Kit Eldred Betrayal Theme

Betrayal is a scornful beast, one that bites the innocent and holds the sinners within its grip. As exemplified by the characters in A Change of Climate, betrayal is not limited to those who are good at heart, it hits home for all characters. Whether this betrayal is inside of themselves, as in the case of Kit Eldred, or if it’s outside as in the case of Ralph Eldred, betrayal plays a major theme. Joseph Conrad once said, “The belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of every wickedness.” Betrayal has not been the only theme as the seven deadly sins can be attributed to each character either in an embodiment or in a disembodiment. Wicked acts are portrayed as an evil discourse through the novel, with little good involved.
The character most betrayed through the course of the novel is, Anna Eldred. Her first betrayal was from a former employee of hers, Enock. After firing him for theft from the compound, he showed up with a friend to enact his revenge. Enock displays one of the seven deadly sins, wrath, as he pulls out a hatchet on Anna’s husband. He stabs Ralph while his friend goes in to attack Anna. It is implied that while Ralph is down, and Anna is distracted, Enock goes into the twins room and takes them in the …show more content…
She deals with her child missing by refusing the truth and instead living through denial. The author uses a quote from The Descent of Man by Charles Darwin in the epigraph, saying “We are not here concerned with hopes and fear, only with the truth as far as our reason allows us to discover it.” This quote is most strongly applied to Anna as she struggles to accept what has happened, saying, “I was mistaken. I must be. You cannot bear it, otherwise, your official burden is too great” (226). Anna’s reason through the novel does not allow her to accept the truth, and instead accepts the hope and