The idea that revealing knowledge about oneself can either expose vulnerabilities or strengthen one’s ego is one I have experienced before. I’ve revealed vulnerable information about myself to friends before and realized from their reactions how they felt about me. Expressing my knowledge gave me the power to see who they were. I agree with Dr. Marchbank’s point that refusing to give information in a spousal relationship can especially cause pain, for they deny their partner the opportunity to sympathize with their partner or break a habit their partner finds disagreeable. In The Secret Agent, Winnie and Verloc in not sharing any knowledge lose the opportunity to sympathize with each other’s problems, whether it be Verloc’s job or Winnie’s brother.
Dr. M examines the negative consequences of withholding information in relationships and its effect on power imbalances. In Joseph Conrad's "The Secret Agent," I wondered if Verloc hid information from Winnie for her safety or his own. Verloc, believing in their mutual love, might have wanted to protect Winnie from the dangers of being an agent's wife. I have also experienced situations where I thought withholding information was for the greater good. However, Dr. M's insight that discovering the truth later can intensify the pain answered my contemplation. If Winnie were truly being protected, herself, Verloc, and Stevie’s tragic fate might have been avoided. Verloc's silence to Winnie about Stevie's death was for his self-preservation, not Winnie's welfare, showing that secrecy does not provide protection.
This video reminds me of how in In The Secret Agent, Verloc lies and hides his specific dealings with the Embassy and anarchists from Winnie, effectively imbalancing the power dynamic in their relationship, pushing an unknowledgeable Winnie to the side! Winnie’s animosity builds, which I relate to. In childhood, I wasn’t included in the planning of many playground games only to be made fun of when I didn’t know what was going on, which I hated. Kids I called “friends” held their unshared knowledge-their power-over me. Like Winnie, I was led into relationships where I had no control because I had no knowledge. Your notion that knowledge is power and that lying to a loved one (spouse or otherwise) is harmful in relationships rings true.
The idea that suppression or disclosure of information between two people can completely alter the dynamic of their relationship speaks to the importance it holds when forming relationships. Often I find myself subconsciously withholding information from people and I realize now that this subconscious disclosure is almost exclusively with people I lack healthy relationships with. Lying to a spouse or family member can lead to even worse consequences. The secret agent perfectly portrays these consequences when Winnie murders her husband because of built-up resentment due to withheld information. Both the video and The Secret Agent have made it clear that people who you feel the need to withhold information from are people that should not be in your life.
In his engaging exploration of Joseph Conrad's "The Secret Agent," Dr. M passionately delves into the consequences of secrecy in relationships, drawing attention to two pivotal points. Firstly, he emphasizes the impact of withheld truth on the marriage between Winnie and Adolf Verloch, highlighting moments of strained communication and the profound isolation resulting from their mutual silence. Dr. M's vivid description of the bedroom scenes vividly captures the psychological toll of deception. Secondly, he skillfully weaves in Hitchcock's adaptation, notably contrasting it with subsequent versions. By spotlighting the visual portrayal of the couple's cold formality in the 1936 film, effectively underscores how lies create an overwhelming barrier, challenging the notion that accumulating secrets can coexist with a healthy romantic relationship.
I agree that knowledge is power, especially in a relationship where both partners should be equals. Having knowledge over someone else entirely defeats that ideal, causing one person in the relationship to have more power through their knowledge and secrets. Dr. Marchbanks also brings up the idea of secrecy creating an invisible barrier between people. Silence is powerful, and unspoken words sometimes speak louder than yelled ones. Not saying what someone needs to hear can sometimes be more damaging than saying something cruel. Secrets will inevitably cause irreparable damage in a relationship, and Conrad’s The Secret Agent perfectly exemplifies that with Verloc’s murder. Death, murder, is about as irreparable as it gets.
I agreed with Mr. Marchbanks’s idea that knowledge significantly alternates the relationship between two people. I consider myself an “open-book,” so knowing when to share or withhold information is something I personally have seen the repercussions of. Considering this, when looking at Mr. Verloc and his intentional repression of telling Winnie that he is a violent secret agent, I found that the way she reacted was to be expected. Upon learning about her husband’s “double life,” Winnie goes mad, eventually leading to their two deaths. Mr. Marchbanks mentions that the sudden disruption of learning a long-hidden truth is often more painful and reactions are much more dramatic in relationships, which makes me wonder if Winnie’s reaction is one that the reader should be shocked about.
Great relationships are a product of strong communication. Inherently, “the consequences of deception” cause damage in romantic relations. Not only do secrets (or withheld information) harm trust, but they also create an intimacy gap. As you mentioned, Winnie and Verloc never touch in private, demonstrating visually a lack of connection in their marriage. The film Seconds (1966) also demonstrates this lack visually by having the husband and wife sleep in separate beds-signifying a hostile marriage environment caused by Arthur's lack of sharing his feelings with his wife. Not only is deception the end-all for relationships but also subduing oneself to a life of passionless acceptance, where both Winnie and Verloc are at fault and therefore suffer the consequences at the end of The Secret Agent.
