Analysis of Nance's Motives, "Once Aboard the Lugger"

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W. James Eng. 1B 23 Sept. 2015 Subverting Patterns in “Once Aboard the Lugger” Throughout society, people follow patterns of behavior that are created by social expectations. For example, less powerful people may need to behave in a more polite way to powerful people, poor people may need to obey rich people, and women may need to be subordinate to men, depending on the society in which they live. However, sometimes people refuse to follow social expectations and break the patterns. This can happen openly or more indirectly. In the short story “Once Aboard the Lugger” by Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch, the main character, Nance Trewartha, subverts social expectations about gender and class, both indirectly and directly, when she pursues the new minister, Samuel Bax, to convince him to marry her. Early in the story, the social expectations of the society are evident in the conversation of the young women of the town of Troy after the first sermon by the new minister. Their conversation reveals that their society is sharply divided by economic class and that women are expected to marry. Immediately after the minister’s first sermon, the young women speculate upon which local girl will marry him: “‘I reckon, if he’s chosen minister, that Lizzie’ll have ‘en,’ said a tall, lanky girl” (2). They do not discuss his sermon or what he is like as a minister; instead, they immediately assume that he will need to get married and that the local girls will have to compete for him. This assumption appears to be based on the idea that marriage is a social expectation for both men and women in their society. In addition, the conversation shows that economic class is a major issue in the town. When another girl suggests that a resident of Ruan might marry the minister, the others think it is ridiculous: “‘What, marry one o’ Ruan!’ the speaker tittered despitefully” (2). The narrator

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