Abstract Scholars have constantly stated their complaints about the alleged structural failures in The Two Damsels, such as the repetition of episodes, or the unnecessary duplication of characters. In our reading, we show the instrumentality of those controversial issues, not to elucidate the honor cases of the two female protagonists, but the main ethical problem posed in the novel: the reaction of the patriarchal authority embodied by one damsel’s brother. The novel reveals itself as a device with a perfect mechanics to follow the evolutions of this male character towards an ethical stance to address conflict from empathy and recognition. Keywords: Exemplary Novels; The Two Damsels; Ethics; Honor; Patriarchy; Exemplarity
