This talk will use the events in the film as the basis for a discussion of the deadening effects of social inequality and emotional deprivation. The film depicts the relationship of a middle-aged woman who has served one family as a maid for more than half her life. While she might seem embedded in the life of the family, and they are portrayed as loving her, in a way, it is clear that she is more object than person to them. The effect of this, and what seems to be her emotionally depriving relationship with her mother, results in a person who is isolated, manipulative, and both sadistic and masochistic. Is such a person redeemable? What can it take to help such a deadened character come back to life?
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