on our lady and her relationship with her own femininity - a meta looking at the character of lady a. c.omstock through the lens of religion, victorian womanhood, and pseudo science of the era.  or - a rewrite of an old meta that i needed a refresh given that i was in high school when i wrote this originally.  given the historical content from many sources in this post, please proceed with caution as it will contain heavy examples of misogyny and medical sexism. this post will also contain mentions of child birth, child rearing, pregnancy, and infertility.  THIS IS A MONSTER OF A META. GOD BE WITH YOU, YE WHO READ THIS.

Lady Comstock, within the narrative of of Bioshock Infinite, is shown to be a paragon of virtue - the wife of the cult’s prophet, the mother of the messiah; the ideal woman in all respects - the perfect mother, wife, and citizen and a model for all within columbia to emulate. While in the canon shown to the player within the game shows that she has been dead for near twenty years (providing Zachary the ability to use her corpse as a political prop, which is another discussion for another time) - it does not allow much exploration into Lady Comstock’s relationship with this mantle of holy mother, reconciling that with her own past, and the relationship she has with her own femininity and how she views herself under the influence of victorian upbringing and societal norms. 

By 1912, Lady Comstock’s perception of her femininity, self, and womanhood is incredibly - horrifically - skewed; almost self-hating while deifying. I will split this meta into 3 sections - her past and victorian ideals, Mary’s role in faith (and thus, Amelia’s within the cult); and some culminating thoughts on how all of these factor into and impact Amelia near twenty years into her role as mother of the messiah within the narrative of Infinite.

PART I: PAST REVELATIONS AND VIEWS OF THE ERA.

Not much is known of Lady Comstock’s past within the canon of the game - it boils down to a single voxophone singing praise to the prophet, her redeemer, and is left open-ended for audience interpretation for as to what, exactly, she was seeking forgiveness for. the transcript of said audio diary is as follows: 

“To those who loved me, I was the most generous of souls. There was no pain I would deny them. No betrayal I would not gladly give. And when I had scorched the hearts of all who loved me, the Prophet said, “There is nothing you can do for which I will not forgive you, for God has granted me sight, and through His eyes, even you are loved.”” (Unconditional; recorded in universe on April 1st, 1893)

Without reading too much into the audio and its implications, one can rightfully assume that Lady Comstock, at the very least, played with the affections of others for her own amusement until she was left alone due to her actions towards others. Aside from Daisy Fitzroy mentioning that Lady Comstock had ‘experienced hardship’ in her youth, nothing more is said about her past. The most popular fanon interpretation (one that i also subscribe to) is that this voxophone refers to promiscuity. Given that the character of Lady Comstock is based off of American socialite and political figurehead Alice Roosevelt Longworth - a woman known for breaking many social rules in her day; in addition to several affairs throughout her life, which she did not hide and were common knowledge in high society, I agree with this interpretation of the audio diary. With Alice’s proximity to the white house, the social consequences for this would be less severe, however - turning back to Lady Comstock, in my own canon, this voxophone does refer to her engaging in multiple affairs with multiple partners with the express intent of playing with their affections and publicly betraying them for her own gain and amusement. 

I have already discussed here why Lady Comstock must be of the upper class for Zachary to gain the traction he needs for his cult to flourish. with that in mind, most of high society could turn a blind eye to affairs - provided they remained discreet, which Lady Comstock at the time was not. The consequences of a promiscuous woman were more than just of the social variety, leaving her isolated; but of a moral variety as well. Elizabeth Lee (who received a BA from Brown University in ‘97 and wrote most of her material during a summer research group) also had this to say:

“Women were portrayed either frigid or else insatiable. A young lady was only worth as much as her chastity and appearance of complete innocence, for women were time bombs just waiting to be set off. Once led astray, she was the fallen woman, and nothing could reconcile that till she died.” “This preoccupation developed into an ideology that legitimised unequal power relations in the economic and political sphere even as it glorified women’s role in the domestic and “moral” sphere. It is easy to see, therefore, how the myth of women’s salvatory and redemptive potential victimized women.” (Langland, Patriarchal Ideology and Marginal Motherhood in Victorian Novels by Women).

