we always treat wemen too well.

“We Always Treat Women Too Well,” by Raymond Queneau was both humorous, yet very witty. In the beginning, Queneau seems to portray the seven Irish rioters as the main characters of the novel; however, by the end of the story, you realize that the “sweet, innocent” character Gertie Gertrude is the actual hero of this fiction. Gertie Gertrude who was first seen hiding out in the bathroom scared to death, seemed so helpless and uneasy. But as the story goes on, she transformed to this confident, intelligent girl, who made a fool out of the seven men who have come to England to gain freedom for their country. Right before the end of the novel, the two remaining Irish men ask of her not to reveal the “dirty deeds” of their comrades. Although at first she seems to have some sort of sympathy for these men, you realize that the entire time she’s just been playing games with them. Once the English bombard the post office and her fiancée asks if these men had done her bad, without a second to think, she simply answers yes. And with that one word answer, the seven men, who originally came to England to become heroes of their country, become pathetic losers without any dignity. Queneau’s portrayal of women seems to be very positive. Through Gertie’s character, you see that Queneau views women as very conniving, yet very clever and powerful. The way he creates this story where a woman outsmarts seven men was very entertaining and original. (sorry its late)