You Be The Judge: An Investigation of Facade in “The House of Seven Gables” Self-awareness allows one to understand their own flaws and shortcomings. The ability to assess one’s weaknesses in character allows for reflection introspectively, creating valuable realizations about one’s own identity. However, some members of society lack this innate ability, rendering them unable to understand their own corruption. In an excerpt of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The House of Seven Gables,” the narrator crafts the appearance of morality in Judge Pyncheon, constructing the illusion of respectability, then increasingly displays contempt of the dark reality that “some one wrong act” truly defines Pyncheon’s character. The narrator sarcastically introduces …show more content…
The suggestion that the Judge’s life contains “splendid rubbish [...] to cover up and paralyze a more active and subtle conscience” displays the duality of the characterization which the narrator creates. The juxtaposition of “splendid” and “rubbish” serve to expose the Judge’s deteriorating morals, while crafting the surface of respectability. This subtle use of contrasting opinions aids to establish the narrator’s sarcastic tone, simultaneously displaying the judge’s desired character and then undermining that character with suggestions of his true nature. The choice of the word “rubbish” especially highlights the sarcastic tone, equating the sequence of Judge Pyncheon’s life to that of trash, worthy of nothing. This carefully placed, critical diction reveals the true feelings of the narrator, bolstering his sarcasm. Continuing this tone, he suggests that the Judge himself ignores his own evils, as “this proper face was what he beheld in the looking glass.” The use of the looking …show more content…
Whereas the opening paragraph focuses on the narrator’s subliminal exposure of Pyncheon’s character, he transitions to an outright criticism, directly revealing the target of his sarcasm. The narrator turns to the audience, breaking the fourth wall to address their own morality. He inquires: “would you characterize the Judge by that one necessary deed, and that half-forgotten act, and let it overshadow the fair aspect of a lifetime!” The use of the exclamation point paired with the continuance of sarcasm displays the narrator’s increasingly critical tone, indicating the urgency with which he now reveals the true nature of the Judge. The “one necessary deed” and “half-forgotten act” in conjunction with the “fair aspect of a lifetime” aid the narrator in establishing his criticism. The first paragraph, which displays the corrupted morality of the judge, establishes these descriptions as false, indicating the sarcastic tone of the narrator. Addressing the audience, the narrator implores his readers to recognize the true character of Pyncheon, rather than accepting the facade of morality, indicated by the use of “you” in question form. This sarcastic question, emphasize by the use of exclamation, reveals the narrator’s point as obvious. After spending the entire opening
In this scene the reader gets a taste of another Giles Corey encounter of humorous behavior. Miller uses Giles to commence comic relief many times in the play in order to sort of budge the reader and say “hey you can laugh a little”. Giles character is of which you would say is a prideful yet brave individual that says whatever he wants in order to bring the play from a meditative tone to a more giddy tone. Miller does an excellent job to making this character accomplish this rhetorical device by adding Giles humorous lines in the most serious parts of the play such as here when he is making his claim to try to get his wife out of jail because she is innocent. He says that this is not a hearing and they can't arrest him unless he is in the
What does the author reveal about why the people attend the trial? Through what ways does Charles Dickens exemplify the court case as being unfair for Charles Darnay?
The cunning, deceitful Judge desires to talk to Clifford Pyncheon about the missing information pertaining to the valuable piece of land. Obviously, Clifford is dreadfully afraid of the dangerous judge because he desires to cruelly harm him. But, on uninvitedly entering the house, the judge takes a seat in the parlor and, unknowingly, on his death-seat. Upon attempting to retrieve Clifford, that he might talk with the judge, Hepzibah discovers that her brother is nowhere to be found. After finding Clifford downstairs, she hears Clifford confess that he has murdered Judge Pyncheon.
In the Crucible, Arthur Miller develops a variety of characters who are extremely attentive about their status among their town, Salem. Like Abigail, John, and Giles, they exemplify how far they are willing to go in order to clear their name. Arthur’s play demonstrates how these set of characters attempt to seek justice, respectability, and worriness. One lie is all it takes to make the biggest error and once there is too much to pile up, people will figure it out and someone’s respect for a single person could be gone. Reputation and status will never be ignored and it’s true because judgement will always be present.
There has come a time in everyone’s life when their character was called into question, or someone accused them wrongly of something they did not do. This puts a person’s morality on the line and tests whether they will do what’s best for them or the masses. The Crucible by Arthur Miller shows the characters John Proctor, Deputy Governor Danforth, and Abigail Williams going through this same test. The play provides a narrative on how people choose to value their own reputation and honor over protecting the lives of themselves and others.
