Wealth Versus Poverty

Two sets of class conflicts occur in Ring Around the Moon: that of older, aristocratic wealth versus newer, capitalist wealth, and both of these versus poverty. Old money is represented by Madame Desmermortes, her niece, and nephews; new money by Messerschmann, his daughter, and Romainville, head of Messerschmann's pig-iron company. When Madame makes her first entrance with Hugo, discussing Messerschmann's keeping of Lady India, Madame calls it "monstrous" and "humiliating," because old money kept by new money indicates aristocratic demise, dependence, loss of status. In Act III, Scene 2, Madame Desmermortes proceeds to make sure her two charges are married happily. This is a somewhat complex matter: Frederic must not marry Diana because she will be in complete control of him because she doesn't need his money and because he is servile. This is humiliating in terms of Frederic's wealth and status, and his gender. At least...