When God Laughs · Theme
Morality and Guilt
How When God Laughs develops Morality and Guilt.
Characters like Loretta in 'A Wicked Woman' and the dying slave in 'The Dream of Debs' grapple with intense feelings of shame, sin, and conscience, often over actions that are socially condemned or morally ambiguous.
Where it surfaces
- A Wicked Woman
Loretta's confession of being 'wicked' due to her past with Billy drives the chapter's tension and Ned's reaction.
- Just Meat
Both men betray their pact of honesty, and their mutual treachery leads to their deaths, illustrating the collapse of moral codes under greed.
- Created He Them
George grapples with the morality of forcing his brother and even contemplating killing him, while Al's guilt and shame are palpable.
- The Chinago
The moral failure of Schemmer and the sergeant, who knowingly proceed with the execution of an innocent man to avoid inconvenience.
- Make Westing
Dorety confronts Cullen's moral failure, and Cullen falsifies the log to evade guilt, highlighting the conflict between conscience and self-preservation.
- Semper Idem
Doctor Bicknell's indifference to the death of a sailorman contrasts with his pride in saving Semper Idem, highlighting a utilitarian view of human life.
- The Francis Spaight
The moral conflict is evident as Mahoney refuses to partake, Gorman is forced to kill, and the crew's guilt is overshadowed by their desperation.
- A Curious Fragment
Bloody Vange dies tormented by his conscience, regretting his actions, while the narrator questions why a slave should become a master of other slaves.