A very small book, but the content has been contended ever since the first of fall of mankind, I am reffering to the of the forbidden fruit and Eve and Adam’s Fallacy. The author knows how to nail in the point. His subject is not new, we have a very old play named Everyman, we have George Bernard Shaw, tackling this in almost all of his plays, we have Marlowe’s Faustus, Goethe’s Faust, Milton’s Paradise Lost, and The Bible of course! What about the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. They all fall into the same category. What appeals about this book is the ease of reading- Its not an epic, its not a drama, its not a scripture.its only simple story with all the meaning of the books mentioned previously. That’s why, it may appeal to all, if they are not serious readers.
I am not going into the story- the story is left for all to read - do read it- its fascinating. Let me deal with the question author asks. Are men good or evil or both?
*Will you commit a murder for money? Ask yourself, and put yourself in the shoes of one of the villagers of viscos and try to give an answer. That apart whats important is whether the answer to this question comes out of the issue of morality or cowardice. Do we genuinely feel committing a murder is sin morally, or do we fear law? The whole deals with this question. The answer it gives is also beautiful but very very vague, and that’s dangerous, is it not?
Remember George Bernard Shaw in his play Pygmalion/My Fair Lady tries bring this struggle in a very very positive manner.(I know everybody will think about this play as musical or romantic etc, but for me its blend of socialism and reality) There again Eliza Doolittle had a chance to find out the spark of the Divine Soul, but in a very constructive manner- "Learning", to overcome the difference- and Higgins was to be the instrument to "bridge that gap", to bring in equanimity. One must understand that Evil arises out of Imbalance, disproportion, disharmony, its always circumstantial, making Goodness in us dwindle- and its always temporary, making that Goodness prevail is our choice. or rather say struggle, given a chance, we all of us want to be good(at least that want is true) not bad/or evil or devil for that matter. This is the difference. what the author does here is unlike Shaw, he brings in the destructive element- instead of Goodness being an instrument(Higgins), he brings the Devil as an instrument and he has gone for the opposite to prove that evil is always temporary - for the instrument - the devil is weakened nd defeated.
The author’s use of personification - the stranger "as devil is dramatic. The portrayal of idyllic village Viscos, is another triumph for the author. The characters are so inextricably owen that at one point everything seems evil. Viscos is Paradise only to outsider’s, for they have not experienced bore doom as the villager’s have. They have no enough money like people in big cities, they desire for so many things - that drives them astray when their innate goodness comes in contact with the devil. The atmosphere is itself disturbed - that’s how the author portrays.
Narration is excellent. Especially when the past blends with the present. After all, the struggle is a very old one.
All that matters is choice - That is the author’s conclusion- quite existential!- Its a matter of control- the free will when the circumstance prevails. But what happens to the devil - read the story.
"Man needs what’s worst in him in order to understand what’s best in him" - from the book - a devil to understand God. The author succeed in transformation - and so his book.
All the books too that I have mentioned in the end says Goodness prevails or Evil is defeated. - Paradise Lost has Paradise regained -Faustus asks Pardon from God in his Last Hour- the struggle continues in Shaw’s plays, In Mahabharata and Ramayana, Evil is defeated.
But do give me an answer whether its question of morality or cowardice?. Knowledge that evil is temporary, very few realizes.- that’s what happens to the character Stranger- thats why he poses the question of evil and goodness- he does not realize it.
The Book is a must read.
* I repeat The Struggle Continues.