In The Paradise of Bachelors and the Tartarus of Maids, Cupid is a young boy who works in the paper factory visited by the narrator in the second half of the narrative. Cupid understands the machinery and processes of the factory and gives the narrator a thorough and informative tour at the request of the proprietor. His odd name is symbolic of his introduction of the narrator to the factory girls—really women—and the subsequent feelings the narrator espouses for their plight. For his own part, Cupid seems totally nonplussed at the appalling working conditions of the factory. Throughout the latter part of the story, Cupid provides many insightful comments—many of which are fairly droll and meant to simultaneously impress and entertain. Aside from giving tours, Cupid's exact role in the factory is not well-established; he is probably a factotum.
FOLLOW BOOKRAGS:
