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The conditions and treatment of Africans and their descendants in colonial Virginia between 1629 and 1705
The conditions and treatment of Africans and their descendants in colonial Virginia between 1629 and 1705
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Introduction
Between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the legal opportunities for Africans in Virginia changed, making their lives more difficult. These laws were intended to dehumanize slaves and portray them as inferior to whites. The practice of keeping black servants for life began the legal process of converting people who had both rights and duties into people’s property. Africans brought to Virginia in the early 1600s were not all imprisoned indefinitely. Slavery in Virginia dates back to 1619, when the Virginia Company was established solely for the purpose of transporting indentured servants to work for the British settlers (Beverley, 72). In exchange for the number of indentured servants it brought, the company was given land. The vast majority of these indentured servants were Africans who had been sold into slavery in their own countries. Africans were forced to board the slave ship White Lion, which transported them to Virginia. Twenty Angolans were kidnapped and forced to travel to Virginia by the British Crew. Before being released into the free world, indentured servants worked for a set period of time. Indentured servants, on the other hand, were only allowed to work for a total of 20 years. Slaves indentured servantship differed from outright slavery in that they were forced to work indefinitely and were completely reliant on their master.
Indentured servants of Christian parentage were granted a pardon under Act I of the laws concerning servants and slaves. If they were over the age of nineteen, such servants would be indentured for five years. The minimum term of service for those under the age of nineteen was set at five years. as well, but they had to be Christians. Act II of this law mandated that indentured servants be brought before the courts within six months to determine their true age. It would be possible to set the age at which their indenture would end by determining their age. They were, however, expected to be Christians or to have Christian ancestors.
Virginia passed laws in 1661 allowing anyone who was free to own slaves. When the laws referred to "free people," they were referring to white men (Parent 106). Additional slavery-related laws were enacted in the seventeenth century, and they were codified in the Virginia slave code of 1705. (An Act Concerning Slaves, Chap XLIX, p. 447.) According to one of the slave laws passed in 1662, children born to slave mothers would become slaves when they reached the age of majority, regardless of who fathered them (Parent 107). The goal of this law was to keep as many slaves working for whites as possible. Furthermore, the law sought to discourage relationships between free and slave people. This meant that the children of female slaves could not be freed simply because they were conceived by white men who were not slaves.
A law was passed in 1662 that stated that baptism would not free one from slavery. Even if the slaves were Christians, the law stated that baptism would not be enough to free them (ACT III). There was concern that by making baptism the basis for emancipation, Virginia would run out of slaves who could have provided free and cheap labor. Enslavers were guaranteed by the law that baptism would not revoke their right to keep their slaves in servitude. Slaves brought to work on white farmers’ farms were not included, even when Christians taught that all people were equal before God. The vast majority of slaves originated in North Africa, where Islam was the predominant religion. Because Christians made up the majority of the population in America, those who converted to Christianity were expected to live free lives. This law, however, made it impossible for Christian slaves to gain their freedom.
According to the Report of a Committee from an Assembly Concerning the Freedom of Elizabeth Key, she was set free because she was fathered by a white man (1656). The committee was a special task force formed to address issues that arose as a result of white men seeking sexual favors from black women while knowing their children would be sold as slaves. The white men reasoned that enslaving their children would absolve them of responsibility for their actions. That is why, after a while, there was a feeling that the law should be changed so that innocent children born as a result of such cohabitation would not suffer needlessly. As a result, a child’s paternity began to play a role in determining whether or not a slave would continue to serve.
This incident happened before the 17th century, and it was the beginning of a series of harsh and oppressive legal actions that lasted from the 17th to the 18th centuries. Legal rulings and legislative actions explicitly stated that Blacks were inferior by the mid-seventeenth century. When Re Sweat, for example, slept with a Negro, the court sentenced him to public penance. This procedure demonstrates how the court system regarded blacks as inferior people unworthy of association with whites at the time. According to the legal ruling, Sweat defiled his body by sleeping with a lesser human.
A slave law was enacted in the 17th century, but it only represented one aspect of these traditions. Nonetheless, it includes equality, court ecclesiasticism, and another ceremonial law intended to govern other areas of England, such as the edge of England. Prior to the 17th century, Virginia’s legal system alternated between recognizing and condemning blacks.
