Major Molineux In Search Of His Kinsman example essay topic

"The Test of Morality" Throughout American Literature we often see in the works of writers, how the character are torn between doing what is right and doing what is wrong. Like the transcendentalist who believed that experience was valuable way of learning, we also see in the works of William Faulkner's The Reivers as well as in Nathaniel Hawthorne's "My Kinsman, Major Molineux", we see elements of this belief. In my paper I will discuss the major themes of The Reivers and My Kinsman, Major Molineux". I will also show how the main characters in each will use their free will overcome their conflict of doing right or wrong and and discuss how they are similar and how they differ.

William Faulkner's The Reivers is a story of a young boy, Lucius, who has a clear understanding between right and wrong, goes on an adventure with two men who work for his family. On the adventure Lucius is confronted with obstacles dealing with gambling, drinking, prostitution, horse-racing, political corruption, and rowdiness. As he tries to navigate his journey of morality he is confronted with many challenges. Lucius Priest explains to his grandson how he grew up and how he became a man. In 1905, when he was eleven, he willingly went on an escapade from his home in Jefferson to Memphis with Boon Hogganbeck and a Negro, Ned McCaslin, who were both employed his family's stable. Boon has plans to visit his girlfriend, Corrie Ever be, who is a prostitute at Miss Reba's brothel min the city.

To justify his borrowing Lucius's grandfathers car, he take takes Lucius along for the ride. Soon after their arrival Ned trades the car in for a 'borrowed' race horse to race in efforts to help a relative pay off gambling debts. We also learn the adventurers become stuck at Hell Creek in a series of mud holes that were intentionally plowed by a local entrepreneur to make sure that his mule services were needed in order for them to continuing the journey. In the end the rivers win the horse race and Lucius's parents and grandparents have find out where the rivers are and Lucius must face the realities of his wrongdoings.

Lucius learns a lot about himself during this time. He learns about temptation, and when faced with it how he becomes weak. He also learns that there is a dark side to life as well as the dark side of himself, and when you lie and deceive people, there are consequences. To be only eleven years old Lucius learns that he learns that he must make a lot of adult decisions, and it isn't easy. He soon realized that of the people that he is traveling with, he was the most responsible. He reaches manhood when he learns from his Grandfather that no punishment can take away his shame: 'A gentle-man can live through anything...

A gentleman accepts the responsibility of his actions and bears the burden of their consequences, even when he did not himself instigate them but only acquiesced to them, didn't say No though he knew he should. ' Although Lucius gives up his power, to what he calls 'un virtue' by agreeing to go on a secret trip, that is in direct conflict with the promises he made to his family, he continues to act like the gentleman that he was taught to be. He honors his promise that he made to his mother to not drink any alcohol. He attacks the corrupt teenager who tells him how Corrie became a prostitute and how he used her to make money. Because of this impressive action and him expressing how he was hurt, Corrie promises him she will stop prostituting, just before Boon gets what he originally came for. This and other gentlemanly acts lead to him persuading Boon to marry Corrie.

The moral responsibility at the center of Lucius's values even when he is disobeying his parents helps, by example, to save others from irresponsibility and immorality. The moral purpose of The Reivers is, the passing on of a tradition of moral behavior, of an ideal of what a gentleman is, from generation to generation. Nathaniel Hawthorne's, "My Kinsman, Major Molineux" is about a young boy, Robin who leaves his home in the country to the city of New England to find his uncle who hinted to him when he was younger about helping him out. The river that he crosses to get to the city is a symbol of crossing over into hell. Robin's journey into the city takes place at night and when he arrives in the city he takes notice of his surroundings.

He scrutinized the streets and buildings and does not believe that his kinsman live there. Robin is eager to seek his kinsman and asks the residents of his whereabouts. When he asks the residents they respond to him with excessive anger and claim not to know who he is speaking of. As he continues to search for his kinsman meets an innkeeper who comes to greet him and later laughs at him for seeking Major Molineux. He continues his journey and through a half opened door he saw a women and asked her if she knew where his kinsman was. She tells him that he dwells there, but he was unsure of her honesty.

