Essay Questions

Why do you think the young maiden is vanished in guiltless thrones of first love according to Lippard?

Throughout the plot of the story, there is an attempt to corrupt the young girl who is lost in the world of love for the first time. Love blinds her and triggers her reasoning; she end up making wrong choices that land her on the dark side of craving. Lippard writes:

"She knew not that this fluttering fascination, which bound her to his slightest look or tone—like the charmed bird to the lulling music which the snake is said to murmur, as he ensnares his prey—she knew not that this fluttering fascination, was but the blind admiration of the moth, as it floats in the light of the flame, which will, at last, consume it."

What is the societal rot evident in The Quaker City as narrated by the author?

Lippard has put more focus on the immoral acts by the powerful men in society who are taking advantage of the girls by luring them into unsafe sex in exchange for money. There are a number of underground brothels where illicit sex activities are taking place. Lippard depicts Philadelphia as a city with little religious influence, which gives people the freedom to do whatever they deem correct according to their desires. The young maiden is among the victims who find themselves on the wrong side of their desires.

How does George Lippard build the irony of legal injustice is his novel The Quaker City?

According to Lippard’s postulations, it is evident that the legal justice system in Philadelphia is failing. A jury is formed of one’s close friends and acquaintances implying that those claiming it cannot attain justice. For instance, there was no justice in the 1850s when there were rampant riots in Philadelphia and the lower class individuals never acquired justice for the damage and loss caused to them during the riots. The rich ganged up against the poor by corrupting the justice system to ensure that the law was on their side.