Category: Problem of Evil

Introduction to the Innate Goodness of Humanity

‘We are fickle, stupid beings with poor memories and a great gift for self destruction.’—(Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games: Mocking Bird) The book ‘Lord of the Flies’ written by William Golding tells a story about a bunch of British kids experienced an air crush during the Second World War. The story was mainly about the events they been through on the deserted island they landed on at the first place. But, to my opinion this novel is more likely to be a discussion about the original state of humanity and society. At the end of the reading, I got the conclusion of: Humans are born good, but the society makes them corrupt/evil.

The Natural Goodness of Humans and Society’s Initial State

First, we are going to talk about the subject of are human and society naturally good in the very beginning of their birth. Well, although somebody insist on that some people are born evil or at the very first of the creation of a society it is evil, I choose to believe that people and the society are good in the first place. For example, the time all the boys who experienced the air crash gather around near the lagoon by Ralph’s conch, they decided to choose a chief(as in a leader) to command and lead to boys for making their further decisions about their actions on the island. When it is time for voting, all the choir boys seems to be afraid of Jack s they got no choice but to vote for Jack. But all the other boys who was not under his terrorization seems to consider Ralph a better choice for the leadership selection. So, in that reason all the other boys voted for Ralph and they out numbered Jack’s supporters during the vote. At last, Ralph became the chief. This shows that most of the boys on the island still has reasonable senses and clear minds for correct decisions. It also shows that most boys are good when they just arrived on the island. The boys who supported Ralph was good because they made to right decision for voting because their judgments of people’s personalities are very accurate, they can sense the natural good and intellect from Ralph but they can’t sense those from Jack in this reason they selected Ralph which is literally a better choice for their future. The choir boys who voted for Jack also can be considered to be good at the beginning. Because they only voted the opposite choice influenced by the fear of their head boy. But, by that time those choir boys and even Jack are not capable of harming and being evil. To be precise, even Jack was good in the beginning. He was not capable of hurting and being evil yet, because he needs a transformation where the little society they created pressures him to to make him capable of harming and even killing. As for the first state of the society, I think they are created for the good of humanity and mankind, but somehow they can influence some people in the society to turn evil because of some rules it maintains so that those people will be forced to became very extreme and that is when they start doing evil things without boundaries or bottom lines. We can’t say the society was evil but in some kind of ways people do turn evil because of the society, but its nature was good. For instance, the first society Ralph created was good and it is very likely that he copied the ways how most western countries works- democracy. By using the conch to make orders, decisions, and announcements. He created Parliamentary system in his little society. So, with his leading, the society was created with good wills and kindness to all the people in it and it also sets rules and orders to restrain people. In all, we can see that human and society are naturally good, but by the formation and influence of all kinds of people in the society society makes people evil.

Society’s Role in Transforming Good into Evil

“The joy of seeing another person in pain, frustrated or angry is a delicacy only for the most wicked.”― Robin Sacredfire. The quote I used showed the most evil state of humanity, but in what kind of way they transformed from good kids in to those evil beings. Well, society pushed their transformation in some ways because a society that is not liked by individuals will cause them to rebel and do bad things to change it. We can see a perfect example from the Second World War. When Adolf Hitler slaughter the Jews and do experiments on them in concentration camps, most people can not really understand why on earth would he be capable of doing such horrifying things. It is a terrible thing to do, and despite I am not looking excuses for him, but the society really did make a great effort on influencing him to become an extreme nationalist. Antisemitism is an age-old phenomenon in European countries. Hitler him self did not invent the hatred of Jews. Most of the Jews in Europe had experienced being victims of discrimination and persecution since the middle ages, most because of religion problems. Christians saw the Jewish faith as a sin that had to be assimilated. Jews were forced to convert from time to time. Otherwise, they were not allowed to do certain jobs or professions. Hitler was also influenced by the several Austrian extreme nationalists who blames everything to Jews. But the most important source of Hitler’s hatred to Jews are because of the lost of World War I. The German defeat was hard to swallow for most Germans, and also as for Hitler. In nationalist and right-wing societies, the ‘stab-in-the-back legend’ became very popular. According to this kind of saying, they did not lose the war on the battlefield, but by the betrayal at home. The Jews and Communists were responsible for the defeat.The prejudices about the Jews in the war were false. An investigation by the German Government proved it right. Over hundreds of thousands German and Austrian Jews had fought for their homeland. Also, we can see an example from the Lord of the Flies. When they first arrived the island, even Jack is not capable of hurting. But the failure of being the leader and the not accepting of the ‘normal society’ leading by Ralph drives him crazy that forced him to find a way out by hurting, threatening, and even killing. We can blame the three deaths on the island on the change of society which is because of the transformation o Jack and the increase of his followers. In all, we can summarize that if the state of society is not liked by individuals, they will rebel against it and some may have the ability to change it or influence it to let it run in their own way. Which confirms the fact that the society corrupts and turns people evil.