The Victorian Era had given rise to the cult of domesticity and the role of the ‘angel of the house’ - in engaging in torrid, obvious affairs, Amelia directly defies these societal expectations, and brings the ire of that society upon not the man involved in the affair, but the woman. Though these affairs, Amelia would have made her social worth and capital null and void - an ‘unwoman’; with nothing to remove that mantle from her in life. She would have been considered the lowest of the low; and become a fringe society member. In addition to this, women with sexual drive were considered ‘ill’ and ‘unnatural’; disrupting the ‘order of things’ through their anomaly - 

 “… there can be no doubt that sexual feeling in the female is in abeyance … and even if roused (which in many instances it never can be) is very moderate compared with that of the male…. The best mothers, wives, and managers of households, know little or nothing of sexual indulgences. Love of home, children, and domestic duties, are the only passions they feel. As a general rule, a modest woman seldom desires any sexual gratification for herself. She submits to her husband, but only to please him; and, but for the desire of maternity, would far rather be relieved from his attentions. (Boumelha; Thomas Hardy and Women. P. 14). “Middle-class women who, by mid century, were giving birth 'confined' within the home, now achieved true womanhood if they responded emotionally to their infants and bonded with them through breast-feeding and constant attendance. Motherhood was seen as an affirmation of their identity.” (Abrams, Ideals of Womanhood in Victorian Britain).

Victorians, in addition to the moral consequences facing women who engaged in affairs and were connected with their sexuality and desires, also believed that women who were as such had something wrong with them on a medical, biological level - and subscribed to the belief that women were biologically destined to be subservient mothers - in addition to that, the Victorians also placed intrinsic value to a woman’s chastity: 

“And how is the vice of unchastity confined within boundaries so rigid in the case of the female sex? … it is because even an unchaste man will marry none but a chaste woman.”  (Boumelha; Thomas Hardy and Women. P. 19). “Even if Victorians did not subscribe to the idea of the Angel in the House, they were attracted to the implicit idea of women’s redemptive or salvatory potential.” (Langland, Patriarchal Ideology and Marginal Motherhood in Victorian Novels by Women).

Amelia, through her affairs, is victimised by this victorian mindset - and was not only removed of social capital and status, but ostracized from society and isolated with the consensus being that no matter what she did in the future that she would never be considered a ‘true’ woman - no amount of confession or repentance could change that. She would be, in the eyes of society, ‘damaged goods’; and nothing short of death could change that. With that in mind, we lay the societal groundwork and environment that Amelia grew up surrounded by, and was conditioned in.

PART II: MARY, MOTHER OF GOD; HER ROLE IN THE CHURCH, AND LADY A. COMSTOCK, HOLY MOTHER. 

After the elevation of Columbia and isolation of the cult, Zachary Hale Comstock reveals that Lady Comstock is to birth the messiah in seven days time - a girl who shall ignite the world and cleanse the sodom (re: Earth) below in flame. This prophecy and the action of Elizabeth being brought to Columbia cements Lady Comstock as the cult’s holy mother - the modern day ‘Mother Mary’ for the people to rally around.  Pope John Paul II wrote an encyclical on Mary’s role in the church which can be found here. Given the cult’s proximity to Catholicism in game canon, I have chosen to reference this in regards to Lady Comstock’s role within the cult as the mother of the messiah and the ‘mistress of forgiveness’. 

Mary embraces each and every one in the Church, and embraces each and every one through the Church. In this sense Mary, Mother of the Church, is also the Church's model.

Mary is thus present in the mystery of the Church as a model. But the Church's mystery also consists in generating people to a new and immortal life: this is her motherhood in the Holy Spirit. And here Mary is not only the model and figure of the Church; she is much more. For, "with maternal love she cooperates in the birth and development" of the sons and daughters of Mother Church. 

Amelia, with this position within the cult in mind, is also positioned socially at the helm of society - and in an environment where religion is one with all things in every level, she is to be a model for the women of Columbia and a piece of living, breathing propaganda - all that they are should aspire to be. She is, all at once, the perfect vision of a wife, mother, woman, and citizen in all that she does and must be above reproach in temperament, manner and history - and while she certainly has left things at the proverbial riverside, Amelia’s past is, according to the society she has grown up in and continues to be in, an unforgivable act. It should be noted, of course, that in my canon, lady comstock downplayed her relationships with others, her affairs, and lied in confessional to Zachary Hale Comstock - fearing another rejection after living as a pariah for so long.

