Sometimes it is difficult to remain polite when someone frustrates you. However, in Tobias Smollett’s The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle from 1751, the two conflicting characters, Pickle and Godfrey, appear to handle their disagreement in a civil way. Despite their intense anger, the two opposing men demonstrate the importance of social propriety during this era and how they can complexly express their emotions within its confines. Through bitingly sarcastic dialogue, Smollett illustrates the characters’ conflicting desires to follow social norms and insult each other. In the beginning of the passage, Godfrey begins to question Pickle about his intentions with his sister, but becomes frustrated when he evades his questions. Though the
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By beginning each defensive or accusatory response with this single word, the two maintain their well-mannered facades while still expressing their anger. Later, Godfrey claims that he is questioning Pickle as a gentleman, to which Pickle arrogantly replies, “Gentleman, God wot! . . . a very pretty gentleman, truly!” and “looks contemptuously” at Godfrey’s low quality possessions. By repeating Godfrey’s own word here, Pickle uses it mockingly and wants to imply that Godfrey is no gentleman because he lacks wealth. While once again nothing insulting is said directly yet by either party, they each utilize sarcasm to convey their rage within the confines of the time period’s social norms. Soon, the two challenge each other to a sword fight and Godfrey wins when Pickle’s sword breaks. While this situation leaves Pickle defenseless and vulnerable, Godfrey chooses not to take advantage of this and instead only remarks that “such a blade as Peregrine’s was not to be trusted with a man’s life.” This …show more content…
Within the second paragraph, Godfrey feels ashamed by his poverty and refers to Pickle as a “presumptuous boy” and an “insolent upstart” and they decide on a “formal challenge” to duel with swords. By including these insults, the two men’s attitudes are portrayed as indignant and irritated. However, by specifying that their duel would be a “formal challenge,” the author further conveys how social propriety is more important than emotions and tends to limit how they are expressed in this passage. In addition, the author also makes a point to state that the two men “helped to pull off each other’s boots” before their fight. This also demonstrates that their anger was suppressed in order to abide by social norms at the time and to maintain their gentlemanly appearances. This event is also ironic because they are doing such a polite gesture for each other despite insulting each other moments before and it captures the dynamic relationship between their negative emotions and desire to do what is
By beginning each defensive or accusatory response with this single word, the two maintain their well-mannered facades while still expressing their anger. Later, Godfrey claims that he is questioning Pickle as a gentleman, to which Pickle arrogantly replies, “Gentleman, God wot! . . . a very pretty gentleman, truly!” and “looks contemptuously” at Godfrey’s low quality possessions. By repeating Godfrey’s own word here, Pickle uses it mockingly and wants to imply that Godfrey is no gentleman because he lacks wealth. While once again nothing insulting is said directly yet by either party, they each utilize sarcasm to convey their rage within the confines of the time period’s social norms. Soon, the two challenge each other to a sword fight and Godfrey wins when Pickle’s sword breaks. While this situation leaves Pickle defenseless and vulnerable, Godfrey chooses not to take advantage of this and instead only remarks that “such a blade as Peregrine’s was not to be trusted with a man’s life.” This …show more content…
Within the second paragraph, Godfrey feels ashamed by his poverty and refers to Pickle as a “presumptuous boy” and an “insolent upstart” and they decide on a “formal challenge” to duel with swords. By including these insults, the two men’s attitudes are portrayed as indignant and irritated. However, by specifying that their duel would be a “formal challenge,” the author further conveys how social propriety is more important than emotions and tends to limit how they are expressed in this passage. In addition, the author also makes a point to state that the two men “helped to pull off each other’s boots” before their fight. This also demonstrates that their anger was suppressed in order to abide by social norms at the time and to maintain their gentlemanly appearances. This event is also ironic because they are doing such a polite gesture for each other despite insulting each other moments before and it captures the dynamic relationship between their negative emotions and desire to do what is