The Compromise of Morals for Societal Acceptance

In the last paragraph, we are discussing about people are willing to accept bad values in order to be accepted by the society. The most perfect example person of previous fact is Jack. When they first arrived the island, the society was formed by Ralph’s which represents the good side. They formed a parliamentary society which every one had a chance to speak and express their own opinion thanks to the conch and Piggy’s advises. But, Jack and several others are too aggressive and when the kids were building and working they were busy playing water and hunting the pig. That makes them self not acceptable by the good group of people, and that caused the sense of crisis for Jack. So, Jack decided to change and turn the society in to their own way so that he will be the one that fits the most to the new society. In order to do that, he started hunting, and terrorizing kids by the unknown fear for the ‘beast’. But, because that one day he finally succeed of killing a pig, even Ralph and Piggy can’t resist the meat. So, Jack’s first step succeed by bringing interests to the kids so that he can slowly isolate Ralph and Piggy. We are all men of interests after all. What Jack was doing was slowly lure the other kids in to his trap of desires and in order to gain power and control. On the other hands, he created the fake figure of the ‘beast’ and he used the fear of unknown the rule the kids by fear. That is how Jack accept evil and bad rules and make him self acceptable of the society. Another example is Roger. He is described in Chapter 1 as “a boy who kept to himself with avoidance and secrecy.’ Roger carves the torturer who plays an important role in dictatorships, and participating the role of a killer. From his point of view on top of Castle Rock, it is described as’Ralph was a shock of hair and Piggy a bag of fat’. Mentally Roger has fear to show him self, to express his true feelings to other people. That makes him being more lonesome and autistic. Which causes his discomfort in a normal society, and that leads to his cruelty to others to force him self in to the society and force the society to accept him. He feels ‘a sense of delirious abandonment’ when he releases the rock to kill Piggy. We can see that although he made his way in the society, forced his way in the society by accepting values he did not have before, his humanity will not be complete again. He creates his own destruction by blocking and expressing feelings he should have felt and also forced by the not-accepting by the society. And that turns him in to a monster. To summarize them, they all are willing to accept bad rules in order to get accepted by the society. But eventually, they all paid the prize of turned evil and corrupted by the society.

Conclusion: The Duality of Human Nature and Society’s Influence

From all three paragraphs above, they have different thesis but they are all revolving at the fact of ‘Humans are born good, but the society makes them corrupt or evil.’ Well, to my opinion there are not many difference between individuals and society. Because maybe sometimes they are relying and connected to each other. But at most times the people are born good, because that is the nature. What humans have are the potentials of turning bad. When they run in to some of the extreme situations, the potentials turns into facts. So, sometimes the influence of the society to corrupt or turn people evil is a catalyst. At last, I want to say that Humans are born good, but the society makes them corrupt or evil.

Evil is brought on by the hands of humans and their actions lead to consequences they deserve. In Voltaire’s Candide and Related Texts, Primo’s Survival in Auschwitz and The Book of Job, discussed how humans are the cause of evil, which led to many unexpected situations to happen. In this paper, I will analyze Rousseau’s responses to Voltaire, the social and nature causes of evil in the three texts.

Rousseau’s responses to Voltaire’s theory of evil stated the principles of how a man should live his life and not be controlled by his surroundings. The theme of morality mentioned by Rousseau that finding justice to what is considered wrongdoings and inhumanity in the eyes of others.

