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Act 1, Scene 3
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Way of the World, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Jealousy, Deceit, and Intrigue
Wits and Fools
Men vs. Women
Female (In)dependence
Love and Money
Summary
Analysis
While Mirabell and Fainall are in conversation, a messenger approaches Betty, the chocolate house waitress, who has been waiting on the two men. He tells her that he is there to deliver a letter to Witwoud from Sir Wilfull Witwoud, Witwoud’s older and unfashionable half-brother from the countryside. Betty instructs him to do so.
Servants and attendants are often seen but not heard. Betty has been standing in the room the whole time that Mirabell and Fainall have been in discussion, but the men consider her part of the room and don’t pay attention to her presence until they need to. This decision will come back to bite Marwood and Fainall when other, less discreet servants are ignored.
Themes
