The Moon and Sixpence Lesson Plan

Tiaré recalls her ex-husband George Rainey, saying of him, "It's a terrible thing the way some men treat women." What is ironic about her saying this?

Students should realize that George Rainey was a husband who never drank or hit her. She cheated on him all the time and he never found out. All of this disgusted her, and the suggestion is that his behavior was not manly enough. On the other hand, her first husband drank a lot, and when he drank he beat her. Comparing her first husband to George Rainey, she prefers her first husband. When she says, "It's a terrible thing the way some men treat women," you'd think she'd be referring to the way some men beat their wives...