Reinhard's Short Story 'Trapped In Paris'

Temptation is something one has to deal with in life, but having a weak mind will lead to giving in. Physical weakness is an example, even though one can have good intentions the human flesh can cause the body to indulge. In addition, controlling what one thinks can be difficult, especially when the thoughts are intimate. Sometimes the timing of these intimate thoughts and the frequency can lead to caving in. The short story “Trapped in Paris” is a great example, the main character is at war with the enemy, and to save his own life he ends up hiding in a married women's house. In a predicament, he is facing temptation every second being alone with this women. The memory of his wife and misery he is in due to war, leads his weak mind to commit …show more content…
A weak mind is one who permits there thoughts to have control over there actions. In Trapped in Paris, Reinhard shows how his intimate thoughts take control towards this women which leads him to cave in. Therefor, Reinhard shows the inescapability of his thoughts as Heinrich states, “Just half a second more, he thought, I’ll just look at her, just look, then ill sip away as quickly and quietly as I can” (61). The desires that went through his mind and knowing he was in a moment of weakness, Reinhard would rather leave before his thoughts took control. Its like a person on a diet in a moment of weakness the thought of eating a juicy burger will eventually lead that person to go buy a burger and cheat their diet. In addition, not only were his thoughts unavoidable Reinhard started playing intimate thoughts in his mind, “ She had draped a blue cloak over her pale rose sundress, and felt he would have to tie his hands to keep from taking her in his arms” (59). The thought of this beautiful women before him turning into desires which in the end became an affair because he let his thought take control. As stated a weak mind will allow thoughts and desires to take control over there