The Rise of Silas Lapham Howells, William Dean Published: 1885 Categorie(s): Fiction Source: http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/154 1 About Howells: William Dean Howells (March 1, 1837 – May 11, 1920) was an American realist author and literary critic. Born in Martins Ferry, Ohio, originally Martinsville, to William Cooper and Mary Dean Howells, Howells was the second of eight children. His father was a newspaper editor and printer, and moved frequently around Ohio. Howells began to help his father with typesetting and printing work at an early age. During 1852, his father arranged to have one of Howells' poems published in the Ohio State Journal without telling him.
A critic from the Literature Network said “Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart" consists of a monologue in which an accused murderer protests his sanity rather than his innocence. The point of view is the criminal's, but the tone is ironic in that his protestation of sanity produces an opposite effect upon the reader. From these two premises stem multiple levels of action in the story. The criminal, for example, appears obsessed with defending his psychic self at whatever cost, but actually his drive is self-destructive since successful defense upon either implied charge— of murder or of criminal insanity— automatically involves admission of guilt upon the other (1).” In summary, when Poe creates two personalities within one character, one part of the character will blame the other part of the character. Eventually on part of the character will give in and accept everything.
His swift action is also seen as an admirable trait as he sends Creon off to the Delphic oracle to find out the cause of the plague immediately. As a result the audience are automatically inclined to grow a liking towards Oedipus, as he shows the quality of a pious/dutiful man. However Oedipus’ strengths, unwillingly becomes his weaknesses when his hamartia becomes evident; his lack of information about his identity. Oedipus’ intelligence and assertiveness holds no match against the paramount nature of fate. His insults of Tiresias’ and his blindness, accusation of both Creon and Tiresias plotting against him, and the vicious handling of the old shepherd to extort information from him show his complete frustration in his determination to find the truth.
The text states that when Grendel saw the rows of sleeping soldiers, “his heart laughed, he relished the sight/Intended to tear life from those bodies” (30). His delight in killing innocent sleeping soldiers illustrates his evil. Later, as Grendel battles Beowulf and realizes that the hero is stronger than he, his mind floods with fear (31). The monster caused fear for years in Higlac’s men; now he himself feels the fear of impending death. However, this fear does not cause Grendel to sympathize with his former victims; he is totally self-absorbed, again illustrating his evil nature.
Instead of showing any guilt, Rainsford actually seems to be more at peace after he pulls the trigger. In the book it says, “He had never slept in a better bed, Rainsford decided.” The second distinction among the two stories is the motivation behind each murder that occurred. In the “Tell-Tale Heart” the murder of the old man was pre-meditated and was brought upon by self motivation. He says, “To think that there I was opening the door little by little, and he not even to dream of my secret deeds or thoughts.” This clearly showed that he was having thoughts of taking this man’s life. In “The Most Dangerous Game,” Rainsford kills the General out of pure self-defense.
Chapter ten The Leech And His Patient is about Chillingworth's "investigation" of Dimmesdale to clarify that he is the father of Pearl. Chillingwoth goes to extremes when he becomes "fiercely obsessed by his search into Dimmesdale's heart". When having a heated convesation with Dimmesdale, Chillingworth raises a question about "why a man would be willing to carry "secret sins" to his grave rather than confess them during his lifetime." Dimmesdale reminds Chillingworth that most men do not confess their sins and that they are rewarded peace. But Pearl shocks the men in this chapter when she and Hester show up and Pearl flicks a prickly bur and Dimmesdale.
Michelle's actions show and justify a belief that he has in a sense "lost his innocence". Michelle also shows maturity when he acknowledges that his father may not be a loving man, stating, "Papa was the bogeyman. By day he was good, by night he was bad". He realises that the adults are cruel and is astounded when he notices his father stating "two ears we'll cut off. Two!".
For example, when king Macbeth was ask to take a seat he replied " the table is full ." (Mac 3.4.54) Macbeth's guilt is portrayed through his conscience imaginations of Banquo's ghost which represents his remorse for his vile sin. The regret felt by Macbeth is very unexpected because of his master planning of the murder at first. Moreover, irony is also displayed because Banquo was his dearest and most loyal friend in the inauguration of the story. After confronting Banquo's ghost, Macbeth wails at it " thow canst not say I did it.
There are some men who think of themselves in grandiose terms and are just upset that the world have failed them. Mass killers are so caught up in themselves that they think the choices they make to kill others are the thing to do. They seek their own fame through violence, and also revenge on those people who did not give them any attention they thought they deserved. In Jack Levin and James Alan Fox’s article, “Extreme Killing: Understanding Serial and Mass Murder,” Fox says, “It's very important to them that the world doesn't view them as some nut that killed for no reason. In their minds, they are good guys” (pg 10).
So he rationalizes that the old man must die in order for his emotional stability to return. Through several nights of plotting the premeditated murder of the wicked eye, the narrator sneaks in to the old man’s room in the middle of the night for seven days to try and catch the wicked eye peering at him. As he sneaks in the room on the eighth night he causes the old me to shift in bed and final wakes him up. He stand quite for an hour waiting for one or the other to make a move and final the narrator decides to open the lantern and see if the eye is peering. Before the old man knows what has happened he is dragged to the floor, under the bed and is suffocated to death.