the people in order to stop the drought and secure is love.
Needless to say, the way of the world is obviously sacrifice as a means to an end.
I don't want to respond to myself, but I went ahead and posted this to show I was here : )
Sorry this is late, but...I think Fainall and Mirabel use the phrase in much the same way, but with some slight difference. Both use it to excuse the cunning ways they have employed - Fainall in his plot to take sole possession of his wife's estate, and Mirabell in having her estate signed over to him before she ever married Fainall. When they use the phrase to justify their actions, though, Fainall is basically saying that it is "the way of the world" to get as much as you can, however you can. Mirabel's statement, on the other hand, seems to be more from a defensive perspective - that because there are the Fainalls of the world, one must always look out for self.
Martin,
It's really interesting that you took Fainall's comments to mean something totally different from the way I read them. I interpreted it as Fainall justifying his lies, affair, etc. as "the way of the world," while you seem to think he's referring to the coming punishment for those offenses. Perhaps that's the point of the title...that people continue to engage in these selfish, deceitful acts despite the tendency for it catch up to them in the end.
Jamie, justification is an interesting point. I can see who you would say that he uses these as sort of excuses or cop-outs. I do believe that people inherently do that, but I think my point of the 'sacrifice' comes as a result of your idea. When you use these personal shortcomings as a means to justify your acts and yet you still fail, where does that leave you? Ground zero. It is then that you have to sacrifice what you're accustomed to doing, turn a 180, and take strides in the opposite direction.
I think they used the phrase with same effect but with different purposes. Mirabell's uses of the phrase to describe his feelings after he has solved some personal probelms for himself and friends he was talking about the way of the world in the fact that, this is the way that love and the love of money will cause people to act and treat each other, even though he probably thought that his plot was for the right reasons. Fainall use of the phrase to describe his feelings after he realizes that Mirabell has pulled a fast one on him and that his plan will not work. So his use of the phrase the way of the world is describing the world from his prospective that sometimes you win some and sometime you lose some.
I think Fainall and Mirabell use the phrase "the way of the world" differently.
Fainall uses it in the way to express his acceptance that his plan did not work and that he was not the only one who was deceiving others. In the end he was tricked as well and he was just saying that sometimes things don't happen as planned and that people are always plotting against one another due to their own self-interest and greediness.
Mirabell doesn't get everything he wants either. He uses the phrase in such a way that the reader understands that he feels a little cheated but he accepts the fact that love and money often conflict and complicate things.
Martin,
I like how you discussed that the phrase "the way of the world" was used in a sense of sacrifice. I especially like that you concluded your discussion with "the way of the world is obviously sacrifice as a means to an end."
How often have people had to sacrifice something that they have worked so hard for just to get some peace and to end their current troubles?
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