The Ruined Maid

Young country girl bumps into friend

Her friend was a farm labourer but is now a prostitute

she has nice clothes and speaks more poshly

She is mrally ruined  but her life has changed

The country girl wants her life but the prostitute knows its not a good life.

Form - Drammatic dialogue. Lively. Ryhtym. Ballad. Strict Rhyming couplets. Ironic

Structure: We dont know how Melia got her riches at first. Reader is Naive like the country girl. Full story comes through

Contrast - Laboring is not elegant but the prostiture looks elegant although her morals are not. Labourer wears torn cloths, prostitute can afford posh clothes.

Open to interpretation: is the maid morally ruined? Is the labourere ruined by being poor? Does it mock the victorian idea it is better to be moral and poor?

natural speech: difference is made clear becasue the farm girl speech is writter as it is spoken, Melia uses this at the end. proves she isnt better really and that she hasnt lost her lower social status.

Jealousy - farm girl is jealous of Melia

Misunderstanding - farm girl doesnt understand Melia has swapped morality for wealth

Pride: Melia brags about her wealth. She looks down on her former friend. Her firnd has little pride in herself

Depression: The farm girls life is hard and miserable. Melia was depressed by it and had to find something else.

Will she be happy with her choice in years to come?

The farm girl is not immoral like Melia and should not be jealous of her.

The country girl has no name becasue her social status is low

Men are allowed to use prositutes without being judged but the girl is immoral for being a prostitute

Both have low social status, even thouh Melai thinks she is better she isnt really.

"Oh didnt you know Id been ruined" - proud to be a prostitute

"and t'other ; but now" - shows how she used to speak

"some polish is gained with one's ruin, said she" - Thinks she has been made better by becoming a prosititute just becasue she can afford things.

"I wish I had feathers, a fine sweeping gown" 

"and could strut about town" - shows she thinks Melia is better than her and doesnt understand what she is doing

"my dear" - patronising language as if she thinks she is now better somehow.