Now the mask is no longer a burden – it is a means for women to manipulate men in order to get what they want. Jean uses the mask to manipulate Neil, Coventry, and Sir John. All these men see Jean as a poor, selfless soul in need of help, but Jean is actually helping herself quite well. Jean’s power lies in her ability to seduce men by playing the victim. Muir is exposing that all women have this power. Women can get anything they want by manipulating their mask to please those around them. This may be of dubious morality, but women must take what they can get. When women are suppressed, they have very few options. It may be frowned upon to seduce an older man in order to marry his money, but it is even more frowned upon to become a prostitute. In a way, Muir is pointing out how sick and unfair it is that women only have this one advantage over men. Although women can be powerful, they must act meek in order to obtain power. Their only power is in being manipulative by flaunting the stereotype of
Now the mask is no longer a burden – it is a means for women to manipulate men in order to get what they want. Jean uses the mask to manipulate Neil, Coventry, and Sir John. All these men see Jean as a poor, selfless soul in need of help, but Jean is actually helping herself quite well. Jean’s power lies in her ability to seduce men by playing the victim. Muir is exposing that all women have this power. Women can get anything they want by manipulating their mask to please those around them. This may be of dubious morality, but women must take what they can get. When women are suppressed, they have very few options. It may be frowned upon to seduce an older man in order to marry his money, but it is even more frowned upon to become a prostitute. In a way, Muir is pointing out how sick and unfair it is that women only have this one advantage over men. Although women can be powerful, they must act meek in order to obtain power. Their only power is in being manipulative by flaunting the stereotype of