What was very interesting for me is that the first work we read as a class was Moliere’s Tartuffe. This play is written by a male during a time in which women were, basically, still property of the men. However, there is an amazing female character in this play; she is the one who stays level-headed while working to save the family from ruin.
The first of the two is a wet nurse of the house, Dorine. She is my favorite character in the entire comedy. She is the funniest, sassiest, and most intelligent person around. Without her the comedy would be more of a tragedy. Back on point, she is the first person we see who voices opinions against the con artist, Tartuffe. At first it might seem that she is just being paranoid, but we find out that Tartuffe actually is after Orgon’s (the head of the household) money and wife. Dorine, a simple and low class servant is able to see the liar for who he really is from the very start! It must take some level of intelligence and cunning to be able to do that, especially considering those standing at the very top of the food chain couldn’t.
I must admit that there were others who doubted Tartuffe just as much as Dorine. These are the other men of the house. However, there is a clear difference between the two. The men are swayed by their emotions causing their messages to become weak and deluded, while Dorine exemplifies the enlightenment ideals by speaking rationally and using evidence as backing for her claims. Even though she speaks to clearly and eloquently she is ignored because she is a servant, because she is of lower standing, because she is a woman.
I loved this opening to the class. I am always so worried when it comes to entering a new semester of English; you never know what the professor will choose to cover, or how he/she is going to teach it. After reading this and talking about it in class as our first work, all my fears dissolved. It was perfect because it immediately brought up the question regarding women in society. I was able to breathe and had a little celebration in my head that the class was going to be interesting after all.