Alice Monroe's Wenlock Edge is a chilling tale detailing the various negative traits that human beings possess, and how these traits can give rise to wickedness, even in the face of innocence. Within the story, there are many examples of power assertion, deception, and the act of betrayal, as evidenced by the narrator's betrayal of Nina at the end of the story. Nina, although with her flaws, did not deserve what happens to her in the story because she was merely trapped within a life she did not want to live in, and never had any intentions of wrongdoing towards the narrator.
To a stranger, Nina seems to live a normal life, however, the deeper one digs the more one realizes she wants nothing but to escape the life she lives in. Nina, though only 22 years old, had already suffered through a life of more pain than anybody should have to suffer through their lifetime. From getting kicked out of home by her stepfather, to suffering through the deaths of her father and baby boy, all of these events led her to Mr. Purvis, who places firm control over her life. On the surface Mr. Purvis may seem like a suitable partner for Nina, who is looking for financial security and stability in life after enduring only hardship and pain. However, it is clear throughout the story that Nina wishes to avoid Mr. Purvis at every turn possible: [Purvis] said she should just sit in on some courses to see what shed like to study. She told him shed like to live part of the time the way ordinary students lived (59). In this quotation, Nina agrees to Mr. Purvis suggestion to attend school. The latters rationale is for Nina to audit some courses to see what she is interested in, however the former only wants to use schooling as an excuse to get away from Mr. Purvis. This is evident when the narrator says: I had seen Nina at the college only a couple of times the other time, she was in the cafeteria she sat with a smile on her face, as if to say how pleased, how privileged she felt to be there (70). The fact that Nina barely e...