Belief of Christianity – Rousseau & Voltaire

Rousseau discusses the belief of Christianity and “the existence of God” (Voltaire 118) as the cause of evil. The corruption of sin (Voltaire 97) reveals how human beings believed in false teachings from the Bible. In Christianity, many believers and followers of Christ will use the Bible as a guidance in their daily lives. Human nature should not be categorized as the cause of committing a sinful act; it is how a man reacts and responds by their perspectives, emotions, and actions.

The religious belief has taught them how human nature reflects on them being sinful. For example, violence according to a religious teaching is when “a person is eaten by savage beasts brings about the welfare of [those] beasts” (Voltaire 97). A man being violent can suggest many possibilities, like how a person can become ruthless and cruel because of the experiences. The false teachings in the Bible has indicated that many believers follow the word of God, instead should reflect on their actions.

Belief of Christianity & Inhumanity in Buna – Primo

In Primo, men are placed in Buna, a concentration camp where they are required to follow rules. They are constantly being questioned their integrity and self-respect as a human that “their humanity is buried…under an offence received or inflicted on someone else” (Primo 95). The lack of dignity they have, as human beings is limited, which reflects on their characteristics to find ways to survive in the camp and take away the meaning of having a normal life.

The belief of Christianity is taken lightly “which no propitiatory prayer” (Primo 101) would not help any men in the camp. Men inside Buna, have not been able to live a day with the respect and dignity they deserve.

Belief of Christianity – Job

In similarity, Job mentioned how he questions his faith in God, which Eliphaz, Job’s friend pointed out that he “undermine piety and hinder devotion to God” (Gateway, Bible. Job 15:4). Eliphaz did not understand why Job would go through so much trouble to test God’s patience and faith to be so vigorous in his words cursing to God. Furthermore, he said how Job makes himself look like a victim in God’s eyes and that no one else understands what he is going through. Job blames God for he “has turned me over to the ungodly and thrown [him] into the clutches of the wicked” (Job 16:11). Job does not see that his own actions have led him to be in a position of testing God’s faith and instead, has put the accusation on God.

Physical Sufferings – Voltaire

Rousseau believes that every man will experience weakness and feel miserable, this is inevitable in life (Voltaire 98). An opportunity a man has to reflect and think upon the darkness within themselves. Physical sufferings are “inevitable in any universe that contains human beings” (Voltaire 110). Sufferings can be from untreatable sickness with pain in a long period of time to heal; whereas, death is seen as an exception (Voltaire 110). Illness is considered a cause of evil because of how individuals feel helpless to not be able to do anything (Voltaire 98). How “animals will fatten themselves on the bodies buried under the rubble” (Voltaire 98) has demonstrated the concept of physical suffering. By being alone, it would allow them to understand the struggles in life that many would overlook to make it seem more difficult (Voltaire 98). A man is responsible for his own actions and consequences that could lead to the existence of evil.

Nature state – Voltaire

In Voltaire, Cacambo, Candide’s server states that “the law of nature teaches us to kill our neighbor, and this is how people behave throughout the world” (Voltaire 34). Cancambo’s theory mentions that it is in the nature of humans to become a ruthless murderer, even when it comes down to sacrificing an individual in order to achieve a goal. Candide has become a ruthless murderer and Dr. Pangloss, a mentor of Candide he would have also agreed killing defines “what mankind is like in its natural state” (Candide 34). Cacambo, Candide’s server said that in nature, men’s qualities are to end the lives of others and how it needs to be done to achieve what one wants. Furthermore, Cacambo pointed out although it is in nature to kill, it does not justify the “right to eat our enemies” (Candide 34).

Human Nature – Voltaire

In the belief of Christianity, “human nature has been corrupted by sin” (Voltaire 97), but Rousseau believes how it is false and “human nature has not been corrupted” (Voltaire 97), which makes him contemplate his beliefs, such as “the existence of God” (Voltaire 118). He questions the Biblical teachings that “if God exists he is perfect, strong and powerful” (Voltaire 118). Rousseau states how God’s existence and Christianity are a reason of evil because there is no scientific evidence (Voltaire 117).

Human Nature & Men are not evil – Primo

Human nature is “grief and pain” (Primo 57), which reflects on the capability and how their mentality of surviving in such a difficult environment. They only way they could survive in the concentration camp is to use labor as a way to numb and forget about their physical sufferings on their bodies.

