Ellison. Anarchy. Eight couples (too many names to keep straight). Not one, but TWO murders. Snakes. Sweltering heat. A noisy air conditioning unit. The Fin and Feather. Skeet shooting. Fishing. AND MOTHER!
Episode 15 did NOT disappoint!! What more can I say?
“And further proof…of the importance of education for girls in our modern world.” (86)
The dawn of the 20th century was a time of change, especially for women. Industrialization. Education. Suffrage. Why has there always been a lack of sisterhood among women? Why do we stand in judgment of other women? Why do we claim to know what their life choices should be, without even a shred of empathy? What if those choices are not their own?
When men see women as sexual objects to be exploited, how will we fight to save our sisters? How will we find a common thread to bind us together?
Marriage. Prostitution. Human trafficking. Corruption. Lies. Deceit. Murder. Justice.
What is a woman’s “place?” How did this crossroads in thinking affect how women see themselves in the modern world? Can one play both sides…doting wife, educated woman, career woman, mother? I suppose this has always been part of the internal struggle for women. Which role should define who we are? Or do we need to be defined?
How do we strengthen sisterhood today?
“She knew it would keep earning interest for quite some time, in terms of cordiality from those who saw her as someone who mattered, and envy from those who couldn’t forgive her social advance. She was sure she’d be able to put both of these responses to advantage for her own aims when the need arose.” (345)
1893. Poland. I can’t imagine working so hard to attain a prominent social standing. I can’t imagine working so diligently to advance my husband’s career. I can imagine being so bored that I might insert myself into a mysterious death investigation…well, maybe, but not today.
How does one go from fundraising for the common good, to advancing one's own place in a caste society? How do the nuns help this cause? The housekeeper? The duchess? How does the resolution of the crimes show that she really does matter? That she has worth beyond being a professor’s wife? How will the community view her detective skills? Who gets left in her wake? Will the status she achieves be enough?
Quid pro quo.
