The Power of Sympathy Essay -- Literary Analysis, William Hill Brown

In the novel, The Power of Sympathy by William Hill Brown, there is a contrast between the opposing ideas of sentiment and reason. Characters in the text play to this underlying contrast and are affected by the polar ideas, ultimately resulting in the taking of their own lives. These acts of suicide results from a detachment, or ignorance, of reason. When overcome by emotional misery of sentiment, reason may, for however long a period, become lost or inferior to overbearing ideas of sentimental thoughts directed toward one's death. Bearing the pain of one's own reason leads one to direct their actions by means of sentimental reasoning. The story of Ophelia, as told by Harriot, depicts the reasonable daughter of Shepard becoming lost to the sentimental thoughts of suicide. While rationally stating her argument to her father, she claims to be speaking with the intention to â€Å"demonstrate the sincerity of her repentance† (39) and regain the peace that was once within her home. She recognized that she was wrong in her action, claiming that â€Å"All...are not blest with the like happiness of resisting temptation† (39) and she wished to display her sincerity with this confession. The transition from reasonable to melancholy occurs when her father rejects the notion of Ophelia's confession, her â€Å"sensibility became more exquisite† (39) indicating that her sensibility came from the attempt to make things right with her family; however, the attempt failed and she lost her rational thought. The emotional part of Ophelia became stronger as her repentance was rejected; reason had failed her, her family was not influenced by her words. There is a drastic leap to conduct that â€Å"bordered upon insanity† (40), a lack of sane and rational thought th... ... reason. When the character remains reasonable, they face an inner pain, whether it be guilt, passion or confusion. Rather than suffer with this pain, the characters abandon reason and succumb to the overbearing strength of emotion. Ophelia, reasonable despite being unforgiven, loses her sanity to emotional melancholy and ends her life with poison. Harriot, who was just before owner her virtue, gave her life away to passion thinking that reason is unable to aid suffering in patience. And Harrington, who makes no attempt to reclaim his clear mind, is driven to death because he fails to direct his thoughts elsewhere, even when urged to. The sentimental forces in this novel initiate a thought of suicide. The characters develop the thoughts individually, yet all give in to the powers of passion due to their lost sense of reason and overbearing sentimental thoughts.