St. Augustine Quote Analysis

Saint Augustine was a young man of sixteen years when he and his companions decided to commit the wicked action of stealing pears from a tree. After committing this act during the nighttime, the boys threw the pears to the pigs. "Wickedness filled me. I stole something which I had in plenty and of much better quality" (Book 2, section 9). In this quote Augustine describes his motive for his actions. He writes that the act was done out of pure wickedness and adolescent ignorance. "You had pity on it when it was at the bottom of the abyss" (Book 2, section 9). Speaking of his heart, Augustine writes that God always kept faith that he would become a better person. God knew that even though he had sinned by stealing without reason, he would be forgiven. …show more content…
"There was nothing beautiful about you, my thieving" (Book 2, section 12). He describes his love for theft at a young age and his confusion by his old ways. His love for theft caused him to steal the pears. "My feasting was only on the wickedness which I took pleasure in enjoying" (Book 2, section 12). This quotes shows that Augustine enjoyed the sinful pleasure of stealing. "The cruelty of powerful people aims to arouse fear" (Book 2, section 13). Augustine describes the pressure to please others when they may want to commit bad things that he knows as sins. Pressure given to him by humans eventually consumed him, causing him to please his peers by participating in theft. For this reason, had Augustine been alone he would not have stolen the