Early Virginia laws were intended to close escape routes, denying freedom to already enslaved blacks. Due to the most compelling cultural and economic circumstances, this law was enacted in an unrestricted legal authority environment. There were no laws requiring Africans to be slaves at the time; instead, court cases were followed by a slew of legislation designed solely to make Africans slaves.
In the 17th century, Elizabeth presented a case in court that advanced the case of parentage impacts on slaves, as she was presented to the court for becoming pregnant for a black person. The case was heard by the Virginia legislature. This case occurred at a time when the race debate was at its peak. Following the case, Virginia adopted English and Spanish customs, allowing a free person to baptize Africans.
In 17th century Virginia, disagreements with masters could be brought before a court for resolution. A slave owner who wanted to break the most rebellious slaves could do so now, knowing that any punishment he received, including death, would be without repercussions.
Because Africans were now considered Christians, it was easier for them to interact with whites, which was especially important for blacks, who saw Christianity as a vital status.
This privilege also allowed African Christians who came to Virginia to be treated better than others. Other Africans, particularly those who converted to Christianity upon arrival, benefited from the privilege as well.
Unlike in the past, black Christians are now allowed to bring suits and even testify in court, allowing them to enjoy their freedom. Africans’ acceptance of Christianity and baptism, a symbol of whites in Virginia, enabled them to become civilized and rational. The use of this opportunity to convert by Africans resulted in a greater degree of personal freedom.
Conclusion
Many cases were heard in court, and if the black was Christian, he or she was granted freedom because they were not considered slaves and thus worked in the same way as other African servants. Slaveholders were encouraged to convert their slaves after learning about the status of Christianity among Africans, so that they would no longer risk losing property. In the first half of the 17th century, Africans were treated as free Christian servants. Those Africans who did not seize the opportunity to convert were doomed to remain slaves for the rest of their lives, as the customs accepted it. The slave law had been accepted and recognized by the law at the ending of the 1700s. The legal laws developed as a result of whites’ early decision to treat Africans as property, which was based on English racial precedents. As a result, the great opportunity of Christianity as a status for Africans greatly aided them in gaining their freedom because, unlike in the 16th century, they could not go to court and sue another person.
REFERENCES
Parent, Anthony S. Foul Means: The Formation of a Slave Society in Virginia, 1660-1740. UNC Press Books, 2003.
Coyle, Betty Wade Wyatt. "The treatment of servants and slaves in colonial Virginia." (1974).
Hook, Francis Moore. "The Negro in Colonial Virginia 1619-1765." (1952).
Stanard, William Glover. "Major Robert Beverley and His Descendants." The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography 2, no. 4 (1895): 405-413.
Parent, Anthony S. Foul Means: The Formation of a Slave Society in Virginia, 1660-1740. UNC Press Books, 2003.
Shih, Shannon. "The Rise of White Supremacy in 17th-Century Colonial America."
Giant Panda Exhibit Design
Giant Panda Exhibit Design
A Multi-discipline Approach
IDS 300W
Professor Kline
Giant pandas are nature’s ultimate teddy bears. Unfortunately, they are nowhere near as plentiful as teddy bears. Only about 1000 giant pandas remain in the wild today (Franzen, 2003). Conservation efforts to prevent their extinction are being made worldwide, and zoos play a major part in gaining public interest in the cause.
This study addresses the task of designing a giant panda enclosure for a theoretical zoo. Building an exhibit that is mentally and physically pleasing to the pandas as well as accommodating to the public takes much time and consideration. View points from the disciplines of ecology, psychology, and environmental architecture and marketing are essential in designing an ideal exhibit. Before the disciplines can be explored, however, the panda, its behavior, and its habitat must be better understood.
Pandas: A brief overview
Giant pandas are unlike any other animal in the world. Although they are related to bears in the family of Ursidae, they have their own separate subfamily called Ailuropodinae (Lumpkin et al, 2002). Giant pandas differ greatly from other bears because of their diet. Most bears are omnivorous, eating meat and vegetation; pandas’ diets are 99 percent bamboo (Lumpkin et al, 2002). Another unique characteristic in pandas is their sixth digit, often referred to as a thumb. This digit is actually an enlarged wrist bone that developed to enable the panda to maneuver bamboo (Lumpkin et al, 2002).
