The Adventures of Caleb Williams by Godwin, William - Assignment Example

?The Adventures of Caleb Williams by Godwin, William - Book Review The Adventures of Caleb Williams is an 18th century novel by William Godwin; it sheds light upon how reputation and wealth were considered in England during the 1700s. The book was written during the French Revolution of the 18th century (Godwin 2004, p.4). As a philosopher and anarchist, Godwin believed that the upper class in the society and institutional voids were the main causes of corruption and unethical behaviors. Caleb Williams is described in the novel as a man who strongly believes that the best way to make man become morally upright is by disbanding the ruling class and government (Godwin 2004, p.5). Despite being an anarchist, he strongly opposed the use of violence to solve the problems facing society. Rather, he believed that the society could be reformed through active non-violence. The story in the novel The Adventures of Caleb Williams revolves around Caleb, who despite being a poor orphan, manages to get better education. He later earns a lot of respect from community members owing to his enlightenment. The novel, basically, gives an account of the position taken by Caleb with respect to the wealthiest man in the neighborhood, Mr. Falkland (Godwin 2004, p.5). The fact that Mr. Falkland has a lot of wealth in the village makes his respectable to the extent that villagers, including Caleb, worship him. Nevertheless, Caleb appears to be very suspicious of Mr. Falkland. He believes that Mr. Falkland engages in unethical activities. As a result, Caleb decides to investigate Mr. Falkland’s past only to unearth some damning information. In the novel The Adventures of Caleb William, Godwin as the author tries to expose the rot in the political and social spheres of England during the 18th century (Godwin 2004, p.6). Godwin exposes vices by giving an overview of the injustices that were the orders of the day in the prison system. He also exposes the oppression of peasants by landlords, the oppression of the poor by the elite, as well the oppression of common citizens by government. The author reveals the injustice of the political and social system through various scenes. For example, he exposes an incident in which Mr. Falkland, knowingly and willingly, witnesses the execution of two innocent men for a crime that he committed himself. This is brought out when Caleb exposes the secret murder of Tyrrel, one of the landlords, by Falkland. Immediately after the murder, Caleb informs the public that Falkland used his power and wealth to blame two innocent men for the murder that led to the execution of the two innocent men (Godwin 2004, p.9). Nevertheless, when Falkland discovers that Caleb knows the truth about the incident, he threatens Caleb with grave consequences, warning him against exposing him further to the public. Despite the threats that he receives from Falkland, Caleb goes ahead to expose murder to the public, a move that puts him at loggerheads with Falkland. Caleb ends up paying the price of revealing the truth when Falkland implants jewelry in his bag later accusing him of being a thief (Godwin 2004, p.16). Without the authorities carrying proper and impartial investigations, Caleb ends up in prison. After staying in prison for a while, Caleb makes a daring escape but he is later recaptured in the streets of London. However, his release from prison comes quick with the intervention of Falkland. Falkland actually uses his power and wealth to manipulate Caleb’s release from prison (Godwin 2004, p.20) after he senses that he is in jeopardy of revelation of his deeds to a greater extent if he keeps Caleb in prison. As a result, Caleb is released from prison without a trial. This shows how injustice, impunity, and corruption were rife in the society during the time that the novel was written. Godwin’s fictional story gives a clear depiction of painful and intolerable oppression and the kind of bullying that the good people of 18th century were subjected to in their pursuit for justice and equality. Despite being set free from prison, Caleb remains under close watch by agents employed by Falkland to trail his movements and actions. At the same time, Godwin reveals that Falkland uses malicious propaganda to turn the neighborhood against Caleb by taking advantage of the respect he has earned from the villagers. He does this to make his ill agenda be taken as the absolute truth (Godwin 2004, p.33-36). Nevertheless, Caleb, being a noble and non-violent person, decides to pursue the legal and social means to get away from Falkland and his henchmen. In the end, Godwin tells how Caleb, being tired of Falkland’s moves, decides to confront him at his deathbed, a move that later forces Falkland to confess to the public of his past misdeeds. Falkland confesses of having used his wealth and power to influence the government agencies to conceal his acts such as the killing of the landlord and how he blames it on the two innocent men, as noted by Godwin (2004, p.42). The novel also brings out some elements of homosexuality thereby creating a kind of homophobic political environment of the late 1780s in Britain. This is seen from the fact that the novel presents the acts of homosexuality as a patrician advantage. The author also attempts to criticize the patronage that the powerful apply on those who wield less power and wealth (Godwin 2004, p.42). The book reveals this by linking the unspeakable with aristocratic patronage thereby emphasizing the importance of a close bond between the middle-class. Further, it encourages them to fight to succeed based on their own merit and to avoid the patronizing system. Despite being a fictional story, the novel exposes how the upper class and those in power were corrupt and oppressed commoners. The novel by Godwin can also be said to be a reflection of what he considered wrong in the society and calls for an end to the oppression of the people and misuse of power in the society. The novel presents most fascinating tales of the political and social injustices in the society even as it focuses on the political environment of Britain in the 18th century. It shows how innocent people in the society are oppressed by the government and those who wield a lot of power. The book also reveals how justice can be pursued through non-violence even as it represents Godwin’s utopian view regarding how things should be. Reference Godwin, W. (2004). The Adventures of Caleb Williams: Or, Things As They Are. London: Kessinger Publishing. Read More