The Fall of Man :: essays research papers

Alienation: The Fall of Man through the Breaking of Moral Law Is it possible to attain or remain in a state of true happiness when you break a moral law? To many of us, road signs have been handed down through the generations and are posted clearly as the 10 Commandments delivered to us through Moses. These commandments are generally viewed as religious moral laws, but can they be viewed also as natural laws of morality for all to heed regardless of religious belief? Consider the chaos if we inverted their intended meaning, remove the word ‘not’, and apply ‘Thou Shall Kill’ or ‘Thou Shall Commit Adultery’, as new commandments. Would these new commandments conflict with natural laws of morality? The story by Andre Dubus, â€Å"Killings†, and Anton Chekhov, â€Å"The Lady with the Pet Dog†, show alienation as a horrible consequence we can suffer when a moral law is broken. In the story, â€Å"Killings†, Dubus reveals in detail, the alienation Matt and Ruth experience after Matt executes the revenge murder. In Chekhov’s story of â€Å"The Lady with the Pet Dog†, Anna and her lover, Dmitri, become familiar with alienation after they begin their extra-marital affair. The stories are completely different, however, the authors carefully guide us on a journey into brokenness and deep sadness, only to witness a deeper tragedy of self-imposed imprisonment: Alienation. Alienation caused by grave wrongdoing. Dubus and Chekhov give us insight to the effects of breaking a moral law by directly showing us how we can be impacted when we commit murder or commit adultery. Breaking moral law is shown to alienate us in ways we may not straightforwardly anticipate. In both stories, the protagonists are alienated from any notion of a supreme being. This is shown extensively through setting, tone, and action showing how the protagonist hide from their surroundings, especially from the events that are occurring or are about to occur. In â€Å"Killings†, Matt’s alienation from a supreme being begins within him at the time he begins to carry a gun, a gun that he must conceal, else face possible prison time. Matt’s friend Willis points this out when he asks, â€Å"You got a permit?†, when Matt responds that he doesn’t, then Willis seems to warn Matt, â€Å"†¦ you could get a year for that† (85), directly pointing out to him he’s breaking a law. Matt knows that for, â€Å"He had always been a fearful father† (88), and even though he still demonstrates a respect for nature and a love for his family, he now behaves indifferently about the potential consequences.