They decide to Men can be categorized as “fundamentally brutal, egoistic and stupid in [their] conduct once every civilized institution is taken away” (Primo 68). Men are often placed in a situation where they create the problem and may not act logically, but instead emotionally. There are two groups of men “the saved and the drowned” (Primo 68), the influence in society plays a role of how men act accordingly. The good in men are often seen as them with positive intentions and have a goal that they would want to achieve. On the other hand, men who are seen as evil, would have difficulties and hardships that impacted their characteristics and reflected on their actions. In both categories, “a country is considered the more civilized the more the wisdom and efficiency of its laws hinder a weak man from becoming too powerful” (Primo 69). This means that in the environment of Buna, men are more likely to have a tendency to be more physical and corrupted in their words and actions.

In conclusion, all three texts have clearly stated the causes of evil and how human beings are at fault for their own actions. The social influences and natural causes of evil has changed men to act under circumstances that they are placed in.

The majority of people have enough common sense to make the split-second decision in favor of good over evil. However, the friction between good and evil is an immense conflict for those without proper reasoning. In The Crucible and “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” two characters, Abigail Williams and Arnold Friend, without thinking of the consequences behind their behavior, attempt to plan, execute and commit evil actions for the benefit of themselves. Due to their alarming behavior in the woods and at Connie’s house, both characters are seen as manipulators and in favor of pure acts of evil.

First, the imprudent behavior behind their actions was a main drive for their stories. In the Crucible, Abigail used lies and persuasion in order to hide her behavior from the rest of Salem. However, near the beginning of the play, Abigail reaches out to Tituba for her help with John. She wanted him for herself, so pleaded Tituba to make her a potion to kill Goody Proctor. When that doesn’t work, she begs John to take her back; when that doesn’t work she accuses Elizabeth of witchcraft. When all the girls were together, Abigail gave them a talk about if any of them told the truth. “Now look you. All of you. We danced. And Tituba conjured Ruth Putnam’s dead sisters…Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you. And you know I can do it;…and I can make you wish you had never seen the sun go down! (She goes to Betty and roughly sits her up.) Now, you—sit up and stop this!” (I.113-132) In this part of the story Abigail is instructing the girls that they must do what she says and not spoil the truth to the court or she will rain evil down upon him. She speaks the truth of what occurred in the woods and uses a sense of witchcraft and deception to keep them in line and not get caught up in lies or pressure. Next, in “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” the character Arnold Friend was a suspicious and manipulative individual, just like Abigail Williams. Anyway, Connie and her best friend went to the drive-in restaurant across the highway and sat at the counter, with the music playing and the grins on their faces, they knew this place was the go to spot for fun. However, moments later a boy named Eddie went up to Connie and offered her food and to come back to his car to hang out. Once they were outside though, that’s where the trouble started. At that moment she happened to glance at a face just some ways away from her. It was a boy with long black hair and he stared at her with his lips turning to a grin. He pointed his finger at her and said, ‘Gonna get you, baby,” (Oates, pg.) which resulted in Connie turning away instantly. This quote represents him attempting his plan to bring Connie into his “trap”. Out of this, and how he speaks with a melodic type tone, this shows him luring Connie to him. He learned she an immense love for music and knew speaking to her in this way would take away from his looks and how he acts.

Second, near the beginning of the play, Abigail carries out her plan for taking the blame off her shoulders. She turns the story from “we were just dancing” to “Tituba sent her spirit on me and bewitched us”, and the town of Salem completely buys it now. A moment in which shows the full explanation of this was when Abigail was in her court argument with Parris and he proceeded to ask, “Then you were conjuring spirits last night… ABIGAIL, whispering: Not I, sir – Tituba and Ruth.” (Act 1, p.15). She is now executing her plan in order to shift the blame and attention from her towards Tituba and Ruth so she can be “off the leash” with the blame. She eventually wants to be able to get rid of John Proctor’s wife and become his. Once she gets through the courts and attempts to be not guilty, she will be able to finally get what she wants. Furthermore, in the next story we see Arnold Friend arrive at Connie’s house in his gold car. One way in which Arnold Friend intimidates Connie into leaving the house is to make her believe that he has always been her fate. He speaks to her as if it was love at first sight, even though in reality, he was using his deception of his looks to give Connie that impression. “Inside your daddy’s house—is nothing … You know that and always did know it.” (Oates, pg.) He uses this quote as if he has the power over her and how him being in the house would give her that “life” that she wants. He wants to make her believe what is wrong, in order to get exactly what he wants. That’s why Connie said, “She spoke sullenly, careful to show no interest or pleasure.” (Oates, pg.) When he first arrived she wanted to make sure this was the same person she saw at the drive-in restaurant, she didn’t want to give off any vibes that would show her vulnerability or innocence.

