Ourika pages 39-47 Summary

As Ourika knelt in her bedroom and prayed for death, the marquise, who had recently returned from England where she lived during the Revolution, entered, causing Ourika to panic because seeing the marquise always reminded her of first having her eyes opened and elicited much distress. The marquise claimed she had always been fond of Ourika and was saddened to see the girl's disheartened state, so she advised Ourika to find the brighter side of things since she was so intelligent, but Ourika argued that "intelligence only makes real misfortunes seem worse. It makes them take so many different forms" (p. 40). The marquise insisted that it was madness to fight the inevitable and that common sense suggests resignation and distraction, and Ourika should find things she likes doing to pass the time, for she had many gifts and it...