Be that as it may - Lady Comstock must be, much like Mary, above her own humanity; a model to all and the spirit of the cult and its reach - for not only is Lady Comstock mother to the lamb (Elizabeth); she is mother to Columbia and all its people - it is her divine and (only) purpose within the cult and its hierarchy - and to fail or waver in that duty - or to question the prophet, who is both god and the church/cult embodied - would, of course, mean she has outlived her usefulness.

The Mother of that Son, therefore, mindful of what has been told her at the Annunciation and in subsequent events, bears within herself the radical "newness" of faith: the beginning of the New Covenant.

Lady Comstock, as the figure/spirit of Mary within the cult, bears the heavy weight of carrying it with her in all forms - Zachary may be a more tangible figurehead than God, and even redirects attention from Amelia to himself, but the narrative remains the same - she is the one to birth their messiah, it is her that carries the future of the cult and prophecy - and with that weight upon her, it is a venerated position meant for an ideal - not a living, breathing person to live up to and occupy. Indeed, Lady Comstock’s role within the cult goes beyond mother to the lamb - but becomes mother of the city and its people; with several referring to her as ‘sweet mother of Columbia’ and ‘mother of forgiveness’ et cetera, et cetera (all Marian-esque titles, might I add).  But Mary, of course, is not just a mother to the messiah and a carrier of the faith - but also a mediator between god and mankind - entreating to god for man, guiding christ to ensure he looks out for man. Mary is the balance - the bridge - between the holy and the mundane; and as such, Lady Comstock serves that same role - and does so, as far as iI can see within canon perception of her as some omnipotent entity ("You won't hide long from her! She knows no blindness!" "Her eyes are open even in the grave! You will not escape!" "I will shine her light on you!" "She sees in channels! Yes, she does!" Which, in canon, she has become in death a saint of justice and in that way they would be praying to her to intercede on their behalf in order to gain god’s justice; but again, Amelia the saint is a separate conversation for another day - and I have already discussed her narrative role as caritas) has her acting on behalf as a conduit for the loyal and devoted when the prophet is ‘busy’; or the prayers are not ‘important’ enough for him to act upon.

Thus there is a mediation: Mary places herself between her Son and mankind in the reality of their wants, needs and sufferings. She puts herself "in the middle," that is to say she acts as a mediatrix not as an outsider, but in her position as mother. She knows that as such she can point out to her Son the needs of mankind, and in fact, she "has the right" to do so. Her mediation is thus in the nature of intercession: Mary "intercedes" for mankind.

The teaching of the Second Vatican Council presents the truth of Mary's mediation as "a sharing in the one unique source that is the mediation of Christ himself." Thus we read: "The Church does not hesitate to profess this subordinate role of Mary. She experiences it continuously and commends it to the hearts of the faithful, so that, encouraged by this maternal help, they may more closely adhere to the Mediator and Redeemer." This role is at the same time special and extraordinary. It flows from her divine motherhood and can be understood and lived in faith only on the basis of the full truth of this motherhood. 

Of course, this role is steeped in the fact that she is still a mother to the city, the faith (read; cult), and to its messiah - it is because she is a mother that she intercedes on behalf of man, and in that vein, it is also why Lady Comstock is shown to be that same mediator in the balance between god and man - because she is a mother; and not just any mother, but the mother of mothers within the cult. Above all else, her role is that of holy mother - mother in all ways, mother of all things; perfection and humility incarnate - and selfless, as only any holy mother can be. 

PART III: SIMPLY, AMELIA. 

Now that I have discussed the environment and views in which Amelia was raised in and formed by - as well as her role within the cult, we can discuss how all of this has impact her at her core; her identity, and her relationship with herself and the societal ideal of womanhood that she has found herself to be exemplifying. The years of social shunning and shame and the sudden exaltation of herself by the masses has, to put it lightly, twisted her sense of self and her views on herself.

