The Honest Truth: "The Bad Girl"

The Bad Girl is a continuation of what we are learning in class about love and desire. The main character Ricardito has dreams of living in France for all is life. These dreams began when he was young and an orphan cared for by his Aunt Alberta. From his young days in Lima to his current days in Paris, Ricardito had love for this mysterious girl; the "Bad Girl". The Bad Girl was known as the Chilean girl, then guerrilla fighter, and then Madam Arnoux. As Madam Arnoux, the Bad Girl lived a suitable lifestyle. She traveled, had a love affair, got to wear fancy clothes, and go to A-list parties. She desired a life of wealth, fancy and fashion. Ricardito loves her from the first day he met her, and every time after that he had a bizarre run in with her just by coincidence. The Bad Girl was a liar and would do anything get ahead no matter the feelings others had to sacrifice. Ricardito never stopped thinking about her and he would tell her all sorts of romantic things yet she would blame him that the reason they weren't married was because he was a coward. In one discussion, the Bad Girl said,  "Happiness, I don't know ad I don't care what it is, Ricardito. What I am sure about is that it isn't the romantic, vulgar thing it is for you. Money gives you security, it protects you, it lets you enjoy life thoroughly and not worry about tomorrow. It's the only happiness you can touch." The concept of money buying happines is something we have briefly touched upon in class, but have not spent a whole lot of time discussing. In the Bad Girls mind, this is the ultimate way to achieve happiness. I believe she knows the difference between happiness and love and she could care less if she loved the man she was with as long as he was wealthy and could lavish and spoil her. She knew she would continue to have love affairs until and even after she found that wealthy companion. Following her brief statement about happiness she said, "I'll never be satisfied with what I have. I'll always want more." This speaks to how humans naturally desire more and more...for if we do not desire we would not live. The Bad Girl is blunt in speaking about such desires. She wants to travel, dress fancy, go to plays and live an extravagant lifestyle all of which Ricardito could not afford. Ricardito desires to care for her in ways that are nowhere similar to the Bad Girl's fantasies. I believe that the Bad Girl is a bad person, an obviously unfaithful person, a liar and a deviant. She doesn't fit the role of a wife, but more of a whore. There is no game of love with her, its a game of money and fortune...Just as it was when she stole Monsieur Arnoux's money out of his Switzerland account and disappeared into the unknown on her next adventure to win big.