[lit-ideas] Re: (No References, etc.)

  • From: John Wager <john.wager1@xxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 01:32:25 -0500

Eric Yost wrote:

>>It would be nice ...
Ah ..."nice" ... and one wants to be "nice" because ...?
From INTO THE WOODS, First Cinderella's early lament as she helps her step-sister Florinda into her dress for the ball: 
[CINDERELLA]
 Mother said be good,
 Father said be nice,
 That was always their advice.
 So be nice, Cinderella,
 Good, Cinderella,
 Nice good good nice-

[FLORINDA]
 Tighter!

[CINDERELLA]
 What's the good of being good
 If everyone is blind
 And you're always left behind?
 Never mind, Cinderella,
 Kind Cinderella-
 Nice good nice kind good nice-
Later, from the witch, as she tries to get the others to give her Jack so she can turn him over to the giant's wife. (Jack has killed the giant, her husband). All the others are trying to blame one another for the giant wife's rampage: 

[WITCH]

 Told a little lie, stole a little gold, broke a little vow,
 Did you?
 Had to get your Prince, had to get your cow,
 Have to get your wish, doesn't matter how..
 Anyway, it doesn't matter now.
 It's the last midnight,
 It's the boom--
 Splat!
 Nothing but a vast midnight
 Everybody smashed flat!
 Nothing we can do...
 Not exactly true:
 We can always give her the boy...
 No?
 No, of course, what really matters is the blame.
 Somebody to blame.
 Fine, if that's the thing you enjoy, placing the blame,
 If that's the aim, give me the blame.
 Just give me the boy.
 No?
 You're so nice.
 You're not good, you're not bad,
 You're just nice.
 I'm not good, I'm not nice,
 I'm just right.
 I'm the witch.

My "take" on this:
"Nice" is socially expected behavior. It's unreflective morality, conventional. 
"Good" is doing one's duty, treating others fairly.
"Right" is what one sometimes is forced to do to save your friends' life from the giant, even if that giant is "good."
One would want to be "nice" because that's what is expected in shallow, normal society. Women especially have 
been taught to be "nice" rather than "good" or "right."
:

------------------------------------------------------------------
To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off,
digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html

Other related posts:

  1. Home
  2. lit-ideas
  3. Archive
  4. 04-2008