Amelia was 16-18 during the time she found herself ostracized from society - two years of being treated as lower than dirt; two years of being reviled and shunned; of having all manner of comments and insults hurled her way by “polite society”. While obviously, her treatment of her flings was not the greatest - she did not deserve the outright disgust from the people around her, who would have simply been neutral on the matter had she been a man. Not only that, but having friends and those who had watched her grow up - people she had respected - and eventually, her own family; not only turn away from her and leave her alone, but to insult her and shun her at every turn? That would deeply effect someone at any age; let alone an upset teenager who is lashing out at the world. Give it enough time, and no matter how much she might pretend that it does not effect her, it will - and Amelia begins to internalise these thoughts, these insults, these actions - believing that she deserves this; that she is everything that has been said about her, that she is unforgivable, and nothing could reconcile that now that she had left the good graces of society, and all that she understood about womanhood - that there was nothing beyond duty, motherhood, and rearing children; and now that she had strayed from this path, there was no recovering, or going back from this no matter what she did to attempt to fix it.  With all of this in play, it did leave Amelia open to being indoctrinated into the cult under the guise and appeal of finally finding redemption and getting a second start - a clean slate. She would have had no support system, no family looking out for her in order to keep their own reputations unsullied, and would have been at a very low point mentally/emotionally. This leaves her vulnerable - and it is all too easy for Zachary to draw her deeper into the cult once he finds out she has money to spare. Even with all this talk of redemption and clean slates, however, Amelia knows at this point that what she has done is unforgivable to the eyes of society - and fearing losing her chance at this second chance, she would lie to Zachary; claiming that the gossip was hearsay spread by men who she had spurned. This omission is understandable - but she continues to internalise these thoughts and beliefs, having no one to healthily discuss her emotions and thoughts with.  Her self-view continues to twist upon entering Columbia - the sudden exaltation; the prophecy that she is to bear the Messiah; first met with elation, but then sadness and despair as it becomes clear in game canon that she and the Prophet cannot conceive. Zachary mentions this in audio briefly:

“The Archangel tells me that Columbia will only survive so long as my line sits the throne. Yet Lady Comstock produces no child. I have done what a man can do, yet there is no child! I have asked Lutece about the matter, but even she refuses to help.” (A Broken Circle; recorded in universe on September the 10th, 1893; a month before Elizabeth’s arrival in Columbia)

The implication here is that Zachary blames Amelia for their failure to conceive - something that was common to do at the time with couples struggling with fertility. Amelia, too, blames herself - believing that her indiscretions have manifested into infertility; and that for lying to Zachary about the extent of these affairs, that God, himself, is punishing her with infertility - as all she knows is that women who have ‘fallen’ in the way she has never receive grace. 

With that in mind, it can also be argued that her outburst in Rosalind Lutece’s home after Elizabeth’s arrival in Columbia was as much anger and hurt at the thought Zachary had had an affair with her, but a projection of her own thoughts and feelings towards herself on to Rosalind. 

I have touched on the fact Amelia does not enjoy the deification she has received within the cult and in Columbia - it makes her uncomfortable at a base level; for she does not believe that she deserves it. Elizabeth is not ‘her child’ (though she comes to accept that she is indeed her daughter years down the road) - the messiah is a lie, the prophecy is a lie; and she, too, is a lie - but at every turn, she is praised as mother, above all else - when she knows this to be a lie; and believes that God, again, is punishing her for her transgressions. It is a heavy thing, to go from a social pariah to the apex of society - the ideal in everything. All those expectations would be crushing - and they are. Amelia has no resources or ability to cope with the self-loathing she feels internally, nor any ability to cope with or compartmentalize the devotion the public shows her - and it is killing her; and the blind adoration she receives does not sit well upon her shoulders. It is uncomfortable, to say the least - and has, over the years, twisted into self-loathing as she understands herself to be ‘unwoman’ in the eyes of society, while exemplifying womanhood within the cult - and endeavours to redeem herself by acting and being as she should, resulting in an unhealthy relationship with herself and her own sexuality. 

Going deeper into that, Amelia treats herself with distance - she is not herself, her desires are not hers, and has become, in years, very much a voyeur into her own life - she has numbed herself, frozen herself; and in attempting to become this caricature of a woman and mother that Columbia has asked her to be: unerring, perfect - and above feeling. It manifests in certain ways - namely in her appearance, as she attempts to reclaim her femininity and own womanhood and exist with it in peace.

