“She had developed these discoveries to the Assistant Commissioner with all of the serce fearlessness of an old woman who had escaped the blight of indifference. He had made for himself the rule to receive everything of that sort in a silence which he took care from policy and inclination not to make offensive. He had an affection for the aged disciple of Michaelis, a complex sentiment depending a little on her prestige, on her personality, but most of all of the institute of fattered gratitude. He felt himself really liked in her house. She was kindness personified. And she was practically wise too, after the manner of experienced women...Her influence upon his wife, a woman devoured by all sorts of small selfishnesses, small denvies, small jealousies, was excellent. Unfortunately, both her kindness and her wisdom were of unreasonable complexion, distinctly feminine, and difficult to deal with. She remained a perfect women all along her full tale of years, and no as some of them do become- a sort of slippery, pestilential old man in petticoats.” (Conrad 115)
“She was kindness personified. And she was practically wise too, after the manner of experienced women.”-----> “Practically wise” meaning she almost smart, but still not smart enough just to have the word wise there by itself to describe her intelligence.
“ Unfortunately both her kindness and her wisdom were of unreasonable complexion, distinctly feminine, and difficult to deal with.”-----> Women are seen to be too kind when working with them, from man's point of view. She was difficult to deal with because she was feminine. Her wisdom was unreasonable because she doesn’t have any previous working experience. This doesn't make sense because the men are the reason the women don’t have any previous work experience. The Assistant Commissioner believes women aren’t trustworthy.
“She remained a perfect women all along her full tale of years, and not as some of them do become- a sort of slippery, pestilential old man in petticoats.” -----> A perfect women must be someone who is safe and clean dressed in a petticoat. An old man is unstable, can’t do things for himself, and harmful because he can’t be left alone.
Despite the fact that the Assistant Commissioner’s wife worked with Michaelis, he still shows the characteristics of women, why these characteristics makes it difficult to work with them, and what is likely to happen if women start to work with men. The Assistant Commissioner thought,“She was kindness personified. And she was practically wise too, after the manner of experienced women”(Conrad 115). When Conrad used the word “practically” it took away the strength of the word wise, almost making it watered down like. His reasoning for watering down the word wise was because she was a woman, and woman are kind. If this woman wasn't kind it would have been ok to call her wise? Not necessarily, since Conrad then writes, “ Unfortunately both her kindness and her wisdom were of unreasonable complexion, distinctly feminine, and difficult to deal with”(Conrad 115). This to the reader shows how he really feels towards women working. In other words The Assistant Commissioner believes the kindness and wisdom of women is silly and girly. That’s why he relates them both to being unreasonable. Being silly and girly is too difficult for men to deal with. To make the man's life easy, woman should just stay at home and control the household.
After all of this, if women still choose to work with men there is a change that they won't be a “perfect woman” anymore. Expect for if you were in the shoes of the Assistant Commissioner’s wife:She managed to stay a “Perfect woman” “She remained a perfect women all along her full tale of years, and not as some of them do become- a sort of slippery, pestilential old man in petticoats.”(Conrad 115) This doesn't work for every woman, according to The Assistant Commissioner , she managed to stay safe and clean. Society won’t see woman anymore than silly and kind, even if they have worked alongside men. The only option men give to women is to be kind and not wise or be wise and become an old man. The Assistant Commissioner's wife managed to stay kind, something that Conrad doesn't recommend for women to be when working with men. If she isn't kind she then turns into an unstable, harmful old man.
Conrad, Joseph. "The Secret Agent." Toronto, Ontario: Broadview Editions, 2009. Print.
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| "Perfect woman" |
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