Third, the final step to their plan, to complete it and get their final desires. For Abigail, she finally got John Proctor’s wife in trouble and was almost able to get Proctor to herself. However, Proctor goes to the court speaking the truth of the affair and Abigail’s plans, “A man may think God sleeps, but God sees everything, I know it now. I beg you, sir, I beg you – see her what she is…She thinks to dance with me on my wife’s grave! And well she might, for I thought of her softly. God help me, I lusted and there is a promise in such sweat. But it is a whore’s vengeance.”(III.374-384) When Proctor tells the court of his affair and Abigail’s plot to kill Elizabeth, he gives the court another opportunity to end the trials. Yet, just as Danforth dismisses the claims against Putnam since Corey would not reveal his witness, Danforth dismisses Proctor’s claim that Abigail is a harlot, simply because Elizabeth lies to conceal the affair. Due to him doing this, Abigail eventually got Proctor arrested and many other people for her doing, keeping her “good” name out of the situation. Following this, Arnold Friend did something except pretty similar, except with more violence and aggression. Once Arnold made his way into her house, he was able to find and capture her, and unfortunately stab and supposedly rape her. Connie then regretted every decision she made of meeting this boy. “She cried out … for her mother … Arnold Friend was stabbing her … with no tenderness.” (Oates, pg.) Arnold Friend terrifies Connie. She realizes she be with him or control him since he is not like all the other boys she knows. In calling out for her mother, Connie reveals she is far less mature and sophisticated than she would like to think; in fact, she is still a child. As soon as she calls out for her mother, she realizes that is getting raped by Arnold Friend and this isn’t a dream, this is real life and is actually happening to her right now. Arnold Friend is shown as a devil and unlike Abigail, he goes through all the way with his plan and is successful. He chose the evil side over the good side of leaving her alone, and let his body take control over his heart and mind.

In the end, through the eyes of the characters, deception was their main motive behind their actions, they used it effectively to their advantage in order to get what they wanted in the stories. However, for the innocent characters in the stories, they were unable to make that split-second decision of good over evil. Abigail Williams Arnold Friend’s actions displayed that good over evil since they chose the darker and lying side of the events to give them that hope of gaining advantage and power over others.

Romanticism came about in the 18th century, Romanticism focused on the joy and good that come along with the natural world and humans. Although there is a glee side of Romanticism there is also a dark side of Romanticism. Dark Romanticism is the darker side of the natural world, the darkness within humanity and self-destruction. As Romanticism praises the merits of an individual, Dark Romanticism digs at the weaknesses of humanity. Nathaniel Hawthorne is one of many writers that is part of Romanticism then leads to the sub-genre of Dark Romanticism. Hawthorne had a belief in the inherent goodness or dark side of human beings which is two movement views on God.

According to author S. Chelliah in The Enigma of Evil and Concept of Sin as Reflected in the Fictional World of Nathaniel Hawthorne: An Appraisal, “Fully preoccupied with the problems of sin, guilt, responsibility, he was fully concerned with moral issues and values in life” (Chelliah 118). Within Nathaniel Hawthorne short stories he observes different realistic problems that are involved in humanity. Hawthorne comes from a descended Puritan background, although Hawthorne did not agree with the Puritans culture. Stated in Hawthorne and Puritanism from author Barriss Mills, “He covered what Puritanism professed but seldom practiced the spirit of piety, humility, and tragedy in the face of the inscrutable ways of God” (Mills 78). Hawthorne criticized Puritanism to show the truth of their morality. He believed that Puritanism was not a way of life but instead was a subject of literary art (Mills 79). Hawthorne wanted to reveal the Puritan’s religion and question their innocence. In one of Nathaniel Hawthorne short story, Young Goodman Brown, Hawthorne had similar ideas as Sigmund Freud did on psychological understandings.

