Basically, Twain is saying that you can either tell the truth or lie, but as long as you know the trick, you’re in control. In this chapter, Mr. Wilson is given the nickname ‘Pudd’nhead’ because of what he said about the dog: “’I wish I owned half of that dog.’ ‘Why?’ somebody asked. ‘Because I would kill my half’” (Twain). He wasn’t telling the truth, but he wasn’t lying either; he was merely being sarcastic. However, the townspeople didn’t understand it, so they labeled Mr. Wilson with the nickname ‘Pudd’nhead.’ However, Mr. Wilson understood the trick, so in reality, he’s the only intelligent person present.
Due to General Zaroff’s savage doings for satisfaction, he seems to have lost his humanity and de-valued human life far more than the Villagers and their customs did. Both characters in these two short stories felt that what they were doing was the right thing. In “The Lottery,” they mention “that over in the north village they're talking of giving up the lottery.”(Jackson, paragraph 32). Old Man Warner calls the north village a “pack of fools” stating that, that is not the way to go. He believes they must carry on this tradition and he never has come to realized how awful it is.
This action causes him to lose everyone that he loves. He even refuses to listen to the wise words of the blind prophet who tells him, "a good man yields when he knows his course is wrong. The only crime is pride"( Line 35). His arrogance leads him to believe that he is the only one with wisdom and his love for power causes him to choose what will keep him in power over what is right. Arrogance is a vise that people deal with on a daily basis.
"(376) The grandmother is talking about how the misfit is a good person, yet she knows nothing about the man except the fact he is a criminal and a murderer. The Misfit’s morals are completely different from the grandmothers. The Misfit will always stand by what he believes regardless of the situation. The Misfit believes that the outcome of anything is what he creates. When the Misfit says "Yes'm," smiling slightly as if he were pleased in spite of himself to be known, "but it would have been better for all of you, lady, if you hadn't of reckernized me."
Since he let the men go without paying he is considered a “good man” in her eyes. Also the grandmother refers the Misfit to a “good man”. In the end of the short story the grandmother tries her hardest to calm the criminal and tells him that he is a good man. In her eyes she thinks that he is not capable of killing a lady, little does she know that the Misfit does not have the same morals as her. Therefore the Misfit is not a “good man” and kills her.
Meaningful Meaninglessness Society constantly seeks for a deeper meaning to human life by placing value on trivial things and holding dogma to a high standard. In Albert Camus’s novel The Stranger, the protagonist does not participate in society’s aforementioned morals; they consider him an unintelligent outcast. Meursault, the protagonist, faces a handful of circumstances throughout the book in which any “normal” person would express emotion, but in which he held back: his mother’s death and funeral; his mistress’s proposal; an offered promotion; a pimp’s promiscuity; an adoring, yet abusive dog owner; a murder that he committed; and, finally, his own death sentence. At the time that he least needed to do so, Meursault displays feelings of anger, remorse, and even happiness. Even though the fictional judicial system of France and current readers view Meursault as completely absurd, Camus illustrates the innocence in Meursault’s existentialist lifestyle and, because of this, its meaning as well.
Atticus also showed courage in the way he defended Mrs. Dubose when Jem and Scout were being yelled at by her all of the time. They really did not like Mrs. Dubose at all but Atticus understood and defended her without fear of what the kids thought. “She’s an old lady and she’s ill. You just hold your head high and be a gentleman. Whatever she says to you, it’s your job not to let her make you mad” (100). Atticus knew this would not make Jem happy when he said this, but he knew he had to send Jem and Scout in the right direction.
Yet a wise man such as Atticus does not fully understand how the citizens of Maycomb can be so irrational and unjust in their prejudiced views of others. This is shown in Part one of Harper Lee’s novel as Atticus tells his brother Jack, ‘Why reasonable people go stark raving mad when anything involving a Negro comes up, is something I will never truly understand.’ Atticus is a great influence on Scout through his actions and words, however he does not force her to act in this way. Atticus has the highest respect for everyone in Maycomb, regardless of gender, age or race. This is shown in his defence for Tom Robinson and his employment and loyalty to Calpurnia. He also demonstrates this when he explains Boo-Radley’s situation and reprimands Scout for treating a boy at her school badly because he was of lower class.
The judge wanted everyone to think he was so innocent, but in fact, he was overwhelmingly selfish. Judge Pyncheon is similar to Cap, from The Pathfinder. Although he is not the most visible antagonist in the novel, his attitude of greed, superiority, and ignorance, cause him to be intellectually blinded. He is unable to judge the people around him, and puts his trust in the worst villains, such as the Tuscarora Arrowhead, and Corporal Muir, while being suspicious of the faithful Jasper. Cap and Judge Pyncheon are similar because they both have their outrageous moments.
It's awful"(p.16). The quote shows that he knows his guilty of lying, but he doesn't repent. Holden says, "that's the nice thing about carrousels, they always play the same song"(p.210). The quote shows that Holden doesn't like changes and doesn't want to be a change; he wants to remain the same, but he doesn't make sense because he also wants to be change himself to be "the catcher in the rye" to protect the children who are going to the cliff(p.173). Most of him in the novel, he is a liar who always says the things that don't make sense.