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Jayson Wieczorek 

Mrs. Loy

English II H-2

April 29

, 201

!rea" !a"s#y Wri"ing Assign$en" %&

In "he #eginning o' "his no(el, Jay !a"s#y see$s like any o"her rich a""en"ion-seeking

$an. He likes "o 'la)n" his *eal"h #y "hro*ing o(er-"he-"op par"ies 'or h)n+re+s o' people. his

la(ishness +oes no" $ake hi$ a #a+ person. !a"s#y is e(en +escri#e+ as ha(ing one o' "hose

rare s$iles *i"h a )ali"y o' e"ernal reass)rance in i"/ i"zgeral+ 34. he rea+er soon +isco(ers

his e5cessi(e lo(e 'or 6ick 7arra*ay8s co)sin, aisy :)chanan. He +oes e(ery"hing in his

 po*er "o ge" aisy "o lo(e hi$ as she +i+ #e'ore he *en" "o 'igh" in Worl+ War I. he only

reason "ha" !a"s#y "hro*s "he par"ies is "o ge" aisy "o lo(e hi$. Al"ho)gh his ac"ions an+

in"en"ions are ro$an"ic an+ so$e*ha" heroic, "he *ay he goes a#o)" i$pressing aisy is no"hing

"o praise. He hi+es #ehin+ his $oney an+ *hen is con'ron"e+ *i"h an oppor")ni"y "o speak "o

aisy in an in'or$al se""ing, $akes her 'righ"ene+ ;an+<= on "he e+ge o' a s"i'' chair/

i"zgeral+ 3>4. his $o$en" in "he #ook sho*s ho* !a"s#y8s charac"er is 'la*e+ #y sho*ing

his ina#ili"y "o ac" nor$ally *i"ho)" s)per'icial o#?ec"s "o hi+e #ehin+.

I *o)l+ no" necessarily call hi$ corr)p"/. His loss o' aisy in a +espera"e "i$e change+

his charac"er an+ $a+e hi$ o#sessi(e a#o)" her #eca)se o' *ha" she #ro)gh" hi$. @ne e5a$ple

o' his 'la*e+ charac"er is *hen he "ries "o ge" aisy "o a+$i" she ne(er lo(e+ ;o$,= she lo(es

;!a"s#y=/ an+ "ha" she only $arrie+ ;o$= #eca)se ;!a"s#y= *as poor an+ she *as "ire+ o'

*ai"ing 'or ;hi$=/ i"zgeral+ 1&04. !a"s#y sho*s ho* he "hinks "ha" only he sho)l+ #e a#le "o

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 #e *i"h !a"s#y #eca)se he #elie(es he only e(er "r)ly lo(e+ hi$. Ho*e(er, his percep"ion o'

reali"y is (ery ske*e+ as she canno" openly a+$i" she ne(er lo(e+ o$ an+ #egan "o so#

helplessly, ;<a+$i""ing she= +i+ lo(e ;o$= once/ i"zgeral+ 1&24.

!a"s#y is no" necessarily a $orally corr)p"/ charac"er, #)" he +oes ha(e his 'la*s. His

o#session *i"h aisy lea+s hi$ "o +o "hings he *o)l+ no" nor$ally +o. When he realizes "ha" his

'eelings +o no" apply "o e(eryone, he goes in"o a 'i" o' rage an+ acci+en"ally kills so$eone *hile

+ri(ing. We sho)l+ no" +is"ance o)rsel(es 'or$ hi$, #)" sho)l+ no" "ake ro$an"ic a+(ice 'ro$

hi$ ei"her.