Psychoanalysis was founded by Sigmund Freud in the 1800s, he made a connection that humans had an unconscious mind filled with thoughts and motivations. Hawthorne interpreted psychoanalytic approach within Young Goodman Brown, he used the Jungian theory developed by Carl Gustav Jung. Carl Jung was one of many psychotherapists like Sigmund Freud that had beliefs about the unconscious mind. The Jungian theory was a more depth insight on patterns of habits that humans could not break. These habits such as depression, addictions and anxiety took over the humans’ unconscious mind. According to author D.J Moores in Young Goodman Brown’s ‘Evil Purpose’: Hawthorne and the Jungian Shadow, “Specifically, the thesis I am offering here is that Young Goodman Brown encounters in the woods what the Jungian theory calls the shadow the unwanted parts of himself that are too distressing to his Puritan ego-self and thus experienced as a projection outside as something other, threatening and devilish” (Moores 4).

In Young Goodman Brown, Goodman Brown himself experiences habits that he cannot breakthrough, Goodman Brown has tensions that oppose his unconscious and conscious mind which cause him to fight his own internal beliefs about himself. Nathaniel Hawthorne created these “shadows” of Goodman Brown to display darker elements of one’s persona. Nathaniel Hawthorne believed that all humans had repressed ideas, weakness, shortcoming, and desires. He also considered that these latent dispositions were found in all human beings and would uncover deeper thoughts and fears within an individual. These unwanted parts of the individual would eventually cause one to demonstrate evil acts and thoughts. Hawthorne’s short stories portray the moral issues of mankind and its hypocrisy. The central theme of Nathaniel Hawthorne works is not only sin but the psychological effect that sin has on human beings. In Young Goodman Brown, a Puritan leaves his wife named faith. He leaves his wife to go to the woods later to have a visit with the devil. According to author D.J Moores in Young Goodman Brown’s ‘Evil Purpose’: Hawthorne and the Jungian Shadow, “Goodman Brown leaves the security of his hearth, his home and his faith to undertake a journey he knows is not in keeping with who he thinks he is—a good Christian husband” (Moores 6).

The devil than creates Goodman Brown to have temptations which lead him to his own darkness. The encounter with the devil releases the lost and unwanted parts that Goodman Brown did not want to discover. Throughout the story, Nathaniel Hawthorne shows that Goodman Brown is exposed to human depravity. As Goodman Brown is in the woods he not only finds the corruption within himself, he also discovers the sinful acts in his society. According to author S. Chelliah in The Enigma of Evil and Concept of Sin as Reflected in the Fictional World of Nathaniel Hawthorne: An Appraisal, “As one could see his frail erring characters blindly and deliberately choosing a path of evil and staggering beneath a heavy load of gloom and guilt” (Chelliah 119). Within Young Goodman Brown man finds a way to engage in practices that are biblically and morally evil. As Hawthorne reveals the follies in Goodman Brown and society, he shows the discovery of evil that is the true nature of man.

The devil manipulates Goodman Brown’s mind and eventually, this influences him to perceive the truth of others having satanic ways in his society. This exposes man to evil nature, even those who are seeking to be righteous in society also engage in evil nature. Within the short story of Young Goodman Brown, Hawthorne wants to show his readers that Goodman Brown himself is the reason why he began to have sinful urges that led him into the woods that unmasked the truth about his reality. According to Michael Jaynes in Moving towards an Understanding of ‘Evil’: Young Goodman Brown, he states, “Goodman Brown cannot handle the knowledge that the entire populace of Salem Village, even the pious and religious figures from his childhood, are members in this dark communion. He refuses to acknowledge this common dark thread of humanity in any other manner other than evil, so he becomes bitter” (Jaynes 71). The truth of Goodman Brown’s reality was that everyone he knew has sinful ways, this caused him to become a sad, distrustful and a desperate man. Hawthorne believed that evil is within human beings because like Goodman Brown, we crave to follow a path that own desires want to explore. Similar to Nathaniel Hawthorne there are other authors that show an evil nature within their works, Edgar Allen Poe in The Tell-Tale Heart, shows evil nature aspects in his short story. Many themes that Poe includes in his works are death, destruction, and revenge. Throughout The Tell-Tale Heart, Edgar Allen Poe uses a form of psychology called Axiological psychology which is the study of behavior and its manifestation of values and valuations. Edgar Allen Poe believes that ego hides within itself causing one to become evil. According to Magdalen Wing-chi Ki in Ego-Evil and The Tell-Tale Heart, “Poe’s stories manifest and intense interest in Ego-Evil and visual politics” (Wing-chi Ki 25). Ego is portrayed to disguise its thoughts to be your thoughts, it’s feelings as your feelings.