Perhaps the most recognizable feature of giant pandas is their distinct black and white coloration. Giant pandas have white heads, stomachs, and backs. They have black legs, shoulders, ears, and black patches around their eyes. The black patches on their eyes give the effect of big eyes, which emphasizes the “staring threat display” used in nature for self-defense (Lumpkin et al, 2002). Black ears also substitute for staring eyes when they bow their heads.
Giant pandas are about the same size as humans. They can grow to be between 5 feet and 6 feet long, weighing anywhere from 165-300 pounds. Males are normally larger than females (Franzen, 2003). They are solitary animals that only come together during mating season and when a mother has a cub. They communicate primarily through scent markings left on trees with a scent gland located beneath their tail. Giant pandas can also vocalize through chirps, growls and barks. However, they normally only use these as warnings or as communication during mating (Lumpkin et al, 2002).
Giant pandas reach sexual maturity between five-and-a-half and six-and-a-half years of age. Cubs stay with their mother for around 18 months before going out on their own (Lumpkin et al, 2002). A female panda may have a baby every two to three years.
Giant pandas live in the mountains of the Gansu, Shaanxi, and Sichuan Provinces of China at elevations of between 8,500 and 11,500 feet above sea level. Pandas, therefore, have thick coats that insulate against the damp cold of their environment (Lumpkin et al, 2002). Instead of hibernating like most bears, pandas simply move to lower elevations in winter (Lumpkin et al, 2002).
Giant pandas once roamed Eastern China, and even ranged into Tibet and western Burma (Franzen, 2003). Logging and farming took away much of the panda’s habitat. Today pandas are confined to only 6 mountain ranges. About 700 square miles of panda habitat exists today (Lumpkin et al, 2002).
Fortunately, China has put forth considerable effort in the conservation of giant pandas. With bans on poaching and commercial logging, the pandas and their habitats are better protected. China has also established 33 nature reserves to ensure future safety for the pandas (Franzen, 2003). These reserves currently make up 45 percent of panda habitat (Lumpkin et al, 2002).
Several zoos have adopted giant pandas and have successfully bred them. All captive pandas are considered to be a part of the conservation effort. Zoos that have the privilege of acquiring a giant panda are expected to contribute to research and conservation.
With such emphasis on conservation, any plan should accommodate at least two pandas. Although a breeding program is not included in present plans, one may be established in the future.
Ecology
“Veils of fog swirl, separate, lift, giving brief glimpses of the steep V-sides of the valley cloaked in a thick, dark-green forest.” (Lumpkin et al, 2002, p. 57).
The giant panda’s natural habitat is mountainous thick forest. The forest consists of coniferous and deciduous trees, bamboo, and other foliage (Lumpkin et al, 2002). The mountains in the higher altitudes are covered mainly with conifers. Clumps of short bamboo are scattered among the conifers. In the lower altitudes, conifers are mixed with deciduous trees and clumps of taller bamboo (Franzen, 2003). It rains and snows often and when there is no precipitation, there is thick fog. Temperatures rarely rise above 68°F and can be as low as 19°F (Franzen, 2003). Because of this cool, damp habitat, pandas have thick fur that holds in heat and keeps out moisture. Pandas do not have a high tolerance for heat (Lumpkin et al, 2002).
The outdoor giant panda habitat should have a lot of vegetation. The ground should have grass and various ferns or shrubs. There should be large and small trees as well, particularly pines. Either a sturdy enough tree or another form of climbing structure should be available. Rocks and a water feature will also help to make the enclosure as close as possible to a panda’s natural habitat. Creating a slant in the exhibit will mimic the uneven terrain of mountains as well as adding visibility for the public.
Since the giant panda’s natural environment is so cool, plenty of shade should be provided outdoors. The water feature should be large enough to accommodate the pandas, should one decide to get in the water, but also shallow enough to ensure the panda’s safety. A mist machine will also be helpful to both cool down the panda and simulate the foggy atmosphere of the mountains.
