{"id":481,"date":"2012-10-24T14:52:17","date_gmt":"2012-10-24T18:52:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.briancroxall.net\/lit-tech\/?p=481"},"modified":"2012-10-24T14:52:17","modified_gmt":"2012-10-24T18:52:17","slug":"dont-judge-a-book-by-its-cover","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.briancroxall.net\/lit-tech\/2012\/10\/24\/dont-judge-a-book-by-its-cover\/","title":{"rendered":"dont judge a book by its cover"},"content":{"rendered":"

In Natasha Tretheway\u2019s Belloq\u2019s Ophelia,<\/em> a prostitute from New Orleans\u2019s red light district writes letters and diary entries about her life.\u00a0 While most assume that prostitutes are unintelligent and uneducated, Ophelia\u2019s writing style is sophisticated and poised. In class today, I found it very interesting when Natasha Tretheway said \u201cpeople aren\u2019t always the sum of their circumstances\u201d. This comment struck me as important because Ophelia\u2019s thoughts and behavior in the poems contradict common stereotypes that many people have about prostitutes.<\/p>\n

For example, Ophelia is very interested in educating herself and learning about the world. In a letter Ophelia exclaims, \u201cDo you remember that I kept\/your copy of American Highways\/and Byways for months, reading it,\/Imagine, then, my surprise at finding\/that the Countess keeps a library here,\/ in the brothel!\u201d (Tretheway 32). Ophelia appears to be an avid reader and is very excited by the prospect of having a library in the brothel. While most people assume that a prostitute would have no interest in reading, Ophelia enjoys learning and realizes the importance of educating herself.\u00a0 Tretheway portrays Ophelia as having a thirst for learning in order to show that one cannot judge another\u2019s character based solely on his or her circumstance.<\/p>\n

Ophelila\u2019s typical behavior is also very different from that of the stereotypical prostitute. In another letter, Ophelia explains that since the other girls in the house walk around in their underwear, \u201cThey tease me, but gently,\/for my proper clothes and the quiet way I take my tea.\u201d (Tretheway 17). Ophelia is different from the other girls in the brothel as she dresses modestly and keeps to herself. While the other girls exhibit the stereotype that prostitutes behave and dress inappropriately during the day, Ophelia make an effort to display proper etiquette.\u00a0 Again, Tretheway uses Ophelia\u2019s behavior to show that Ophelia is not defined by her line of work or living situation.<\/p>\n

Ophelia is a clear example of someone who is \u201cnot the sum of her circumstance\u201d. We cannot pass judgments about her just because she is a prostitute that lives in a brothel, as her character certainly does not reflect her unfortunate situation. Through these poems, Tretheway urges us to realize that people are not always what they seem from the outside looking in.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In Natasha Tretheway\u2019s Belloq\u2019s Ophelia, a prostitute from New Orleans\u2019s red light district writes letters and diary entries about her life.\u00a0 While most assume that prostitutes are unintelligent and uneducated, Ophelia\u2019s writing style is sophisticated and poised. In class today, I found it very interesting when Natasha Tretheway said \u201cpeople aren\u2019t always the sum of<\/p>\n