Author, Christopher Hawke, wrote, “How shallow to presume war exists only within the physical world. Battles are waged for mind and soul, where things far from comprehension are confronted.” David Foster Wallace’s use of characterization throughout “Good People” paints a picture of a protagonist fighting several simultaneous inner battles for his own mind and soul. As Lane A. Dean weighs superficial predicaments like his pending relationship with Sheri and the fate of their unborn child, his inner battles take precedence. The story is a written navigation of Lane’s internal conflicts: honesty versus hypocrisy, faith versus temptation, and “good” versus “bad.” As the narrator dismisses his indecision as inescapable hypocrisy, it becomes evident
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His self-deprecating analysis is both inspiring and discouraging: he identifies hypocrisy (the mortal hamartia) within himself but also recognizes the ease with which free will allows us to accept it and deny our core values. Lane describes this internal conflict as “a taste of the reality of what might be meant by Hell” (Wallace 3). Previously unbeknown to him, Hell did not reside under his feet but in the darkest corners of his mind. “Good People” acts as a guided exploration of Lane’s subconscious, featuring the consistent internal boxing match between the easy way (human temptation) and the virtuous way (religious …show more content…
The title of the story is derived from his description of Sheri as “good people.” The reader is presented with this respectable image of a virtuous and faithful person much like Lane strives to be. Although he was deeply tempted to fulfill his human desires, “he was desperate to be good people” (Wallace 2). The story is a culmination of Lane’s mortal coils, but his saving grace comes when he is able to see the error in his ways. Amidst his hallucinatory epiphany, “...he’d had a moment of almost seeing them both as Jesus saw them--as blind but groping, wanting to please God despite their inborn fallen nature” (Wallace 4). Although he and Sheri are but mortals, their faith grants them the tools to transcend beyond the grasp of human temptation and perform their duties as parents, students, and individuals. David Foster Wallace’s “Good People” acts as a literary exploration of Lane’s inner battles concerning honesty versus hypocrisy, faith versus temptation, and “good” versus “bad.” Lane’s mind resides in a state of denial that he cannot escape until he is honest with himself, his girlfriend, and God. When he finally realizes this, he must choose between his mortal disposition and the virtuous path. In this, his true colors are revealed. As he continues his relentless battle within his mind and for his soul, Lane’s true enemy is revealed, and it’s not Satan nor any living man--it is
His self-deprecating analysis is both inspiring and discouraging: he identifies hypocrisy (the mortal hamartia) within himself but also recognizes the ease with which free will allows us to accept it and deny our core values. Lane describes this internal conflict as “a taste of the reality of what might be meant by Hell” (Wallace 3). Previously unbeknown to him, Hell did not reside under his feet but in the darkest corners of his mind. “Good People” acts as a guided exploration of Lane’s subconscious, featuring the consistent internal boxing match between the easy way (human temptation) and the virtuous way (religious …show more content…
The title of the story is derived from his description of Sheri as “good people.” The reader is presented with this respectable image of a virtuous and faithful person much like Lane strives to be. Although he was deeply tempted to fulfill his human desires, “he was desperate to be good people” (Wallace 2). The story is a culmination of Lane’s mortal coils, but his saving grace comes when he is able to see the error in his ways. Amidst his hallucinatory epiphany, “...he’d had a moment of almost seeing them both as Jesus saw them--as blind but groping, wanting to please God despite their inborn fallen nature” (Wallace 4). Although he and Sheri are but mortals, their faith grants them the tools to transcend beyond the grasp of human temptation and perform their duties as parents, students, and individuals. David Foster Wallace’s “Good People” acts as a literary exploration of Lane’s inner battles concerning honesty versus hypocrisy, faith versus temptation, and “good” versus “bad.” Lane’s mind resides in a state of denial that he cannot escape until he is honest with himself, his girlfriend, and God. When he finally realizes this, he must choose between his mortal disposition and the virtuous path. In this, his true colors are revealed. As he continues his relentless battle within his mind and for his soul, Lane’s true enemy is revealed, and it’s not Satan nor any living man--it is