But if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. Luke 7:38 ESV

Hair was also a symbol of womanhood in the Victorian Era with extreme importance placed upon it - Amelia covers hers, grows it long; wears it in elaborate styles - it is an intrinsic part of her; an extension - a visual representation of her reclamation of what she feels was taken from her. She’s got an unhealthy attachment to her hair - won’t let scissors near it - it is a core part of her identity. In addition, she dresses, of course, as she must - never too gaudy or ostentatious; always down to her toes, up to her neck, and down to her wrists - always blue, as a symbol of motherhood, of femininity. This, of course; is not as important to her as her hair - nor is it as important to her as the repression of her own sexual desires and appetites; which she cannot get rid of and are a great source of destress for her when they do surface, as she is constantly fighting against herself to be as she believes she is supposed to be: devoid of any desire. 

But at the end of the day, she still finds that she does hate herself - and believes, at her heart, that it will only take one small thing to send her back to the state she once was in, for she has never achieved grace - and feels altogether undeserving of the title of mother, and all that it implies. 

BUILDING A THROWAWAY BACKGROUND CHARACTER: the creation of our lady and the knickerbocker dilemma  - a meta on social standing, gilded age politics, social capital, and 19th century morality.  or - why lady a. c.omstock must be a knickerbocker.

As with many things in Infinite, Ken Levine left gaps. Lady Comstock was certainly never intended to be anything more than a throwaway, dead mother character meant for man pain and mommy issues, despite what Ken has tweeted out in the past about her narrative. Still, questions remain from what we do know of her from her audio diaries: Who was she before Zachary Hale Comstock? How did she meet Booker? What is her story in all of this. Fanon usually pins her to be lower class given her marriage to Booker, which in itself is fine, but narratively, it still creates an issue regarding Zachary Hale Comstock and his success with congress.

Lady Comstock has practically no information about her; but what we do know about her is this:

She was based off of Alice Roosevelt Longworth (x and x)

Prior to meeting Zachary/Booker, she had many suitors/lovers(?) that she would hurt for her own amusement and pit them against each other.  “To those who loved me, I was the most generous of souls. There was no pain I would deny them. No betrayal I would not gladly give. And when I had scorched the hearts of all who loved me, the Prophet said, “There is nothing you can do for which I will not forgive you, for God has granted me sight, and through His eyes, even you are loved.” (Lady A. Comstock, Unconditional). 

After her marriage to Zachary, she was renowned and respected by all (even Vox Populi leader Daisy) for her inspiring kindness and the way she genuinely treated others no matter their station or rank.

She was the first of the Prophet’s circle to turn on him and attempted to whistleblow on what was going on in Columbia.

Alice Roosevelt Longworth being the direct inspiration behind Lady Comstock is one of the biggest indicators to me that she was of high society in New York city - Alice was the Edwardian ‘It Girl’ of America and its elite; styled as Princess Alice and hounded by paparazzi, and was well connected through marriage, family, and friends to powerful and prominent politicians and Senators, and obviously, Presidents. She was known for her flamboyancy and general disdain for society and its rules - she gambled, drank, smoke, placed bets, drag raced cars, ran boys clubs, had lovers (and an illegitimate child with one; something revealed in her diaries), jumped into pools fully clothed, cut her wedding cake with a sword, kept a snake in her pocket to scare people with, gossiped, and was known for having a biting tongue that lead her to getting banned not once, but twice from the White House. Outside that, she was a woman with remarkable social and political capital for her time where her opinion and support could either make or devastate a candidate. 

This all becomes extremely relevant when looking at her character through the lens of her eventual indoctrination and joining a cult. Cult leaders generally pick and choose those who they will groom and indoctrinate carefully - they tend to go for individuals with money and useful connections (x), something Zachary would have needed. In I am His Mirror, Zachary states:

“And when I came to Washington, there were few in Congress who saw my vision for Columbia. But it is the burden of the Prophet to bring the wicked to righteousness. For what am I, if not a mirror to reflect the face of God?” (Zachary Hale Comstock, I am His Mirror)

Of course Congress laughed at him. He’s a street preacher talking about a flying city and merging science and religion together in an era when they were going in opposite vectors. In addition, he has no funding at this time; just a ✨ dream ✨; and no legitimacy. Even with charisma, he’s still a street preacher; and these men are not part of his cult. His ability to access congress and the upper echelons of American society, to put it bluntly, lie within his choice of a wife. 

