Treatment According to Status

"Having heard the old woman´s story, the lovely Cunégonde began to pay her all the respect due to a person of her rank and quality."(pg. 58)

After Cunégonde learned that the old woman had been a princess, she concluded that she now deserved reverence. When the old woman was only a lowly servant she was completely worthless, yet since she proved to be,“the daughter of Pope Urban X and Princess of Palestrina.”(pg. 49) it clearly made her noble and important. On Cunégonde’s part it is extremely lovelyto have recognized this. The average person would have simply overlooked this increase in status since after all, she was no longer a princess. If people are below you on the social ladder, then you are almost expected to treat them like scum. However, if they are of equal or greater importance,you must treat them accordingly. What kind of shamefulflawed logic is this?

In reality, this is a cruel conclusion to make. Cunégonde should have been addressing the old woman with respect all along, regardless of her position in society. People are all equal and social classes shouldn’t separate them from receiving the same treatment. The way the excerpt implies Cunégonde’s selflessness at recognizing the old woman’s increase in status only makes matters worse. How in the world can someone be acclaimed as “lovely” for recognizing that a fellow human being deserves respect?

The worst part is that this kind of “treatment according to status” is practiced throughout society. Many people who have maids or drivers treat them disrespectfully, claiming that “they work for me”. Yet then they turn to an acclaimed equal, such as a friend, and their tone of contempt immediately vanishes.

In the society we live in, this is so common that many people don’t even notice it. However, it happens constantly. The same people whom if asked would agree with the idea that all men are created equal, fail to put this into practice and instead turn to the shameful business of “treatment according to status”.