According to Poe believes that the ego of humans is what causes them to lie, cheat, steal, and even kill. Within The Tell-Tale Heart, the narrator comes across an old man’s “evil eye” that makes him insane. The narrator cannot tolerate the old man’s eye, so he becomes obsessed and repulsive of the eye. The dark side of the narrator leads him to the murder of the old man. According to Magdalen Wing-chi Ki in Ego-Evil and The Tell-Tale Heart, “The significant thing is due to the narrator’s supreme ego not once in the story has he shown any regret or positive regard for human beings” (Wing-chi Ki 35). Within the short story, the narrator proclaims he is not a madman and that he loves the old man and would never hurt him, but the narrator’s evil ego does not prevent him from killing the old man. Throughout the story, the narrator still wants to assure his readers that he is sane but what caused his insanity is the consist beating of the dead old man’s heart, this only led the readers to believe his insanity. Stated in Ego-Evil and The Tell-Tale Heart, Magdalen Wing-chi Ki states, “The Tell-Tale Heart offers no solution to terminate Ego-Evil. The story tells us that even though the narrator can be linked heart-to-heart to the old man, he does not want to see eye to eye with him. Poe reveals to us that, with a heart biased by self-love, the narrator’s eye can only be diseased, and the mind confused” (Wing-chi Ki 36). Edgar Allen Poe insisted that humans did not understand the distinction of an ego, that it is difficult for the mind to accept that there is something beyond and greater than itself. Humans are often assumed to have morals; all mankind morality is to be able to make decisions from right and wrong. Hawthorne wanted to establish that evil has an association between the moral judgment and motivation of mankind.

In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story, Young Goodman Brown he uses his own experiences with his Puritan background to describe the woods as a dark place, which portrayed the woods to be a satanic place for the Puritans. Being that Goodman Brown goes out into the woods he is walking into hell searching for the devil. As Goodman Brown goes into the woods, he has faith, but his faith is very little allowing the devil to be able to hold temptations over him. The devil tells Goodman Brown that “Evil is the Nature of mankind. Evil must be your only happiness” (Hurley 410). This allowed Goodman Brown to be deceived by the devil, he deceives him from what is right and wrong. Within Young Goodman Brown, Goodman Brown himself has his own contradiction between himself and his own acceptance that sin is the nature of mankind. Hawthorne allows Goodman Brown to understand and inherent evil and this demonstrates that evil is inside of every human. Nathaniel Hawthorne believed that sin is disguised and buried within us, this prevents humans from self-actualizing and achieving pure goodness.

Good people do bad things. It is just a fact of life. This does not make them evil – or does it? In The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, good versus evil is seen in today’s society. Dr. Jekyll, who represents good, is in a constant battle with evil. Although there are many charming qualities in his personality, Dr. Jekyll is still easily tempted by his bad side. The theme, good vs evil, is important to me because it is the most common issue in the novella. Deciding between making the right or wrong decision is a battle humans fight every day.

The first example in the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is the attempt to isolate the good and evil halves of the body. In pursuing his scientific experiments and validating his work, Jekyll claims, ‘Man is not truly one, but truly two.” Everyone contains characteristics of both good and evil, however, only one can dominant. In Jekyll’s case, his good side is dominant, but he knows there is evil inside of him. A real life example of separating good and bad is our justice system. Police put convicts in prison to allow innocent citizens to go live freely.