“After America’s Civil War, hundreds of newly wealthy oil, railroad, and stockbroker barons stormed New York City with one purpose in mind: to become part of Society. New York was the acknowledged “Great Good Place.” As historian, Greg King, writes, “the city represented the apex of society in America.”” (Making the American Aristocracy: Women, Cultural Capital, and High Society in New York City, 1870-1900) As stated above, New York City at the time was considered the apex of American society and gaining entry into it was paramount to one’s success socially and politically - and while the men may do business with the other, it did not guarantee access to society and all within it. Mary Elizabeth Wilson Sherwood, one of the foremost authorities of etiquette in Gilded Age America, explained in her manual of 1899: “Women do all the social work, which in Europe is done not only by women, but by young bachelors and old ones, statesmen, princes, ambassadors, and attachés. Officials are connected with every Court whose business it is to visit, write and answer invitations, leave cards, call, and perform all the multifarious duties of the social world. In America, the lady of the house does all this.” In short, society and its access to it was controlled by women with social capital. There, knickerbocker families were in control of the city, the state, and by extension; America - either in person, or by its purse strings. Indeed, the 52nd Congress, which Zachary would have been dealing with, had immense ties to New York - with the men serving in it coming from wealthy, prominent American families; with one member even being the current Governor of New York. In addition, the 52nd Congress was controlled by 4 congressmen who held great sway over the others - with all 4 being from high society that Zachary would have needed to gain access to in order to be taken seriously.

“For over three decades, during the height of Gilded Age economic extravagance, the women of New York High Society maintained an elite social identity by possessing, displaying, and cultivating cultural capital. Particularly, High Society women sought to exclude the Nouveaux Riches who, after amassing vast fortunes in industry or trade, came to New York City in search of social position.” (Making the American Aristocracy: Women, Cultural Capital, and High Society in New York City, 1870-1900)

Emily Bibby writes that the women of New York’s knickerbockers kept a tight grip upon the who’s who of society; and kept doors firmly closed to ‘upstarts’ who wished to enter it. With this in mind, it would have been impossible for Zachary to gain access to both Congressional approval and funding without the backing of a rich and socially powerful woman who was well connected. An advantageous marriage would have put him directly into their path; and by virtue of marrying, he would have become one of them; an invitation extended only by virtue of the bride he had chosen. Suddenly, these people would have had to take him seriously: he would have been able to indoctrinate Senators and Congressmen given his proximity to them; in addition, he would have had the fortune of an heiress behind him to invest with, and garner more funding from Congress with that. 

As for Lady Comstock, a marriage would have helped ease the consequences for her immorality. If she were a lower class woman who worked, she would not have had the time to fool around and play with men; she’d have been working, and attempting to stay afloat alone as a woman in New York City, where her only virtue would have been her morality. If she were indeed lower class, her canon behaviour with men would have seen her out on to the street - and not only ruined socially, but financially as well. 

America, in the Gilded Age, was under a “Purity Crusade” (x) and took strong stances to destroy ‘sexual impurity’ within society - 

“Perhaps the most striking example of the politics of piety was the crusade to enforce sexual prudery. In 1872, Congress enacted the Comstock Act, which banned obscene literature from the mails. The law was interpreted broadly and was used to prevent the distribution of birth control information and contraceptive devices through the mails. The law was named for Anthony Comstock, head of the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice, who became the government agent responsible for enforcing the statute. Comstock had 3,000 persons arrested for obscenity and took credit for hounding 16 people to their deaths. Among the books he successfully banned were Fanny Hill and A Peep Behind the Curtains of a Female Seminary. He also convinced the Department of Interior to ban Walt Whitman for writing poetry that he considered obscene.” (Digital History textbook; linked above in Purity Crusade).

The moral consequences for a lower class woman who’s purity was called into question were much more severe than for a woman of the upper class - where many would turn a blind eye to such affairs, so long as parties were subtle. Lewd, uncouth, or promiscuous behaviour could have cost a lower class woman her job and housing, and left her destitute. It was not a risk that many were prepared to take. An heiress would have become a social pariah, but would still be secure in her position and lifestyle - something a marriage would fix.

But Claire, what about Booker?

Shut up. 

Yes, Booker. The conundrum of Booker being that he is a) in a very bad way by 1893 and b) definitely not rich. Listen, I can only make so much work within the narrative, ok? But, looking at his desk - from what tickets we can see, he spent upwards of 200$ USD in a short time on gambling tickets. Counting the ones that are face down and averaging out their costs - 50$, 20$, 10$ - Booker could have spent anywhere from 11,000 - 16,000$ USD in the month of October 1893 alone. That’s a shitload of money for a fucking independent Private Eye to have - he wouldn’t be making that amount when the average working family in urban areas made just over 700$ a year during the Gilded Age. 

