In “My Dearest Roland”, a man named Roland has a girlfriend. However, he meets another woman and forgets about his girlfriend. Then, he gets engaged to the woman. In this case, the reader is led to believe that the woman is at fault for seducing the man. But, when I read this story, there was one point which did not make sense to me- How was the woman guilty of seducing the man? The expression “woman's trap” was used in this story. This represents views people had of women back in the 1800s. In this paper, I wish to focus on these views people used to have in Western Europe.
The first edition of “My Dearest Roland” was published in 1812. However, the “another woman” does not appear in this edition. “She” makes her first appearance in the second edition. Finally, in the third edition, “she” used her “trap” to seduce Roland, and she had complete responsibility. When reading this edition, the reader is led to feel that Roland is innocent and the woman is to blame.
There are two reasons as to why “My Dearest Roland” was changed over the years. It was rewritten during the time Grimm brothers were alive, reflecting the societal norms of the age. The other reason is that it was heavily affected by Christianity. Moreover, by reading through all seven editions, the reader may come to two conclusions, the first being that men are good and women are innately evil. Secondly, all women fit into one of two groups: as the sinful Eve in the Garden of Eden, or the Virgin Mary. When a man falls in love with a woman, he is considered to be falling into Eve's trap. This “trap” is lust and lures the man into sex. Therefore, the more beautiful a woman is, the more sinful she is
The view that women influence the nature of a relationship still remains today. When a woman falls in love in with a man, she does not think she was caught in his “trap”. Sadly, a man can easily view the situation in this way. When can men start taking responsibility for their own feelings?
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