Revealing a Characters True Nature During a Moment of Crisis Essay

In literature, there are many examples of people who are placed in â€Å"fantastic† situations, which served to reveal much about themselves, as Dostoevsky suggests. There are also many instances in which people break down and do something completely uncharacteristic in these same situations, as a result of extreme suffering. One such example, is Gretchen, from Goethe's Faust. She was an ingà ©nue and thus revealed her true character at a crucial point in her life. She was not a murderer, yet she murdered. When all her misdeeds began to drive her mad, she became the most lucid in her discernment of good and evil. â€Å"Her last remarks saved her, as she cried out to God in repentance, she was forgiven. Receiving a spiritual awakening, though out of her mind with grief, she still recognized the devil. She sensed evil in Faust and finally realized that there was no love between them† (RoseDeClementi 3.2). Gretchen's deeds were just as despicable as his, but there was a difference; in her moment of truth, she repented and was redeemed. Faust knew that he was condemned to spend eternity in hell. In this instance, I believe that Dostoevsky was correct because Gretchen was portrayed as a victim of manipulation. Another example in literature of someone who revealed her true character, in crisis, was Antigone, from a story of the same name. â€Å"In the story of Antigone, (who was the daughter of Oedipus), more tragedy awaited her. Taking a stand for what she believed to be an injustice and offense against her god, she buried her dead brother which violated the law, thereby sentencing her to her own death; she was to be placed in a tomb alive and left for dead† (Rose-DeClementi 1.2). Her strong beliefs shaped her character which dictated her ac... ...his into consideration, I behaved responsibly. Even when I began to lose my composure with the hospital workers, who refused to take my friend in right away, my true character was revealed. Generally, crisis situations have a tendency to bring out the worst in me, as with most people. This disputes Dostoevsky's theory, which holds that the true nature of a person will be revealed during moments of crisis. My account, as well as the examples taken from literature, prove that Dostoevsky's theory, although valid, is not indisputable. Works Cited Rose-DeClementi, Theresa. Personal journal 1.1. 4 Sept. 2010. Rose-DeClementi, Theresa. Personal journal 1.2. 10 Sept. 2010. Rose-DeClementi, Theresa. Personal journal 3.2. 20 Oct. 2010. Rose-DeClementi, Theresa. Personal journal 4.1. 25 Oct. 2010. Rose-DeClementi, Theresa. Personal journal 4.2. 6 Nov. 2010.