Regardless of the shade and water provided, local July and August temperatures will be much too hot for giant pandas. They will require an indoor, air conditioned enclosure as well during hot and inclement weather. This enclosure should also feel as natural as possible. Wood chips should cover the floor and indoor plants can be added. Rocks, a small pond, and a climbing structure will also assist in a more natural environment. A skylight will help provide natural light in addition to the artificial lighting.
Psychology
People cannot read animals’ minds. The only way to determine animals’ moods is through their behavior. Animals in captivity can develop unnatural behaviors called stereotypical behaviors that are indicative of stress. In pandas, these behaviors include pacing, head bobbing (standing in one place while moving the head up and down continuously), self-mutilation (inflicting pain by biting or chewing the tail or leg; hitting the head against walls), and standing by the door in expectation of food (Liu, 2003).
A study at the Wolong Nature Reserve in China showed that giant pandas in larger, semi-natural enclosures (50m x 120m) engaged in less stereotypical behavior than pandas in traditional enclosures (5.8m x 13m). They also observed that the pandas in semi-natural enclosures spent more time playing. Enrichment such as trees, shrubs, herbs, and bamboo reduced stereotypical behavior even more (Liu, 2003).
This study suggests that a large, natural environment is ideal for giant pandas. Two outdoor enclosures will be provided, one for each panda, plus two additional enclosures that are secluded from the public as required by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (Wilson, 2003). These enclosures will be equipped with pine trees, shrubs, rocks, logs, a pond, and wooden logs propped up to provide a climbing structure.
In addition to outdoor enclosures, two indoor exhibits must be designed in case of inclement weather. These enclosures will be smaller, but should still contain rocks, plants, a pond, and a climbing structure. The minimum standards for indoor enclosures is 7m x 8 m, however larger enclosures should probably be built (Kleinman, 2004).
Once the pandas have these large, natural enclosures, additional enrichment can be provided to ensure the absence of stereotypical behaviors. Added enrichment can increase physical exercise, enhance physical health, provide mental challenges, improve psychological well-being, and reduce or even prevent the development of stereotypical and undesirable behaviors (Hare, 2003).
422910032829543434002157095A giant panda plays with a burlap sack.
A giant panda plays with a burlap sack.
The San Diego Zoo’s Giant Panda Enrichment Plan developed and tested several kinds of enrichment with their three pandas (Hare, 2003). They tried many non-food enrichment items such as large and small substrate piles, burlap sacks filled with hay, cardboard boxes, and ice blocks. The most successful non-food enrichment items are loamex piles, pine shavings piles, burlap sacks, and cardboard boxes (Hare, 2003).
They also use food related enrichment in the form of puzzles that the pandas must figure out to get their food (Hare, 2003). The four puzzles they created are a ball, a cardboard box, a large culm or stalk of bamboo, and PVC pipe with food inside. The ball, PVC pipe, and bamboo culm have holes drilled in the sides. The cardboard box has a hole with a flap covering it. The pandas must manipulate these items to obtain their food (Hare, 2003).
These ideas for enrichment can be added to the enclosures on a schedule to ensure that the pandas do not grow bored of a certain enrichment item. New ideas for enrichment can also be considered as time goes on. No matter how it is implemented, however, enrichment is essential to increasing the mental and physical health of the pandas.
Environmental Architecture and Marketing
The giant panda exhibit must be pleasing to the public as well as the panda in order to educate people about pandas and invoke awareness for their conservation. The most important factor in pleasing the public is the ability to actually see the pandas. Additionally, the length of time visitors spend at a particular exhibit depends on the size and naturalism of the exhibit, and the activity of the animal (Wilson, 2003). Visitors also show interest in educational opportunities.
The exhibit for the public is more than just the animal’s enclosure, it is the entire display. In order to get a more naturalistic feel, visitors should feel that they themselves are in the panda’s environment. The entrance to the panda’s exhibit could look like an entrance into the Chinese mountains, for instance. There could be a Chinese-style doorway that is surrounded by bamboo. The walkway to the exhibit will be a pathway that is also surrounded by bamboo. To add to the feel, speakers would be playing nature sounds to make the visitor feel that they are in the forest. Zoo visitors who were surveyed reported that ecologically relevant sounds make the experience better (Wilson, 2003).
