A Woman Killed With Kindness

A motif in A Woman Killed with Kindness is Susan fleeing from Francis, which she does in all but one encounter with him. Susan does not stay to hear Francis’s pleas, nor does she accept anything from him, indicating her understanding of Marriage and Gender Roles in a Patriarchal Society. Certainly, accepting money from Francis would put Susan in his debt in a way that would harm her reputation by calling her chastity into question. Moreover, by the standards of the day, even tolerating Francis’s presence would raise questions about her character; she would be “putting herself” in a situation where Charles might attempt to seduce her—a point made clear through contrast with Anne. When Wendoll flirts with Anne, she resists him but does not leave, “allowing” Wendoll to simply ignore her protestations and ultimately persuade Anne to have an affair. Susan’s flight from Francis thus demonstrates both her virtue and her awareness that her social standing is contingent on her modesty: Susan ultimately ends up married to Francis, and while she does not appear entirely happy with this turn of events, it is preferable to becoming his mistress.