Such Is Life · Theme
Hypocrisy and Moral Judgment
How Such Is Life develops Hypocrisy and Moral Judgment.
The narrator satirizes societal hypocrisy, from the 'noxious affectation' of bathing descriptions in literature to the double standards of station owners and the self-righteousness of the 'respectable' classes.
Where it surfaces
- I
Willoughby's criticism of colonial materialism is undercut by his own reliance on the generosity of others, and the teamsters' moral judgments about dummying and trespass reflect their own complex ethics.
- Chapter III
The chapter attacks the hypocrisy of a 'Gospel of Thrift' preached by the wealthy to the destitute, and the church's 'silky loyalty to the law and the profits.'
- IV
Stewart's initial benevolence toward the refugees is later replaced by eviction, and the narrator reflects on the difficulty of rich men entering the Kingdom of God.
- V
Mr. Smythe's harsh treatment of the trespassers contrasts with his own weakness, while Barefooted Bob's loyalty and disillusionment expose the hypocrisy of the pastoral system.
- VII
The narrator critiques societal judgments about shanty-keepers and drinking, while also examining Mrs. Beaudesart's eavesdropping and the double standards between men and women.