Throughout Heinrich von Kleist's "The Marquise of O-" communication breakdowns caused by Count F- cause much needless confusion and are the fault of many tribulations. Much of the Count's flaws that hinder communication happen because he tries to protect his honor by concealing the truth. Because of this cowardice and his self delusions of his own perfect moral character, Count F- communicates incorrectly to the Marquise and her family.
The Count's perception of himself as a humble military man is challenged when he is asked to identify the Marquise's assailants. The Count lies and says that he can not recognize them. He lies because of his own embarrassment in committing the act that the Marquise's attackers attempted and not
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To her the Count seems like such an admirable man that she "was inconsolable at having missed the opportunity of throwing herself at his feet."(73) In actuality the outburst was the Count's confession of guilt.
When the Count proposes to the Marquise, he does so because he believes that he can cover up his mistake. If he were to marry the Marquise, no one would have to know about his act and his sense of self would be preserved. This explains the Count's desire to rush the marriage and have it take place the same day as his proposal. He abruptly proposes without any reason or prelude and then does not even romance the Marquise. When he speaks to her for the first time he has a little small talk "- and then asked her if she would be willing to marry him."(75) The phrase is so out of place that the Marquise and her family are confused and consequently the Count has made it less likely for them to marry. His ego tells him that he should get a positive response from the Marquise because he is doing her a favor by marrying her and as a result she would never reject him. The Count is actually very surprised that "he had failed in a conversation lasting five minutes, to extract a promise of marriage from a lady with whom he was totally unacquainted."(79) Instead of preserving his image
Mr. Collins uses rhetorical devices when he proposes to Elizabeth. Mr. Collins reasons for marrying her are that he “thinks it a right thing for every clergyman (like myself) to set the example of matrimony in his path” (91). He is “convinced it will add very greatly to [his] happiness” (91). He believes it is the right thing to marry her because it would essentially benefit him and make him happy. He does not once ask her how she feels or if she wants to marry, he simply thinks she will say yes. He is using ethos to explain this. He also gives the reason of Lady Catherine de Bourgh telling him to marry her; “Mr. Collins, you must marry. A clergyman like you must marry.--Chuse properly, chuse
The first thing that someone does when meeting new people is question who they are and what their intentions are. By putting one’s faith in them they are taking a small leap of faith to trust this person and allow them into their lives. When the Count of Monte Cristo arrived in Paris he quickly gained the trust of many prominent Parisians. The Count is appears to be very wealthy and intelligent; therefore, he is accepted into a distinguished social circle. One of the families in this circle is the de Morcerfs. The de Morcerf’s son, Albert, is captured by Italian bandits and the Count of Monte Cristo saves him. Albert and his parents are very grateful for this spectacular rescue; this forms a quick bond of trust between the family and the Count. ‘You are welcome here,’ said the Count de Morcerf… ‘In saving the life of our son you have rendered us a service which commands our eternal gratitude….’ (Dumas 176). Later when the Count successfully has revenge on the de Morcerfs, Mercedes de Morcerf shows her faith in the Count when she begs him to spare her son’s, Albert’s, life. ‘…the fact that you’re still alive and that I've seen you again proves there’s a God above us. I trust Him from the bottom of my heart. Awaiting His help, I count on your word. You've told me my son will live; he will live…’ (Dumas 378). Mercedes feel confident in the Count and knows that she can have faith, for the Count is a honest man: ‘Edmond [the Count of Monte
Both of the short stories "The Minister's Black Veil," by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and "The Fall of the House of Usher," by Edgar Allan Poe, deal with the theme of the evil of human nature. However, Hawthorne presents all of human nature as naturally tending towards evil, whereas Poe only portrays certain types of evil, such as the ability for mankind to be incestuous out of prideful, arrogant desires.
When he admits his affair,“Excellency, forgive me, forgive me. An-grily against himself, he turns away from the Governor for a moment. Then, as though to cry out is his only means of speech left: She thinks to dance with me on my wife’s grave! And well she might, for I thought of her softly. God help me, t lusted, and there is a promise in such sweat.
