As it is common in Poe’s stories, mental insanity is a clue in the development of the tale. While reading the story, I found it very interesting that there was persecution which added even more suspense to the plot. It even reminded me about the story “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley. This idea of being persecuted by a monster or a mysterious being anywhere you go without finding an escape totally catches a reader’s attention. The protagonist says “I fled in vain” when he has visited plenty of places without finding a solution. William Wilson declares himself as a different person since the beginning. He tells that he stayed in an academy during his childhood, and the mysterious place did not provoke any disgust on him. Actually, he found it very interesting. Wilson was not a common child; he explains that his race was one of “imaginative and easily excitable temperament”. Besides this, the fact of calling the other William Wilson his “arch-enemy” brings us to think that he finds in this character an opposite being even though they are physically the same person. It may be possible that in the other William Wilson he finds what is correct and moral. He becomes his awareness. The other William Wilson appears when he commits unethical actions. In my opinion, through the whisper of the unreal William Wilson, the real one realizes of his mistakes, and that is why he tries to escape. His “disordered imagination” created this being as a reminder. Since the theme of mental insanity is essential on Poe’s tales, as a reader one can suspect that one them was only part of the protagonist’s mind. The way Poe describes the tale absolutely captures any reader into a journey of madness and confusion.
From the very beginning of the story, Poe describes William Wilson as a person with an "easily excitable temperament" and "a prey to the most ungovernable passions." This is showing us that the main character was predisposed to suffer from something that may alter his state of mind. This led the main character to create this imaginary being, which apparently is his own conscience as Diana already said.
Diana, well done with your comment on the PERSECUTION of a monster or a being. Yes, as with any double, the danger seems to lie on the fact that it follows you wherever you go. Also, you noticed how the whispering could be referring to the same person's conscience. Arturo mentions the very important matter of the "easily excitable temperament." Poe's characters, as Poe himself seem to all suffer from this "condition."
I do agree with the conscience theory. I mean the second William Wilson talks only in whispers. Whisper is to speak very softly using one's breath without one's vocal cords, especially for the sake of privacy.
I believe that this means the privacy of his own mind. Why does the second Will Wilson want to talk just in whispers? He has things to say that nobody can hear. Even though the first WW refuses to recognize his "enemy," he keeps whispering at him. However, WW is just whispering to himself, this is part of his state of mind. I think that this is the manifestation of his own conscience as you already mentioned.
The second Will Wilson will only manifest when the first one does something wrong; cheating at gambling games. He is projecting his conscience in the second one who is continuously judging Will Wilson, himself. He even says it himself on the text “had he so crossed it except to frustrate those schemes, or to disturb those actions.” The second WW is definitely his conscience and is trying to keep the first WW at bay with his immoral actions.
I agree with Diana's opinion. I believe that elements such as mental insanity and the persecution of a mysterious being cacth the reader's attention. Also, I think that the second William Wilson is part of the subconscious mind of the protagonist because he appears when the first William Wilson is doing/making something unethical. In adittion, when the second W.W is dying, he says to the first one that he will die, too. So, we can infer that they are one.
Even though I still believe that the second William Wilson is only a creation of the protagonist, the idea of the double is something that makes me doubt. Now that we have commented the story in class, it seem possible to me that William was the victim of a real phantom. In the story, there is no evidence that any other person can see the second W.W, but there is an important aspect to take into account which is the invisible face of William's enemy. It is interesting that William Wilson can realize about the second William's height and physical features, but he never sees his face. It is common to hear, in popular legends, that one can NEVER see a spirit's face because once a person passes away she or he is not human anymore. These spirits belong to another place. We lose some kind of connection with them. Why is not William able to see his enemy's face? He says: "I saw not, at any moment the features of his face". Later in the story, before one kills the other, the protagonit mentions that a black mask covered the other's face. Maybe, a real second W.W appears in the story whose purpose is to take his victim into a way of suffering and frustation. In my opnion, a real ghost could appeared in his life. As we were commenting in class, Poe's stories can be understood or interpreted from different perspectives, and this marvelous story is not the exception. From both sides, we can find clues to prove our position; however, we can also question them with those same ideas.
For me what is most interesting in this story is that the other William Wilson is a copy of the principal character, and it bother him. This shows that he did not recognize himself in the other W.W, and he always wanted to be better than him; he wanted to be the only one.