I agree with Dr. Marchbanks that knowledge is power, and secrecy can cause rifts between personal partnerships. The person with secrets tends to have power in the relationship, which plays out in Conrad’s The Secret Agent. Although Verloc withholds vital information about his occupation, Winnie is also deceptive in their marriage. As Dr. Marchbanks points out, Verloc is convinced Winnie married for love when, in fact, she married for financial security for herself and her brother. Because Verloc is ignorant of Winnie’s true motives, he is entirely unprepared for her wrath when she discovers his secrets. Thus, it is Winnie who holds the power in this relationship, and she ultimately wields it to kill Verloc.
The idea that "knowledge is power" can be both positive and negative. Moreover, the use of this knowledge lies on who holds it. Sometimes, I choose not to share information with certain people because I know it might hurt them; other times, I merely believe they don't need to know it. However, Winnie's brewing resentment for Verloc erupted when the knowledge of his espionage actions were finally relayed to her, leading to Verloc's inevitable murder. Although I clearly have not been murdered for withholding information, I have previously run into situations with my parents (particularly in high school) where lying to them about something important led to me getting in trouble. In other words, lying and the withholding of knowledge can lead to an 'overreaction,' thus shifting the power imbalance from the one who held the knowledge to the one whomever gained said knowledge, just as Dr. Marchbanks mentioned.
I have always liked the saying that knowledge is power. Dr. Marchbanks addresses this idea in relation to the power of knowledge in relationships. I have seen this power destroy and mend relationships equally. The power of knowledge in the form of truth is too strong to be wielded without sacrifice. The sacrifice is vulnerability, which Dr. Marchbanks discusses as giving power over yourself to another when you are truthful. Confession requires both parties to be able to handle the knowledge of truth, and, for Winnie and Mr. Verloc in Conrad’s novel The Secret Agent, this was not the case. Mr. Verloc’s truth came too late and resulted in not only the destruction of his marriage but also the death of himself and his wife.
As a reader, it can be dissatisfying to watch a film that fails to encapsulate plot lines, themes, and character intricacies in a way that honors those of the original novel. The relationship between Winnie and her indolent husband who continually prevents emotional intimacy within the marriage highlights the threat of secret-keeping to marital affairs; lack of communication doesn't just tear the marriage apart, but prevents it from ever reaching success in the first place. The choice of certain film adapters to exclude such marital affairs from renditions of the novel robs the viewer of the experience Conrad intended, appealing to love story tropes glittering with classic romance than the original obscure and abstract relationship between Winnie and Mr. Verloc presented in The Secret Agent.
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The idea that revealing knowledge about oneself can either expose vulnerabilities or strengthen one’s ego is one I have experienced before. I’ve revealed vulnerable information about myself to friends before and realized from their reactions how they felt about me. Expressing my knowledge gave me the power to see who they were. I agree with Dr. Marchbank’s point that refusing to give information in a spousal relationship can especially cause pain, for they deny their partner the opportunity to sympathize with their partner or break a habit their partner finds disagreeable. In The Secret Agent, Winnie and Verloc in not sharing any knowledge lose the opportunity to sympathize with each other’s problems, whether it be Verloc’s job or Winnie’s brother.
Dr. M examines the negative consequences of withholding information in relationships and its effect on power imbalances. In Joseph Conrad's "The Secret Agent," I wondered if Verloc hid information from Winnie for her safety or his own. Verloc, believing in their mutual love, might have wanted to protect Winnie from the dangers of being an agent's wife. I have also experienced situations where I thought withholding information was for the greater good. However, Dr. M's insight that discovering the truth later can intensify the pain answered my contemplation. If Winnie were truly being protected, herself, Verloc, and Stevie’s tragic fate might have been avoided. Verloc's silence to Winnie about Stevie's death was for his self-preservation, not Winnie's welfare, showing that secrecy does not provide protection.
This video reminds me of how in In The Secret Agent, Verloc lies and hides his specific dealings with the Embassy and anarchists from Winnie, effectively imbalancing the power dynamic in their relationship, pushing an unknowledgeable Winnie to the side! Winnie’s animosity builds, which I relate to. In childhood, I wasn’t included in the planning of many playground games only to be made fun of when I didn’t know what was going on, which I hated. Kids I called “friends” held their unshared knowledge-their power-over me. Like Winnie, I was led into relationships where I had no control because I had no knowledge. Your notion that knowledge is power and that lying to a loved one (spouse or otherwise) is harmful in relationships rings true.
The idea that suppression or disclosure of information between two people can completely alter the dynamic of their relationship speaks to the importance it holds when forming relationships. Often I find myself subconsciously withholding information from people and I realize now that this subconscious disclosure is almost exclusively with people I lack healthy relationships with. Lying to a spouse or family member can lead to even worse consequences. The secret agent perfectly portrays these consequences when Winnie murders her husband because of built-up resentment due to withheld information. Both the video and The Secret Agent have made it clear that people who you feel the need to withhold information from are people that should not be in your life.