Robin assumes that this woman is his kinsman's housekeeper because of his narrow view of the role of women, but he soon figures out that she is much stronger then she appears when she reaches out to shake his hand. Robin finally finds his kinsman after running in to a man who tells him to wait along the road and in time he would see his kinsman. Robin notices something about this man, he is seen in black and red with fiery eyes, shaggy eyebrows, and bumps on his forehead- a clear representation of the devil. Robin then wanders into a church where he sees a beam of light shining down onto the bible, which is a symbol of the presence of God. As Robin sat on the road waiting for his kinsman he heard shouting that got louder as it drew near to them. Soon a large crowd form in that street in front of him and he saw the back and red face of the man that he had come across earlier along with the faces of residents laughing and shouting.

He then caught the sight of an uncovered cart lit by torches that held a man covered in tar and feathers- it was his kinsman. Although his kinsman was being humiliated, he was she filled with pride, until he saw Robin looking at me. His pride quickly turned into shame and embarrassment. The resident continued to laugh and mock his kinsman and Robin realizes that all of these people are sinners, but found himself laughing too, louder than anyone else, which is a symbol that he too is a sinner.

At the end of the story, Robin speculates whether or not all of what he experienced was a dream. He wished to return home and asks for direction to the ferry. The townsman tells him that he should stay because he had gotten a knew subject of inquiry, which is a representation of how there is no going back once you have committed a sin, you just have to live with it. The Reivers and "My Kinsman, Major Molineux" are similar in many ways. One of the ways was that both of the main characters when on a journey where their character, free will, and the decision to sin were tested.

In The Reivers, Lucius was first tested when he decided whether or not was going to go along on the secret adventure. He was also tested in the way that he had to decide whether or not he wanted to live as a corrupt individual along with Boon and Ned or uphold the promised that he made not to drink and be a gentleman. In the end Lucius learned his lesson and returns to his community, ready to live an adult life. Robin in My Kinsman, Major Molineux, in search of his kinsman, discovers why he is treated with such hostility when he asks directions to his uncle's home. All of the people that are laughing at his kinsman are seen a sinners, but he becomes a sinner when he joins in with the laughter and mockery of his kinsman. In the end, the decision to stay was left up to him.

Another way in which they are similar are how the view women and what the role of a woman is. In both, the women is looked upon as weak, , and should be see and not heard. However, at the same time the women in both works show signs of strength. Corrie in The Reivers showed strength when she made the decision to stop prostituting. The woman who Robin saw through the cracked door in "My Kinsman, Major Molineux", showed strength when she reached out to shake Robins hand; a strength he had not expected. Lastly, the main characters in both works had similar upbringing's.

They were both from strong families. Robin in "My Kinsman, Major Molineux" has parents and siblings that prepared him for his journey to find his kinsman. We see evidence of then when he is explaining to a resident of the town what he wants with Major Molineux. He says, "my mother and sister put me in handsome trim, and my father gave me half the remnant of his last years salary". In The Reivers, We see that Lucius come from a strong family also. His family is wealthy, they live on a farm and have employees that work for them.

It was Lucius' grandfather who instilled morality in him and taught him how to be a gentleman. The Reivers and "My Kinsman, Major Molineux" differ in the way that, Hawthorne spends more time talking about the characters of the story, whereas Faulkner deals more with the actions of the characters. For example, in "My Kinsman, Major Molineux" when Hawthorne introduces us to Robin, his describes who he is. "He was clad in a coarse grey coat, well worn, but in excellent repair; hid under garment were durably constructed of leather, and sat tight to a pair of wand well shaped limbs... ". Faulkner on the other hand tells us what the characters do.

When Boon takes the car he is concerned that someone saw him so he stops to cool off. Lucius says, "Lets go now. If I've got to tell more lies, at least let it be to strangers". The Reivers retains relevance and resonance with a time in which social values are a central connection of conflict in Western Civilization and it teaches us that in a complex world, young people must learn morality. Though Lucius differs from Robin because they both take different journeys, he is like Robin in the way that his adventure teaches him about sin, sinners and the power of free will. It also teaches that society helps him to discover the core values by which he will live by.

Above all we must choose what path we ware going to take in life. No one has control over that, but us.