Creating a natural environment will not only be good for the public, but also good for the panda. A large exhibit with trees, plants, rocks, and a water feature will look more natural. The outdoor enclosure can have grass and a climbing structure that looks like trees. Indoor enclosures can have indoor plants, rocks and a water feature as well.
As was shown in the behavior studies, a more natural environment encourages pandas to be more active. Visitors want to see pandas active. They believe that seeing free ranging animals creates more educational opportunities (Wilson, 2003). Enrichment will encourage the pandas to be more active and give the visitor an opportunity to see pandas engaged in natural behavior.
To ensure that the panda is visible to the people, all larger enrichment and features in the enclosure should be toward the back of the exhibit so that the public can see the panda in front of them. The outdoor enclosure could be slanted downward toward the public to allow them to see the whole enclosure better. Viewing areas could be positioned to the front and side of the exhibit in case the panda is behind something.
Lastly, at the end of the exhibit there should be an education center. Televisions can be set up where guests can watch a video on conservation efforts for pandas. Computers with touch screens could also be available for education on panda’s behaviors, natural habitat and more on conservation efforts. Zoo staff and volunteers can be positioned around the viewing areas to give information and answer questions. The more people know, the more they are willing to help a cause such as saving giant pandas.
The Design
Many of the disciplines are in agreement on several aspects of the enclosure design. All disciplines perceive a need for the use of natural features such as trees, rocks, plants, and water. Ecologists and environmental engineers found it beneficial to slant the enclosure. Psychologists and envirosmental engineers see a need for additional enrichment. None of the disciplines, however, had opposing arguments.
In addition to ecological, psychological, and environmental science and marketing approaches, there are certain standards that should be met in building a panda habitat. The National Zoo wrote a manual in 2004 that describes minimum sizes for outdoor and indoor enclosures, as well as enrichment, and security measures (Kleinman, 2004).
The minimum size for an outdoor enclosure is 20m x 30m. Indoor enclosures should be a minimum of 7 m x 8 m. Each panda also needs a den for night time that should be at least 3m x 3m. The manual stresses the importance of climbing structures, grass and trees. Logs are suggested for the panda to scratch, chew, and leave scent marks.
Security measures must be implemented to be sure the pandas do not escape. Giant pandas are excellent climbers, so high, smooth walls or a dry moat should be placed around the enclosure to ensure that the panda does not climb out. Pandas are also able to manipulate objects with their sixth digit. Any objects the panda has the ability to lift should be safe and incapable of hurting the panda or assisting in escape. The initial design for the panda exhibit will incorporate ideas from all of the disciplines as well as follow the National Zoo’s guidelines (See Figure 1).
03200400Figure 1: Initial Enclosure Design
Figure 1: Initial Enclosure Design
As visitors approach the exhibit, they will hear nature noises from speakers. A wall with Chinese decorations will be the entrance to the exhibit. Past the wall, visitors will walk through a bamboo forest in which speakers will be playing nature sounds. At the end of the bamboo forest, the path will open and two outdoor panda exhibits will be in front of the visitors. Visitors can go to the left or right to look at the front of the outdoor enclosures or continue straight on a bridge going over the exhibits.
Past the outdoor exhibits, the path will lead visitors indoors to the education room. In the education room, visitors will be able to view the pandas in their indoor enclosures, or sunrooms. There will also be televisions set up around the room playing a video on panda conservation efforts. In the center of the room there will be several touch-screen computers where guests can learn more about pandas.
The outdoor panda exhibits will each be approximately 30m x 40m in size. They will be separated in the middle only by a mesh fence to encourage socialization. The ground will be slanted downward toward the front and center of each enclosure. The back of the exhibit will have a high, smooth wall. The front and sides will have a dry moat separating the exhibit from the public. Railing and a meter high glass wall with also separate the visitors from the moat. Both enclosures will be covered with grass as well as large and small rocks. Small ferns and bushes will be planted throughout the enclosure. Each enclosure will have a pond with a small waterfall in one corner against a wall. There will be a willow tree next to each pond to provide shade as well as food (Kleinman, 2004). A mist machine will spray mist underneath the willow tree on -8001002857500An example of a giant panda exhibit
An example of a giant panda exhibit
hot days. In the center of each enclosure will be three or more logs propped against each other to serve as a -800100685800climbing structure. There will also be one or two logs and tree branches on the ground.