As it is common in Poe’s stories, mental insanity is a clue in the development of the tale. While reading the story, I found it very interesting that there was persecution which added even more suspense to the plot. It even reminded me about the story “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley. This idea of being persecuted by a monster or a mysterious being anywhere you go without finding an escape totally catches a reader’s attention. The protagonist says “I fled in vain” when he has visited plenty of places without finding a solution. William Wilson declares himself as a different person since the beginning. He tells that he stayed in an academy during his childhood, and the mysterious place did not provoke any disgust on him. Actually, he found it very interesting. Wilson was not a common child; he explains that his race was one of “imaginative and easily excitable temperament”. Besides this, the fact of calling the other William Wilson his “arch-enemy” brings us to think that he finds in this character an opposite being even though they are physically the same person. It may be possible that in the other William Wilson he finds what is correct and moral. He becomes his awareness. The other William Wilson appears when he commits unethical actions. In my opinion, through the whisper of the unreal William Wilson, the real one realizes of his mistakes, and that is why he tries to escape. His “disordered imagination” created this being as a reminder. Since the theme of mental insanity is essential on Poe’s tales, as a reader one can suspect that one them was only part of the protagonist’s mind. The way Poe describes the tale absolutely captures any reader into a journey of madness and confusion.
ReplyDeleteFrom the very beginning of the story, Poe describes William Wilson as a person with an "easily excitable temperament" and "a prey to the most ungovernable passions." This is showing us that the main character was predisposed to suffer from something that may alter his state of mind. This led the main character to create this imaginary being, which apparently is his own conscience as Diana already said.
ReplyDeleteDiana, well done with your comment on the PERSECUTION of a monster or a being. Yes, as with any double, the danger seems to lie on the fact that it follows you wherever you go. Also, you noticed how the whispering could be referring to the same person's conscience.
ReplyDeleteArturo mentions the very important matter of the "easily excitable temperament." Poe's characters, as Poe himself seem to all suffer from this "condition."
I do agree with the conscience theory. I mean the second William Wilson talks only in whispers. Whisper is to speak very softly using one's breath without one's vocal cords, especially for the sake of privacy.
ReplyDeleteI believe that this means the privacy of his own mind. Why does the second Will Wilson want to talk just in whispers? He has things to say that nobody can hear. Even though the first WW refuses to recognize his "enemy," he keeps whispering at him. However, WW is just whispering to himself, this is part of his state of mind. I think that this is the manifestation of his own conscience as you already mentioned.
The second Will Wilson will only manifest when the first one does something wrong; cheating at gambling games. He is projecting his conscience in the second one who is continuously judging Will Wilson, himself. He even says it himself on the text “had he so crossed it except to frustrate those schemes, or to disturb those actions.” The second WW is definitely his conscience and is trying to keep the first WW at bay with his immoral actions.
I agree with Diana's opinion. I believe that elements such as mental insanity and the persecution of a mysterious being cacth the reader's attention. Also, I think that the second William Wilson is part of the subconscious mind of the protagonist because he appears when the first William Wilson is doing/making something unethical. In adittion, when the second W.W is dying, he says to the first one that he will die, too. So, we can infer that they are one.
ReplyDeleteEven though I still believe that the second William Wilson is only a creation of the protagonist, the idea of the double is something that makes me doubt. Now that we have commented the story in class, it seem possible to me that William was the victim of a real phantom. In the story, there is no evidence that any other person can see the second W.W, but there is an important aspect to take into account which is the invisible face of William's enemy. It is interesting that William Wilson can realize about the second William's height and physical features, but he never sees his face. It is common to hear, in popular legends, that one can NEVER see a spirit's face because once a person passes away she or he is not human anymore. These spirits belong to another place. We lose some kind of connection with them. Why is not William able to see his enemy's face? He says: "I saw not, at any moment the features of his face". Later in the story, before one kills the other, the protagonit mentions that a black mask covered the other's face. Maybe, a real second W.W appears in the story whose purpose is to take his victim into a way of suffering and frustation. In my opnion, a real ghost could appeared in his life. As we were commenting in class, Poe's stories can be understood or interpreted from different perspectives, and this marvelous story is not the exception. From both sides, we can find clues to prove our position; however, we can also question them with those same ideas.
ReplyDeleteFor me what is most interesting in this story is that the other William Wilson is a copy of the principal character, and it bother him. This shows that he did not recognize himself in the other W.W, and he always wanted to be better than him; he wanted to be the only one.
ReplyDelete