In books, the author gets to impose consequences on his characters. If they sin, they probably pay the price. In real life, I'm not always sure of this.
In June, I bought an e-reader. Because books whose copyright have expired are now free, I've read a few from the last century. Among these are The Mayor of Casterbridge (Hardy, 1886); Lord Jim (Conrad, 1900); and Under Western Eyes (Conrad, 1911).
The three novels centre around young men who make mistakes in their early life and later suffer because of them.
Michael Henchard, while drunk, humiliates his wife into leaving him for another, taking his daughter. This act comes back to haunt him years later, and ultimately he dies a broken man.
Jim, a young first mate, fearing that his ship might sink, abandons it, along with the captain and two others, leaving eight hundred migrants aboard to fend for themselves. This act of cowardice plagues him, eventually leading him to seek atonement by taking a fatal bullet for the crime of someone else.
Razumov, a young student, betrays another seeking refuge. Eventually, he confesses his act and suffers for it.
The plots all depend on the consciences and psychological underpinnings of the characters. They are about morality. The conflict is within.
Of course, in novels the author can heighten the drama to keep our interest and make an impact. I wonder, though, how many actually live their lives tormented by past deeds; and how many just shrug them off.
No comments:
Post a Comment