The indoor exhibits, or sunrooms, will each be approximately 8m x 10m. Wood chips will cover the floor for a more natural feel. There will be indoor plants and another climbing structure for each panda. Each room will have a skylight to allow natural sunlight in the room. The two sunrooms on each side will be connected by a door. The pandas will be free to roam between the two sunrooms on days that they are confined indoors. In the event that the zoo has more than two pandas, the rooms can be separated so each panda has an individual room.
Each panda has a den for nights that will be a cement room about 8m x 6m in size. The female panda also has a cubbing den in case the pandas mate. Two additional outdoor enclosures will be provided secluded from the public. These will be designed in the same manner as the public outdoor exhibits.
The pandas will be provided with additional enrichment such as burlap sacks and substrate piles on a planned schedule. Feeding routines will be varied as well with food-related enrichments. In addition, on hot days, the door between the indoor and outdoor enclosures will be left open to allow the pandas a choice of environment.
Summary and Conclusion
In summary, this paper has taken an interdisciplinary approach to designing a giant panda exhibit that is ideal for the pandas as well as the public. Visitor reactions will soon reveal their opinions, but the pandas’ opinions will have to be interpreted through their actions. Perhaps the only problem that still remains is knowing what the pandas think.
Every effort will be made to keep the giant pandas happy and healthy. With so few left the world, each panda is extremely important. Though they may never be as plentiful as teddy bears, or even as numerous as they once were, with so many people working together to preserve them, they will always be as loved.
References
Franzen, L. (2003). Giant pandas. Mankato, MN: Creative Education.
Hare, V., Ripsky D., Battershill R., Bacon, K., Hawk, K., and Swaisgood, R. (2003). Giant panda enrichment: meeting everyone’s needs. Zoo Biology, 22, 401-416.
Kleinman, D. (2004). Guidelines for the housing and maintenance of the giant pandas (ailuropoda melanoleuca) for non-breeding and breeding purposes. Retrieved Aug. 06, 2005, from Giant Panda Online – Species Survival Plan Web site: HYPERLINK “http://www.giantpandaonline.org/captivemanagement/husbandry_articles/natzoomanual” http://www.giantpandaonline.org/captivemanagement/husbandry_articles/natzoomanual.htm.
Liu, D., Wang Z., Tian H., Yu, C., Zhang, G., Wei, R., and Zhang, H. (2003). Behavior of giant pandas (ailuropoda melanoleuca) in captive conditions: gender differences and enclosure effects. Zoo Biology, 22, 77-82.
Lumpkin, S., & Seidensticker, J. (2002). Smithsonian book of giant pandas. Washington, DC: The Smithsonian Institution.
Wilson, M., Kelling A., Poline L., Bloomsmith, M., and Maple, T. (2003). Post-occupancy evaluation of zoo atlanta’s giant panda conservation center: staff and visitor reactions. Zoo Biology, 22, 365-382.
The conclusion of Novel Princess De Cleves as a Victory
The conclusion of Novel Princess De Cleves as a Victory
Name
Institution
The conclusion of Novel Princess De Cleves as a Victory
The conclusion of the novel princess de cleves by Madame de lafayette has sparked many controversies since its publication, the story’s centralized around a 17th century setting is about two star crossed lovers tragedy when a princess is forced to marry Prince de Clèvesm a man she does not love and is more than twice her age, the twist is that she takes her position seriously and plays the part of as a wife till the end, even though she is secretly in love with Duc de Nemours and due to this they have to hide their love which would cause a controversy if revealed. In an overview it can be said that the story from her perspective princes de cleves emerges the victor since she efficiently managed to maintain her virtue and lived on as a married woman out of obligation, even though it lacked any sense of happiness and fulfillment till the end. It is in this regard that this article addresses the different aspect of the main characters sense of duty, belief and rational thinking that help support the above claim.
