Essay Questions

Who were Vesta and Sappho?

Vesta is in the Roman mythology the goddess of home and family. She was venerated by many and for a long time, she had numerous temples where young girls served her, keeping the fire, the symbol of the home, always burning. Vesta was a virgin goddess and the women serving in her temple, the Vestals, were also virgins, vowing to remain so during the time they served the goddess in her temple. In comparison with Vesta, Sappho, a Greek female poet was considered as being extremely promiscuous, a lover both to women and men. By mentioning both women, the narrator wants to suggest the two ways in which a woman can behave, by being either completely promiscuous or by being unwilling to get involved with men, no matter what.

Why did the virgin refuse to sleep with the narrator?

To understand her reasons, we first have to analyze the historical context. Up until the middle of the 20th century, it was considered acceptable for men to sleep with as many women as they wanted but it was frowned upon when women did the same. If a woman came from a good family and the rest of the society found out about her escapades, then she would have a hard time finding a husband. The other reason why many women decided to remain virgins is because they wanted to worship God through their purity. While it was not required for a woman to remain a virgin in order to be accepted, many women decided to remain so to prove their devotion to God.

Why does the narrator call himself a slave?

The narrator calls himself a slave over and over again. He claims that he is a slave to his own desires and he cannot muster the strength to say no to the temptations he has in front of him. The idea that humans are slaves to their own desires is an idea taken from the Bible where humanity is usually described as being enslaved by sin and unable to break free from one’s desires.