In his engaging exploration of Joseph Conrad's "The Secret Agent," Dr. M passionately delves into the consequences of secrecy in relationships, drawing attention to two pivotal points. Firstly, he emphasizes the impact of withheld truth on the marriage between Winnie and Adolf Verloch, highlighting moments of strained communication and the profound isolation resulting from their mutual silence. Dr. M's vivid description of the bedroom scenes vividly captures the psychological toll of deception. Secondly, he skillfully weaves in Hitchcock's adaptation, notably contrasting it with subsequent versions. By spotlighting the visual portrayal of the couple's cold formality in the 1936 film, effectively underscores how lies create an overwhelming barrier, challenging the notion that accumulating secrets can coexist with a healthy romantic relationship.
I agree that knowledge is power, especially in a relationship where both partners should be equals. Having knowledge over someone else entirely defeats that ideal, causing one person in the relationship to have more power through their knowledge and secrets. Dr. Marchbanks also brings up the idea of secrecy creating an invisible barrier between people. Silence is powerful, and unspoken words sometimes speak louder than yelled ones. Not saying what someone needs to hear can sometimes be more damaging than saying something cruel. Secrets will inevitably cause irreparable damage in a relationship, and Conrad’s The Secret Agent perfectly exemplifies that with Verloc’s murder. Death, murder, is about as irreparable as it gets.
I agreed with Mr. Marchbanks’s idea that knowledge significantly alternates the relationship between two people. I consider myself an “open-book,” so knowing when to share or withhold information is something I personally have seen the repercussions of. Considering this, when looking at Mr. Verloc and his intentional repression of telling Winnie that he is a violent secret agent, I found that the way she reacted was to be expected. Upon learning about her husband’s “double life,” Winnie goes mad, eventually leading to their two deaths. Mr. Marchbanks mentions that the sudden disruption of learning a long-hidden truth is often more painful and reactions are much more dramatic in relationships, which makes me wonder if Winnie’s reaction is one that the reader should be shocked about.
Great relationships are a product of strong communication. Inherently, “the consequences of deception” cause damage in romantic relations. Not only do secrets (or withheld information) harm trust, but they also create an intimacy gap. As you mentioned, Winnie and Verloc never touch in private, demonstrating visually a lack of connection in their marriage. The film Seconds (1966) also demonstrates this lack visually by having the husband and wife sleep in separate beds-signifying a hostile marriage environment caused by Arthur's lack of sharing his feelings with his wife. Not only is deception the end-all for relationships but also subduing oneself to a life of passionless acceptance, where both Winnie and Verloc are at fault and therefore suffer the consequences at the end of The Secret Agent.
I agree with Dr. Marchbanks that knowledge is power, and secrecy can cause rifts between personal partnerships. The person with secrets tends to have power in the relationship, which plays out in Conrad’s The Secret Agent. Although Verloc withholds vital information about his occupation, Winnie is also deceptive in their marriage. As Dr. Marchbanks points out, Verloc is convinced Winnie married for love when, in fact, she married for financial security for herself and her brother. Because Verloc is ignorant of Winnie’s true motives, he is entirely unprepared for her wrath when she discovers his secrets. Thus, it is Winnie who holds the power in this relationship, and she ultimately wields it to kill Verloc.
The idea that "knowledge is power" can be both positive and negative. Moreover, the use of this knowledge lies on who holds it. Sometimes, I choose not to share information with certain people because I know it might hurt them; other times, I merely believe they don't need to know it. However, Winnie's brewing resentment for Verloc erupted when the knowledge of his espionage actions were finally relayed to her, leading to Verloc's inevitable murder. Although I clearly have not been murdered for withholding information, I have previously run into situations with my parents (particularly in high school) where lying to them about something important led to me getting in trouble. In other words, lying and the withholding of knowledge can lead to an 'overreaction,' thus shifting the power imbalance from the one who held the knowledge to the one whomever gained said knowledge, just as Dr. Marchbanks mentioned.
I have always liked the saying that knowledge is power. Dr. Marchbanks addresses this idea in relation to the power of knowledge in relationships. I have seen this power destroy and mend relationships equally. The power of knowledge in the form of truth is too strong to be wielded without sacrifice. The sacrifice is vulnerability, which Dr. Marchbanks discusses as giving power over yourself to another when you are truthful. Confession requires both parties to be able to handle the knowledge of truth, and, for Winnie and Mr. Verloc in Conrad’s novel The Secret Agent, this was not the case. Mr. Verloc’s truth came too late and resulted in not only the destruction of his marriage but also the death of himself and his wife.
As a reader, it can be dissatisfying to watch a film that fails to encapsulate plot lines, themes, and character intricacies in a way that honors those of the original novel. The relationship between Winnie and her indolent husband who continually prevents emotional intimacy within the marriage highlights the threat of secret-keeping to marital affairs; lack of communication doesn't just tear the marriage apart, but prevents it from ever reaching success in the first place. The choice of certain film adapters to exclude such marital affairs from renditions of the novel robs the viewer of the experience Conrad intended, appealing to love story tropes glittering with classic romance than the original obscure and abstract relationship between Winnie and Mr. Verloc presented in The Secret Agent.