An analysis of The Case of Charles Dexter Ward - Essay Example

Dangers of Biased Education: An Analysis of “The Case of Charles Dexter Ward” By H.P. Lovecraft Every concept of knowledge has different sides that are needed to be considered to have an effective and balanced perspective. Having a biased education is dangerous since it can affect the whole outlook and even behavior of a person. It can be compared to brainwashing where a person can be blinded by his views to the point of blocking other forms of reasoning. The dangers of biased education and knowledge are included in the issues in the novel under study. The paper is aimed to discuss and to analyze the work of Howard Phillips Lovecraft which is entitled as “The Case of Charles Dexter Ward.” It is a novel about the life of Charles Dexter Ward who is of royal lineage in the Rhode Island. It is a story of mystery and investigation by the family doctor Bicknell Willett on the disappearance of Charles. There are different themes for which the author was known for but the most prominent are themes of horror, science fiction and fantasy. Also, Lovecraft focused on education in the different works that he had done. The paper discusses the author, the novel and the main subject which is the dangers of biased education which had been exhibited in the plot. The Author and The Novel The author Howard Phillips Lovecraft is an American author in the first part of the 20th century. He is known as the writer of weird fiction composed of horror, fantasy, and science fiction. Cosmic horror is the known as one of the main inspirations in the writing of Lovecraft. It is defined as the ‘idea that cannot be comprehended by human minds such as the universe which is considered fundamentally alien’ (Lovecraft “Works…” Biography page 1). In effect, the works of Lovecraft had curved its own niche in the genre of novel specifically the mysterious fiction category. The influence of the author had been observed in the reaction of the public to his writings. His work Cthulhu Mythos resulted to the establishment of a cult due to the rituals and philosophies in relation to “human-nullifying entities” featured in the series novels within the said work. Another work of the author with the said effect is the Necronomicon, which is composed of magical rites and forbidden lore which became the basis of activities of cults and groups. His work was known to inculcate pessimism and cynicism which are the opposite of the concepts and philosophies being promoted in his era such as Enlightenment, Romanticism, and Christian humanism (Lovecraft “Works…” Biography page 1). The novel “The Case of Charles Dexter Ward” is one of the famous novels of Lovecraft in the same atmosphere of horror and fantasy. It is about the main character Charles who became a mental case due to the results of his quest in knowing the life of one of his ancestors Joseph Curwen who was known for his evil activities during his lifetime. There are important points in the novel. One is the impact of fantasy in the novel, which can be considered as the focal point of the story. Without the magical and demonic return of the spirit of Curwen through Charles, the novel would have failed to progress. In any novel, there is a fight between forces of good and evil. And in relation to the common theme of Lovecraft’s works, cosmic horror had an important role and created confusion in the story as well. This can be observed on the decision of the main character to dedicate his life in finding Curwen inspired by the possibility of achieving his capabilities (Lovecraft “Works…” Biography page 1; Lovecraft “The Case….” Part 1 Par. 6). The focus of the paper is the theme of the novel regarding education which is another important point in the works of Lovecraft. The story specifically pointed out the dangers of biased knowledge based on education focused on a singular aspect which is the quest for an ancestor and his capabilities. Analysis of the Dangers of Biased Education in the Novel H.P. Lovecraft is known for his style of writing in the fantasy and horror fiction genre but most importantly he is known for the importance of education in the themes of his works. The Case of Charles Dexter Ward also shares the same theme. In the story, one of the most important elements that affected the fate of the main character is his biased knowledge due to the lack of balanced perspective. This ultimately resulted in his mental condition. Ward is a an educated person with a degree but “during the boy’s last year at the Moses Brown School, when he suddenly turned from the study of the past to the study of the occult, and refuse to qualify for college on the ground that he had individual researches of much greater importance to make” (Lovecraft “The Case….” Part 1 Par. 6). This became the onset of his research on Joseph Curwen and the change in his behavior. One of the observed changes is the behavior and attitude of Charles is the neglect of other areas of his life to pursue his quest for the occult. This is one of the most important evidence of the dangers of biased education. Due to his obsession to focus on one area of knowledge he underwent a self consuming form of one sided education which led to his mental condition and change in behavior. The behavior that was exhibited by Charles can be compared to brainwashing and other forms of influential effects wherein a person can be totally focused on a single activity, a single aspect of life or a single objective and block the rest. This cannot be considered normal since people philosophize and analyze situations by comparing sides and determining possible cause and effects of different concepts and ideas. In Charles case, he can only see the need for searching and following traces of his ancestor as the only objective in life. Based on medical experts of the time when the story occurred, such behavior is considered lunacy. This can explain the situation of the main character and his admission in the mental institution (Pilgrim 6). In addition to his bias view in his research of his ancestor is the fact that the novel implicated the element of magic, fantasy and terror, thus, the Charles was possessed by the evil spirit of his ancestor Curwen when he stumbled in the connected they had together. Evidences were presented by Dr. Willett regarding the documents of Curwen found in the possession of Charles, which was never found prior to the latter’s investigation (Lovecraft “The Case….” Part 1 Par. 7). The extent of the dangers of unbalanced or biased view in educating oneself had been observed in Charles performance of the essential Saltes that had brought Curwen back to life through him. It had been quoted as: “The essential Saltes of Animals may be so prepared and preserved, that an ingenious Man may have the whole Ark of Noah in his own Studie, and raise the fine Shape of an Animal out of its Ashes at his Pleasure; and by the lyke Method from the essential Saltes of humane Dust, a Philosopher may, without any criminal Necromancy, call up the Shape of any dead Ancestour from the Dust whereinto his Bodie has been incinerated” (Lovecraft “The Case…” Section II, Part 1). The actions had been done by the main character Charles Dexter Ward can be considered as effects of his obsession and complete focus on only one subject matter which is the quest for the occult and the power of his ancestor. Conclusion The Case of Charles Dexter Ward is one of the most interesting novels, on the basis of personal perspective, due to the synergy of the different elements such as mystery, horror, and medical and behavioral concepts. Due to the action of these elements, the novel is a mixture of reality and fantasy, which is the main niche of the author. In terms of the focus on biased education, the case of Charles Ward had exhibited the importance of open-mindedness and the balanced perspectives specifically in education. In conclusion, the novel depicted the importance of extensive research prior to the establishment of conclusive statements. In common view, less knowledge can lead to dangers of prejudice and wrong judgment. In the main character’s case, it led to insanity. Works Cited Lovecraft, Howard Phillips. The Case of Charles Dexter Ward. Ballantine Books, 1982. Lovecraft, Howard Phillips. Works of H.P.Lovecraft. MobileReference, 2008. Pilgrim, David. Key Concepts in Mental Health. SAGE Publications Ltd., 2009. Read More