The Minds of Women

In the story, Bushranger, we see outlaws becoming the utmost gentlemen in regard to the ladies that they come into contact with. This is a response to the longstanding code of Chivalry that the Medieval knight practiced. First the gang of bushrangers robs a coach where the captain encounters two ladies inside the coach. After examining the contents of the young girl's purse, our captain, Starlight, returns her purse to her after putting something else inside. Later in the story, three of the bushrangers, including Starlight, go to help a house of four women, Miss Falkland, being terrorised by three drunken bushrangers. They show great respect for these women and save their dignity from the drunken louts.

We understand the concept that these men hold women in high regard and often consider them as helpless. This stems from a man's concept that they need to be protected, which is not totally untrue do to the fact that women are generally smaller in stature and strength than men are. It has been speculated that these women are fully aware of the way men feel towards them as women and that they use those feeling to get what they feel is needed. Personally, I feel that the women in this particular story are in earnest in their feelings and the way that react. I am not going to go as far as saying that other women in this particular time did not use the fact they are women against the men around them.

The women in this story, tend to strike me as truly showing the emotions that are apparent in their baring and such. The woman in the coach was young and worried. Often in situations where something so unexpected happens, girls will worry about things in the future, such as how you will go on with the situation. I believe that this stems from a hope that they will make it that far. Miss Falkland, I take it, is quite a little bit older than the other two girls in the house and had to remain strong so as not to scare the other two girls. She had to be strong also because when dealing with intoxicated men, especially ones who have exhibited a temper, they have a tendency to become violent. Letting a little bit of emotion show, could have become deadly.

With the evidence stated above, I feel comfortable concluding that these two women's emotions are genuine.