Compare And Contrast The Ruined Maid And The Lesson

“The Ruined Maid” and “The Lesson” Thomas Hardy’s “The Ruined Maid” and Toni Bambara’s “The Lesson” are two different writings that focus on some of society’s most negative aspects. Written only seventy years apart, these writings differ greatly in the negative aspect of life they expose. While “The Ruined Maid” and “The Lesson” could be considered polar opposites, these writings also have a lot in common. Closer inspection reveals that the literary elements of each writing are very different, yet quite alike. “The Ruined Maid” addresses the irony surrounding prostitution in the early Twentieth Century. Thomas Hardy’s poem takes place in a rural area and begins when the female narrator meets a friend who has transformed from a working-class maid to a woman of refinement (Renner 20). The narrator takes a somewhat judgmental tone towards the maid, especially after learning that this newfound success came from the “ruin” (promiscuity) of the maid (Hardy 136). The reader begins to sense irony as the narrator becomes jealous of the “ruined” maid’s success (Renner 20). In the end, the reader feels sorry for both the narrator and the maid. …show more content…
The story’s narrator, Sylvia, utilizes African American Vernacular English to tell the story of the day she learned about the unfair spread of wealth in American Society (Heller 279). The readers notice a distinguishable change in the narrator’s tone from the beginning of the story to the end of the story. This change in tone points to the appreciation the narrator gains towards her life as she realizes that her sarcasm won’t help her overcome the obstacles that her culture faces. At the close of the story, the reader feels hopeful about Sylvia’s future, given her change in