Circle back to Alice Roosevelt Longworth’s story: gambling dens, drinking, wild parties; going where she shouldn’t - the future Mrs. DeWitt, wild child, may have met Booker at a gambling den; at a horse race, at a bar; and ended up having to have a shotgun wedding to prevent a scandal that she could not come back from - a child out of wedlock. She does her Disney duty and dies in childbirth; and suddenly, Booker, a traumatised teenager with a drinking and gambling habit, is in possession of a large fortune. Sorry, Anna; it’s safe to say your dad spent your trust fund, creating a debt so vast that Booker would have had no hope of ever getting out of it; short of Zachary using the same woman’s money to purchase their child in 1893. 

Tl;dr: Lady Comstock/Mrs. DeWitt must be a knickerbocker heiress for any of this narrative to work properly within the socio-economic political context of the Gilded Age. Suck it, Ken. 

DEUS CARITAS EST. / GOD IS LOVE.

this is perhaps the most overanalyzing of source material i have ever done in my life, but since i have learnt of the philosophy of caritas the idea has haunted me, and i have to put it down in writing.

caritas is the catholic philosophy in which god embodies all forms of love; eros, agape, philia, et cetera; and through understanding that god’s love is unconditional and all encompassing, that man’s love for both themselves and all others is also unconditional and all encompassing. 

with that in mind, and within the narrative of biso.hock infinite, lady a. com.stock serves as a metaphor for caritas, and embodies it within her words and actions. so great is her embodiment of caritas that it transcends death itself.

the bearing for the philosophy of caritas is most closely looked at in pope benedict xvi’s first encyclical letter, written in 2005. the encyclical is divided up into two parts; the biblical, and the reality - and with that in mind, i will be discussing only the first half of the encyclical. the entire text can be found here. 

the encyclical first defines caritas - god’s love, and the love that man is supposed to display - as a combination of all known loves in philosophy. this quote is incredibly important to understanding what caritas is as a whole:

“We have seen that God's eros for man is also totally agape. This is not only because it is bestowed in a completely gratuitous manner, without any previous merit, but also because it is love which forgives.”

with that in mind, lady comstock is first introduced to us within the welcome centre, in an audio diary that is titled ‘love the sinner’. this voxophone is our first clue that lady comstock embodies the principals of caritas: 

“Love the Prophet, because he loves the sinner. Love the sinner, because he is you. Without the sinner, what need is there for a redeemer? Without sin, what grace has forgiveness?”

while lady comstock is preaching for the prophet, it is to be noted that many in columbia refer to her as the ‘mother of forgiveness’; and lady comstock’s audio diary herein both reassures and reaffirms that not only must the sinner embody this love, but that she embodies this love as well, gratuitously and freely - and that this love that she she implores columbia to share is one of forgiveness.

another important aspect of caritas is ‘love thy neighbour’, something which columbia lacks. to hate your neighbour when you can see them, and yet love god without seeing god, is to be blinded to god’s love. 

“If anyone says, ‘I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen” (1 Jn 4:20). [...] The unbreakable bond between love of God and love of neighbour is emphasized. One is so closely connected to the other that to say that we love God becomes a lie if we are closed to our neighbour or hate him altogether. Saint John's words should rather be interpreted to mean that love of neighbour is a path that leads to the encounter with God, and that closing our eyes to our neighbour also blinds us to God.”

“It consists in the very fact that, in God and with God, I love even the person whom I do not like or even know. This can only take place on the basis of an intimate encounter with God, an encounter which has become a communion of will, even affecting my feelings. [...] His friend is my friend.”

while columbia may not love its neighbours, lady comstock is revealed in the companion book ‘mind in revolt’ to have been both kind and genuine to all; hence why she was so inspiring to hear or meet.

DAISY FITZROY

Yeah, she weren't a bad sort, for somebody put on such a pedestal. She had some rough times growin' up. When she spoke to people, you knew she meant it. She was genuine… not like her that snake who shared her bed.

DR. PINCHOT

You looked up to her?

