The hypocrisy of community identity in Cummings's Cambridge LadiesE.E. Cummings's [Cambridge ladies living in furnished souls] is an enigmatic, ironic and sarcastic poem that reveals the unreal and fraudulent lives that Cambridge women live. The speaker's poetic tone is full of sarcasm and irony to show the contradiction between the actions and beliefs of the Cambridge women. This discriminating voice is used when talking about Cambridge women's Christianity, their communal identity, and when talking about their frivolous concerns. Depth and empathy, both lacking in women, contrast with the emptiness and indifference of women. Collectively, the women of Cambridge share an inability to connect to their religion and the outside world around them. Furthermore, Cummings contrasts images of nature with the material and socially based Cambridge Ladies. Because these women are well-endowed and isolated from the outside world, they are unable to fully understand the reality of the problems. Through this compare and contrast, E.E. Cummings is able to show the superficial and manufactured world that the Cambridge women have created. Although these women claim to be strict Protestants, their obnoxious behavior proves to be anything but saintly. The Cambridge girls cannot fully understand the harsh reality of a world beyond their meaningless lives. Because they have already received everything they need in life without working for it, women are content with their set ways and have “comfortable minds” ([Cambridge] ln. 2). These women have never known anything but luxury and happiness. Therefore, women have no reason to challenge the mores of their church or society....... middle of paper... people who confine themselves to a limited sphere of knowledge and a small group of peers. Rather than looking out to the outside world and the unknown, these women are committed to spreading rumors, being “faithful” Christians, and being socially competent. By sharing a communal identity, they give up all individual freedoms. Cambridge women forget to see and understand the individual beauties of life, such as the moon. Everything they believe is internalized by their social doctrines; they leave no room for change or new ideals. Therefore, they are unable to associate with the serenity of nature or with a world separate from themselves. Because they are assigned to a social doctrine over which they have no control or say, they become apathetic toward its causes. They no longer worry about problems and “don't worry” about anything.