In both The Scarlet letter and “The Crucible” The town's cruelty and respect for characters plays a major role in the way characters from both works make decisions and are motivated. Throughout the stories it is prevalent that reputations are a cause of good and bad choices, but the town also influences
In Arthur Miller’s play, the Crucible, many characters are faced with a quandary that involves their honesty as well as their reputation. They have the choice to die nobly, or survive and be a stigma to the community and God. Reputation and good social status is a central concern in the town of Salem. Many characters found their actions based on their individual character, sometimes leading to negative choices. The protagonist, John Proctor, shows how truthfully confronting oneself requires bravery and sacrifice.
“It is impossible to outplay an opponent you can’t outthink.” This quote by Lawson Little can be used to explain how in The Power of One, by Bryce Courtenay, Peekay’s ability to outthink his opponents is what drives him to victory. Furthermore, it does not have to be boxing that he out-thinks his opponents, there are numerous times where Peekay is shown thinking ahead of some situations saving him from misfortune, as well as outsmarting his opponents eventually leading him to victory. Peekay illustrates his intelligence by thinking ahead of situations, which in the end result, benefit him the most. To start off, with the judge on the brink of failing, Peekay “cast [his] mind back to when [he] had done the judges homework, just like that”
Which is more important, to admit one’s sins to the public or keep one’s faults to oneself? In this novel, it is better to admit to one's errors because it takes a lesser toll on one’s physical, mental, and spiritual state. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Reverend Dimmesdale, the clergyman, suffers the most pain because he hides his sin from the rest of the world. Dimmesdale shows physical signs of pain due to his inward suffering and guilt. As Hester pressures Dimmesdale to let her keep Pearl, Hester describes Dimmesdale’s appearance as, “careworn and emaciated” and “his large dark eyes had a world of pain in their troubled and melancholy depth”(133-134).
Humans have a tendency to conform and often neglect the potential consequences of doing so. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author introduces those consequences through a respected clergyman and sinner named Arthur Dimmesdale. Dimmesdale struggles with his guilty conscience and cowardice to confess his sin which prompts him to abide by societal rules but question himself in private. Dimmesdale’s conflict between outward conformity and inward questioning contributes to the novel’s message that everybody must confront their sins or they will fall victim to some form of retribution.
In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Reverend Dimmesdale experiences a distressing situation where his ability to make the correct choice is tested. The choice that haunts him is whether to admit to his sin of adultery, or to continue to conceal it from the public eye in order to preserve his reputation. Hawthorne’s portrayal of Dimmesdale shows that when faced with difficult situations, people tend to choose to bury the truth as it seems like the easier thing to do. However, as we learn from Dimmesdale’s experience, failing to admit to our misdeeds eventually causes even more distress than the transgression itself.
The reader’s understanding of the story is distorted because the narrator is mad and unreliable. Phillips’s version of a situation is a bit childish as he thinks nobody is on his side. However, Mrs. Narwin’s version of the same situation is completely different, “Yet I’ve been blamed for his suspension… I’m home—surrounded by letters, and telegrams too— from people, perfect strangers who know nothing about me, who hate me” (Nothing But the Truth, Chapter 17). Philip believes that he deserves justice, but he is not getting any, and that nobody agrees with him.
In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses characterization, symbolism, and irony to express the cloud in judgment prejudice causes when examining the morals of others. Scout is able to understand more about the town folk in Maycomb County through studying her teacher’s ironic and corrupted views of life around her. Lee uses Miss Gates, Scout’s teacher, to allow Scout a chance to understand the complexity of the adult world. While teaching the class about the Holocaust, Gates expresses the injustice being done to the Jews. She teaches the children that the town does not “believe in persecuting anybody” (Lee 329) because of the U.S. democratic government.
In his play, many of the characters let the trials continue, but Judge Danforth is the most blameworthy. In the play, his pride and stubbornness prove that Judge Danforth is the
Both Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” and Harper Lee’s “To Kill A Mockingbird” are both books that present us with the theme of ‘men of conscience’. John Proctor and Atticus Finch, both fictional characters from the books, are considered to be ‘men of conscience’. A man of conscience is a man aware of the moral and ethical judgements he has a strong desire to do the right thing whenever possible. The life of these men is ruled by their desire to seek the truth and justice in the situations around them; these traits are displayed in both of the characters throughout both the novel and the play.