DAISY FITZROY

Everybody did. She didn't have to try hard to inspire people. Just who she were.

lady comstock is spoken of highly no matter the party - founder or vox - that mentions her; because she was famed for her genuine kindness, generosity, and care. while much of columbia chose to hate, the lady comstock did not, ergo. embodying another important part of the notion of caritas. daisy also says this in her audio diary, titled ‘a place in the world’: 

“[...] Lady Comstock, she even had a kind word, now and then. Almost enough to make me think I had a place in their world. [...]”

in addition to lady comstock practising eros and agape towards her fellow man, she also embodies the commandment of ‘love thy neighbour’, as not only does god command it, but in turning away from this as columbia does, lady comstock would be both breaking commandments, and be blind to god’s love that she seeks to share with others. 

god’s love is also god’s justice, according to the encyclical. it states:

“Here Christians can see a dim prefigurement of the mystery of the Cross: so great is God's love for man that by becoming man he follows him even into death, and so reconciles justice and love.”

lady comstock also embodies caritas in this aspect: love is justice, and she, in the last months of her life, sought to bring the prophet to justice, as shown in her voxophone ‘no longer’:

“I do not know which is true. The child is no more divine than I. What says that for my husband's prophecy? He begs my silence, but I can only offer him forgiveness. But with repentance need come truth. I can suffer his lies no longer.”

while i, personally, believe that lady comstock did not love the prophet as what feelings she does have towards him are a product of both indoctrination and devotion, she, herself, believes that she does love him; and because she loves him, she must deliver him to god’s justice and reveal him for what he is: a liar, a murderer, a cruel man; and she would have him repent for these actions, delivering the prophet not only to justice, but back into god’s love - and more importantly, the love of man and the love that she bears.

in addition to this love being all encompassing, and being justice; caritas is embodied by renunciation and sacrifice; both things lady comstock has already exemplified in the above voxophone.

“Love now becomes concern and care for the other. No longer is it self-seeking, a sinking in the intoxication of happiness; instead it seeks the good of the beloved: it becomes renunciation and it is ready, and even willing, for sacrifice.”

however, lady comstock as a metaphor for caritas so strongly embodies these qualities not only in life, but in death; when she is and is not herself as the siren. while elizabeth claims the siren is and is not from a reality she has built up within her own head, the siren is still lady comstock, and she is still able to not only forgive, but sacrifice and renounce. 

Siren: The Prophet...killed me...

Elizabeth: Because you wouldn't keep his secret...about me.

Siren: If that is so, then why am I alive?

Elizabeth: You're not...not in this world. But maybe this is you in another... a world where you never meet him...

Siren: Or where I saved him?

Elizabeth: I don't know. Is that possible?

Siren: Find out, child...find out.

caritas seeks the good of those it loves; all of us, and lady comstock, as the siren, still seeks that and wishes for it above all else. in life, she has already renounced the prophet and sacrificed herself in that process. in death, she sacrifices herself so her daughter can continue down her own path. this also becomes clear in the siren’s discordant, abridged singing of lady comstock’s motif lacrimosa. she sings:

Full of tears will be that day

When from the ashes shall arise

The guilty man to be judged;

Therefore spare him, O God,

Merciful Lord Jesus, 

Grant them eternal rest. Amen.

i have already discussed dies irea with the help of meg when it comes to breaking down both lady comstock and the siren’s narrative. in this broken version of the hymn, the siren not only implores for elizabeth to forgive her father, but also weeps for the sins of her child and husband: even in god’s justice, she wishes them both to be spared from wrath; and what is that if not a sacrifice? 

finally, lady comstock is columbia’s modern day mary, and mary embodies caritas as well. in that parallel, of course lady comstock must embody caritas too, for is she not a woman who loves? and is she not a mother to all? lady comstock serves as a reminder of caritas, and is caritas itself within the narrative of the game. the lady comstock’s love for all is encompassing, and, most importantly, as one of her own voxophones is titled, unconditional.

“Finally, Mary is a woman who loves. How could it be otherwise? As a believer who in faith thinks with God's thoughts and wills with God's will, she cannot fail to be a woman who loves.”

“‘Behold, your mother!’ [...] Mary has truly become the Mother of all believers. Men and women of every time and place have recourse to her motherly kindness [...] They constantly experience the gift of her goodness and the unfailing love which she pours out from the depths of her heart. The testimonials of gratitude, offered to her from every continent and culture, are a recognition of that pure love which is not self- seeking but simply benevolent.”