Hyde is a character of Jekyll’s evil characteristics. Temptation is one of Jekyll’s evil characteristics. When people give in to things, they know are wrong, consequences are bound to happen. An example is Dr. Jekyll giving in to transforming himself into Mr. Hyde. If a person who normally does not steal starts getting involved with a bad group of friends, that person would be more tempted to do the wrong thing. In the real world, good people are led astray everyday by getting involved with the wrong crowd.

Throughout the novel, Dr. Jekyll is described as respectable and very giving. He is extremely wealthy in his community. Mr. Hyde is a vile savage, which does not compliment his physical features. Jekyll is seen as the “good” half because he is so more evolved and known throughout the community. This relates to the real world in many ways. For instance, people in upper class are less likely to steal, because they know people in their community will look at them differently. Whereas people in poorer communities are more likely to steal because no one knows them, and the only thing that would affect them is probably jail time.

The battle between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is used as a metaphor, in regard to the good and evil that exist in all men. Since Hyde takes over a lot during the novel, readers could argue that evil is stronger than good. Ultimately, Hyde ends up dead at the end of the story. This novel supports the claim that man is not a purely dual being but is tamed and civilized by the laws of society. Dr. Jekyll developed a drug to show the opposite of that claim to the world. Readers could say that Dr. Jekyll sacrificed himself to show the truth of his nature instead of experimenting on another person and receiving glory or fame. Due to this selfless act, good wins against evil, because a truth is revealed.

Towards the end of the novel, Stevenson states once again that the fight between good and evil is much more complex beyond the human eye. Everyone has these two traits within themselves. According to Stevenson, the fight is not only between good and evil, but nature. Basically, the real fight is learning to accept the worst in things and facing the truth that lies in every soul. In all honesty, everyone has criminal thoughts in their minds. There is no such thing as pure innocence.

Today’s society and the time period for The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are completely different. Nevertheless, good and evil are two very common and relevant themes in both eras. Life is very sporadic, so good people are still tempted into doing bad things. Certain things will never change in life and deciding between right or wrong is one of those things. Temptation, greed, and evil will always be part of your life. One must simply learn how to do the right thing in certain situations by making the best decision possible.

During the sequential time of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn development was utilized as a way to legitimize conventions of racial virtue, and all the more especially, the thought was that one race may guarantee prevalence over another. Dark individuals as of now were characterized as Subhuman and second rate. Twain parodies this sort of thinking in his novel by uncovering the blemishes of these pretend ‘entire’ men.

Huck’s father is the most eminent instance of the bogus respect of the whole man in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. He’s a cruel, extremist, failed old individual. Close to the finish of Chapter 5, subsequent to being captured for his alcoholic, once more, misconduct, he is taken into care by a similar appointed authority who gave him guardianship of his child with an end goal to make a man of him. Another instance of Huck’s father’s alleged predominance is in area 6 when he watches his dad one of his various tipsy supremacist blusters. He starts off by raving about inadequacy of a dark educator before continuing with a homicide endeavor on Huck. The lip service that such an on a very basic level imperfect individual as Huck’s dad, in light of the fact that the shade of his skin, be viewed as better than a good natured, kind hearted individual back individual like Jim, exhibits the defects of the thinking about the entire man’s guaranteed prevalence. Twain satires this in the novel by drawing matches among jim and other grown-up characters like Huck’s dad figure.

Another example of the hypocrisy of the whole man is the cold blooded murder of the drunkard boggs by the aristocrat Colonel Sherburn. Boggs is an elderly person who, when a month and when smashed, rides down to town and conveys void dangers to anybody and everybody he meets. He may seem mean spirited. He is, as the townspeople observe, the best naturedest old fool in Arkansaw.

In the end, all through the book Twain depicts the white individuals’ huge limit with regards to detestable. He additionally uncovers how the Bible was continually utilized and controlled by corrupt men to protect their detestable practices. Be that as it may, Twain additionally exhibits that not every white man was vicious or that everything, essentially, was totally dark or white. Of the two types of deception observed here, strict false reverence is the most pervasive in Twain’s epic. There are increasingly substantial models and these models are progressively significant for the advancement of the hero. All through the book, Huck’s still, small voice continually battles with burglary of Jim and the two-faced strict qualities he has been inculcated with!