Greed is a common influence on characters seen in literature. Its effects can vary from causing slight tension to destroying lives. The pieces Frankenstein, “The Bloody Chamber”, “Goblin Market”, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and The Importance of Being Earnest all use development to display the effects of greed on both the individual experiencing it and on those close to him or her. Frankenstein, a novel written by Mary Shelley, describes the life of Victor Frankenstein, a mad scientist, who allowed his greed to consume himself. This was initially shown in his tireless devotion to creating the creature. While assembling its body, he stated that “[his] cheek had grown pale with study, and [his] person had become emaciated with
…show more content…
Laura was warned by her sister about the dangers of the fruit and how it had killed another woman. Unfortunately, this was not enough to prevent her from being influenced by the goblins’ insistence. She suffered greatly from her choice and would have died, if not for her sister’s act of selflessness. Similarly to “The Bloody Chamber”, Laura risked losing her life due to her greed because she was forced into a position where she could not save herself. This piece also displayed the importance of being selfless, as this characteristic allowed Lizzie to possess the determination and compassion necessary to save …show more content…
Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, written by Robert Louis Stevenson, details the life of Henry Jekyll, who was a respected man. He possessed good morals; however, he wanted to lose some of his current responsibilities. He created a potion that allowed him to transform into an individual who lacked much of the restraint Jekyll possessed. He enjoyed the freedom he experienced as this new individual, named Hyde. He became greedy for it, and began transforming into Hyde more frequently as time progressed. Jekyll’s greed eventually got the best of him when he started losing his ability to turn back into himself. His strong desire for a lack of responsibilities was very dangerous. His lack of self-control led to him committing murder as Hyde. As he was losing his life as Jekyll, he was harming those around him. The Importance of Being Earnest, written by Oscar Wilde, describes the story of Algernon and Jack and their habits of deceit. In the play, both characters lie to the women they love about their true name. This is done because of their desires’ for relationships. Jack deceives Gwendolen by telling her that his name is Ernest, while Algernon uses the same lie to deceive Cecily. These lies showed a greed for a relationship. While the deceit was not significant in the end, it caused tension between the two
Laura was warned by her sister about the dangers of the fruit and how it had killed another woman. Unfortunately, this was not enough to prevent her from being influenced by the goblins’ insistence. She suffered greatly from her choice and would have died, if not for her sister’s act of selflessness. Similarly to “The Bloody Chamber”, Laura risked losing her life due to her greed because she was forced into a position where she could not save herself. This piece also displayed the importance of being selfless, as this characteristic allowed Lizzie to possess the determination and compassion necessary to save …show more content…
Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, written by Robert Louis Stevenson, details the life of Henry Jekyll, who was a respected man. He possessed good morals; however, he wanted to lose some of his current responsibilities. He created a potion that allowed him to transform into an individual who lacked much of the restraint Jekyll possessed. He enjoyed the freedom he experienced as this new individual, named Hyde. He became greedy for it, and began transforming into Hyde more frequently as time progressed. Jekyll’s greed eventually got the best of him when he started losing his ability to turn back into himself. His strong desire for a lack of responsibilities was very dangerous. His lack of self-control led to him committing murder as Hyde. As he was losing his life as Jekyll, he was harming those around him. The Importance of Being Earnest, written by Oscar Wilde, describes the story of Algernon and Jack and their habits of deceit. In the play, both characters lie to the women they love about their true name. This is done because of their desires’ for relationships. Jack deceives Gwendolen by telling her that his name is Ernest, while Algernon uses the same lie to deceive Cecily. These lies showed a greed for a relationship. While the deceit was not significant in the end, it caused tension between the two