make others so
The aspirations to happiness of all the major characters of the novel take
very different paths. Although less effectual than the principal male
characters in bringing their dreams to reality, it might be said that the
women characters are all more directly engaged in increasing the actual
store of happiness in the world, whereas the men in general attach
themselves to a theoretical concept that rules their destiny with often
destructive results. Justine's emphasis on a practical ethics may also go
beyond conventional gender roles, reflecting the down-to-earth necessities
of a servant who has no choice but to work for and with others to increase
human comfort.