Booked into custody and physical injury are extortions no longer, of almost all circumstances, he can bribe his way out? Yet, if whatever thing, Candide is much dissatisfied and doomed as a rich man. The possibility of seeing his money drop away into the hands of unprincipled merchants and officials puts his hopefulness in a trial in a way that no extent of flogging could. In fact, when Vanderdendur frauds him, seems to hit Candide’s optimism an all-time low; at this point it is that he selects Martin as his traveling companion who is pessimist. Candide’s wealth appeals untrue friends persistently. He could not praise great piece of art because Count Pococurante’s money pushes him to such discontented monotony. As terrible as the poverty and oppression that disease the poor and weak may be, it is obvious that money—and the power that goes with it—makes at least as many difficulties as it
Her pursuit in telling the truth is evident in the lines, “In all things else, I have striven to be true! Truth was the one virtue which I might have held fast, and did hold fast, through all extremity save when thy good--the life--thy fame--were put in question! Then I consented a deception. But a lie is never good, even though death threaten the other side!”
As “The Marquise of O” progresses, the reader may start to think that the Count is the guy who raped the Marquis, but then
On the right of the nobility to hunt, the Baron resigns himself to not but rather to allow others of ignoble birth to do so. Additionally, rather than leaving any substantial inheritance for his family, he squanders his wealth on frivolous lawsuits and the repainting of old family portraits (Mason and Rizzo 1999: 36). It is as if the only thing truly noble of the man is his name suggests Charriere, though in not so many words. The Baron’s son also seems far removed from a gentleman in his actions. Charriere notes “…he drank heavily and gambled every evening with his lackeys. His person was unpleasing, and keen eyes would have been needed to discern in him those characteristics which, according to some, are the infallible signs of noble birth” (Mason and Rizzo 1999: 37). All these traits stand in contrast with the recently ennobled Valaincourt, who as she notes “…more closely resembled his father than Baron d’Aronville resembled his thirtieth ancestor” (Mason and Rizzo 1999: 38).
Fitting with the common theme between the two novels of the judgment of others, each heroine falls victim to a horrible misjudgment of the character of another. After discovering that the engagement between her brother and her friend Isabella has been broken, Catherine finds she has grossly misjudged her friend’s character, and thinks, “She was ashamed of Isabella, ashamed of ever having loved her” (Northanger 150). Elizabeth, on the other hand, finds her attachment the Wickham wholly inappropriate after receiving her letter from Mr. Darcy. After digesting the shocking contents of the letter, Elizabeth “grew absolutely ashamed of herself.—Of neither Darcy nor Wickham could she think, without feeling that she had been blind, partial, prejudiced, absurd” (Pride 156). And indeed, as suggested by Elizabeth’s mention of Darcy, this misjudgment goes on to affect each girl’s attachment to her future husband.
At this point in the story the intense attachment between Catherine and Isabella begins to slowly deteriorate. Thus far the two girls have been inseparable, but although Isabella promises at that evening’s dance that “nothing…should induce her to join the set before
She berated herself for her misjudgements and for being blinded by appearance to Wickham's untrustworthiness, which should have been evident in the discrepancy between his words and actions. She was "absolutely ashamed" of herself, and attained self-knowledge -- "Till this moment I never truly knew myself." She faced up to the unpalatable truth about herself, and determined to change. Her courage and strength are commendable. This is in contrast to, most strikingly, Mr. Collins, who completely lacks the capacity for reflection and self-awareness. The reader laughs at his self-importance and ridiculously obsequious, sycophantic manner.
Edgar Allan Poe was a unique man that most people could not understand. Many recognize that he is a talented writer with a very strange and dark style. One of his most well known short stories is “The Fall Of The House Of Usher.” Many argue the different meanings of this story and how it is symbolic to his life. Poe was a very confused individual who needed to express himself, he accomplished this through the short story of “The Fall Of The House Of Usher.” Through this story, Edgar was trying to show the fear he had for him self, he did not understand him self so therefore Poe ran from his own personality and mind. This story enables the reader to take a look at Poe’s mind and
She is truly overcome with grief and overflowing with uncontrollable emotion. She is asking for sympathy and understanding when she says, "Believe that even in my deliberateness I was not deliberate." In addition, she passes the blame when she says, "Though why should I whine, / Whine that the crime was other than mine?" This suggests that she was pressured from another source -- a boyfriend, family member, or society.
The first proposal is from Mr Collins, a man to whom Elizabeth was not even his first choice; Jane, the eldest and most beautiful, was his first fancy, but when informed that she had been privately engaged, he swiftly switches to Elizabeth, who is ‘equally next to Jane in birth and beauty’. His introduction to Elizabeth is not a pleasant one, although he is too ignorant to notice; she finds him ‘a conceited, pompous, narrow-minded, silly man’. Her observation is quite correct, and illustrated to the greatest affect in his proposal speech.
" She was very far from wishing to dwell on her own feelings, or to represent herself as suffering much, any otherwise than as the self command she had practised since her first knowledge of Edward's engagement... (p220)"