Monday, October 22, 2012
HT: Appreciation
"In this strife I have almost repulsed and crushed my better angel into a demon. What I have learned has left me doubting, misbelieving, despising, regretting, what I have not learned; and my dismal resource has been to think that life would soon go by, and that nothing in it could be worth the pain and trouble of contest." (210)
In this beautifully woven quote, Dickens masterfully captures the crumble of Louisa, as her fragile soul can no longer bear the pain of oppression; she has been denied the natural aesthetics in life, and in doing so, has oppressed her soulful "angel" into a tortuous and wrenching soulless "demon". His continuous use of adjectives like "doubting, misbelieving, despising, regretting," drag on much like Louisa's unending despair. Dickens' drives the point home with Louisa's declaration that "life would soon go by", and that nothing's worth the "trouble" of doing anything, fully emphasizing Louisa's depressing outlook on life. Through this combination of techniques, he admiringly captures Louisa's desolation.
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I agree that it shows her desolation. I also agree that it is beautifully written. There's another passage on the next page that also artistically shows Louisa's breakdown. "I do not know that I am sorry, I do not know that I am ashamed, I do not know that I am degraded in my own esteem. All that I know is, your philosophy and your teaching will not save me. Now father, you have brought me to this. Save me by some other means!" (211) The diction isn't as artistic, however,the usage of technique conveys the same effect/message.
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