In Kleist's novella The Marchioness of O, the narrative describes the tale of the Marchioness of O's, a young Italian window and a “lady of unblemished reputation” (Kleist 68), sudden impregnation and his subsequent attempts to resolve the question of his son's paternity. Through the contrasting interactions between the characters, from the Marquise's estrangement with her family to her eventual reconciliation, Kleist uses the father's search for her unborn child to provide social commentary on how tensions of uncertainty complicate the search for the truth and identity within established gender relations and traditional social constructs. Throughout the narrative, the text uses the conflict over the cognitive crisis, or the mystery itself regarding the Marchioness's lack of knowledge regarding her mysterious pregnancy, as a catalyst for the presentation of the plurality of opinions associated with the Marchioness's current status in society and presumptions about the father's identity. In itself, this state of cognitive dissonance prevents the Marquise from making any attempt to atone for her supposed sin, as she herself is unaware of any transgressions responsible for her current situation. In turn, this detachment from the truth pushes the marquise to fall into the belief that the "incomprehensible changes in her figure" and the "inner sensations" (85) she felt were due to the god of Fantasy or to Morpheus or even "one of his concomitant dreams,” (74), thus freeing his subconscious from any sense of guilt. However, despite her assurance of innocence and her desperate pleas to express her clear conscience, the Marquise is subject to external pressures from both her family and society, which come to per... middle of paper.. .appearance with a sense of revulsion and harshness, which shows the different nature in which males are able to evade serious repercussions and responsibilities while females are left to judgment. In this way, the text seems to diminish the meaning and value of knowledge and being informed, while at the same time highlighting the deceptive and complex nature that lies within each individual. Holistically, Kleist manages to instill the idea that the presence of ambiguity acts as an obstacle. to understanding and discovering the true nature of things, as well as defining one's role within the constructs of a given society. By choosing to conform to society's expectations and allowing themselves to remain unaware of reality, people subject themselves to a sense of complacency and ignorance that can lead to harmful outcomes..