“I like her with her faults, I like her for her faults.” – Explain
The Way of the World is a notable literary work by William Congreve. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of The Way of the World.
Answer
“I like her with her faults, I like her for her faults.” Explain with reference to the context.
This line, “I like her with her faults, I like her for her faults,” is said by Mirabell in “The Way of the World” (1681). He says this about Millamant. It shows his deep love for her. He knows she has many faults. But he still loves her. He even finds her faults lovely. This line shows true love and acceptance.
Love with Understanding: Mirabell does not ignore Millamant’s faults. He sees them clearly. But he loves her more because of them. He feels her faults are natural and sweet. Other women’s faults seem bad. But Millamant’s faults make her more charming to him.
Study of Her Nature: Mirabell once tried to hate her. He studied all her faults. He made a list of them. He thought this would help him forget her. But the opposite thing happened. Slowly, her faults stopped bothering him. In the end, he became used to them. They became part of her charm.
Real Picture of Love: Mirabell’s love is not dreamy. It is real and honest. He accepts Millamant as she is. He does not want to change her. This kind of love is rare. He is ready to live with her faults forever. He says,
“Took her to pieces; sifted her, and separated her failings; I studied ’em and got ’em by rote.”
Here, he says he loves Millamant’s faults just as much as her good qualities.
In short, this line shows that Mirabell truly loves Millamant. He loves her with her good and bad sides. He accepts her fully. He finds beauty even in her mistakes. It proves that true love means loving someone just as they are, with all their faults.