Deceiving Beauty

Going off of what we spoke about in class on monday, my group decided to view the story in the perspective of Adeline. We did not like the idea that she is a feeble and weak female lead character in the storyline. We though of her more as someone who is playing the innocent victim. When we are first introduced to her through La Motte, he raves of her sheer beauty. She is on the floor crying in the hands of the man who wants to get rid of her. Yet what if all of it was simply an act of her own doing to get what she has intended. I am not saying that she purposely wanted the man to drag her, but she may be playing along so she can leave the hellhole in which she is in. There is a section that states "there was a penetrating sweetness in her blue eyes, which indicated an intelligent and amicable mind." This helps back up the fact that she could be playing everyone in her game. She uses her beauty to somewhat seduce La Motte and befriends Madame La Motte in her gain. Whenever Madame La Motte questions her of her past and how she came to be of where they discovered her, Adeline tears up and states she cannot talk about it. It is only later that she reveals the truth but for awhile her character can seem deceiving and tricky. As fun as it may seem that Adeline is like this, it may be that she is simply as the story portrays her. I find Romance of the Forest to be a much more fascinating read, as I keep reading on I find it harder to stop. The story seemed odd at the beginning and the direction of where it was going but now it flows and brings curiosity. The gothic aspects come through in the description of the abbey and the fear the characters have of the forest and the dark inside. The noises and thoughts of the characters add to the imagery that helps set the tone for the gothic aspects.