Throughout the story the main character has been victorious even when tempted as depicted by her desire to remain virtuous through her beliefs, to not give in to her infidelity even though she was tempted. The fact that she revealed the truth to her husband that she was attracted to another man and went ahead to find ways of overcoming the infidelity desire and not letting it control her is one aspect that reflects well on her personal beliefs, which forbid infidelity. Even though she was still attracted to Monsieur de Nemours she still had a sense of duty to remain loyal to her husband even after death and this eventually forced her to enter a convent as a way of preventing any infidelity this environment of self-imposed purgatory forces her to be virtuous and is another achievement on her part since she managed to overcome the temptation of cheating. The belief theme in the story helps demonstrate the princess situation when she chose the option of entering the convent in that she believed that the right choices should not lead to unhappiness and in this aspect even though it made her virtually unhappy she made the difficult choice which was the right one and this is a victory for her since she managed to uphold her obligation as a married woman till the end.
The princess De Cleves advanced form of Cartesian thinking which she effectively applied to her everyday actions helped her reason her way out of difficult situations, and through its application she managed to work through her emotions while not leaving room for them to control her actions unlike other characters in the book, and this controlled sense of emotion and actions helped her not act rash since, she was aware how society harshly views the nobility’s actions and as such had to maintain perfect control even though she had problems and this acts in itself is as a central theme demonstrated throughout the novel. An example of this is shown by Monsieur de Nemours when he stated that, At least, Sire, if I embark on such an extravagant adventure on your Majesty’s advice and in you service, I beg you to keep it secret until success justifies my ambition in the public eye (9) which shows how he was more worried more about the public and aristocrats opinions of him as compared to his view or even his proposed wife’s opinions. These rush actions made Nemours by the end of the novel become one of the least rush characters as shown by his emotions overtaking his senses as he openly confessed his feelings for de cleves.
The self- centered actions of the various characters in the Princesse De Cleves only help magnify her victorious aspect since they magnify the honorable and virtuous aspects of the character in the literature by stressing on the fact that she is the only character that demonstrates any rational thinking in the story. Princess de cleves in the entire story demonstrated that before she takes any action she thinks things through, and as a result she was regarded with honor in the society, which is the highest possible reward. She also demonstrated this by the aspect that she used rational thinking to justify and review on how she unfairly reacted and treated her husband. This is seen when she asked herself why she had done something so perilous, and she concluded that she had embarked on it almost without thinking. The singular nature of such a confession, for which she could find no parallel, brought home to her all the risks it entailed. (98).
Her honorable virtues are depicted by the fact that even though she had the infidelity issue in the background and the hard choices she had to make about her happiness and future she still took the time to rationally question her actions and finally chose something that did not favor her happiness but helped uphold her status and pride in the society as seen when she finally ended up in a convent, this means that she chose to stay alone as shown in the last line of the novel that states her life, which was quite short, left inimitable examples of virtue;(156).Even the author applauds the fact that de cleve strong character helped her effectively manage and control her emotions and remain virtuous till the end through rational thinking which compared to the other characters in the same surrounding was a remarkable achievement through this analysis and thinking it is clear that the escape from the infidelity maintains the victorious aspect of the main character.
The 17th century much admired concept of good and family upbringing is effectively demonstrated by the fact that the main character chose the path of solitude over engaging in infidelity and she accredits this to her personal beliefs, this gradually influences the reader’s previous view of the main character as she demonstrates her maturity through her sound judgments and composure, however not much emphasis should be placed on the Christian morality since her decisions and later actions are not based on her religion or Christian conscience telling her it is a sin to engage in infidelity but mostly on the aspect that her reasoning warned her on what the possible repercussions of her actions would be which was most likely the loss of her self-respect, and honor in the society.
In conclusion the La Princesse de Cleves novel can be said to be more of a victory since it has helped demonstrate the different aspects and hard decisions the main character had to deal with to uphold her honor and beliefs in their society. The fact that even though she ended up lonely she made the right decisions eventually and that is a positive aspect on her part. In addition the novel reflects the often ignored struggle between duty and love in many fundamentally good people in today’s society, and in addition this novels highlighted aspect makes the literature remain relevant even today when many females are at the mercy of the increased immoral male characters.
Reference
Madame de Lafayette (1925) The Princesse de Cleves. Cambridge University, Press