Anse+vs.+Whitfield

I think it is interesting to compare the characters of Anse and Whitfield because while Whitfield claims to be extremely religious on the outside, he violates his vows to the church by having an affair with Addie. He is able to keep this covered up because no one would suspect the Minister of being the father of Jewel and he maintains his reputation within the society. However, Anse, who is not really religious and only uses it to justify things that will help him advance in life, is punished by society because he is generally disliked by the community.

Possibly this contrast is merely due to a difference in education because Anse is obviously not educated while the minister is educated. People are probably more willing to trust Whitfield than Anse because while Anse may say something unintelligent like the road killed Addie, Whitfield could easily cover up what happened and clear his own conscience by planning to tell Anse everything but only changing his mind when he found that Addie was dead.1203388726

I think that both of the men represent carelessness and selfishness, but in different ways. Anse is not wealthy and uneducated so his poor character is seen more clearly than Whitfield who has the intelligence to cover his sinful actions. I think it shows how society looks down upon those who are unintelligent while viewing educated people as superior. 1203454629

I think one of the reasons that we see more condemnation of Anse than whitfield is because there is so much more exposure of anse than whitfield. Anse is being punished by society because nobody likes, and usually for good reason, but I think that whitfield’s punishment is more severe. Dealing with that kind of inner turmoil and knowing that level of sin he committed has got to be worse than what anse is dealing with, even if he is dealing with it in the public spot light. I even think that we will see whitfield again and his sin will somehow be revealed, probably by confession to someone. I just think it is hard to say that anse is being criticized more by society because he is poor and uneducated when we don’t know the whole story of whitfield, whose sin was just revealed to the reader not long ago. 1203470928

I agree with KSm in that both the men represent selfishness, but I also think that the contrast between the two's punishments for their sins is meant to point out the double standard in people's judgment of character. Anse suffers retribution because he viewed as the common backwoods hick: one who is not educated, ignorant, and only knows of their own weird traditions. While Anse being a preacher is viewed as not only an educated man, but also a pious man since he is a man of God. However, I disagree with kli's view on their punishments because I believe both just as bad, yet that depends on whether you look at it from the character's point of view because keep in mind that Whitfield takes Addie's death as divine sign that his will to want to tell his sin was enough and he did not actually have to confess. So in his mind he is absolved, no longer feeling the weight of sin crushing his soul. And Anse, along with the rest of the family is pretty apathetic towards others' feelings and thoughts, so I'm pretty sure that he could care less what others thought of him. He told Addie that they "ain't nigh done chapping yet, with just two." (174). To Anse she was a vessel in which to have babies.user:MSu-c

I do see the similarities that all you do too but I think there are more differences between the two than are discussed. I'm really talking about Whitfield's chapter when he is going to fess up to his sins and admit what happened, but finds the family missing and finds it as a sign to not do so anymore. Anse would never even fancy the notion of apologizing for sleeping with a woman. I believe that there is a spiritual or moral dimension to Whitfield that is absent in Anse. I mean Whitfield is a minister so even if he might not value his religious values above all else and violates his vows with Addie, he probably still has a spiritualitry or idea of love that he has picked up from his studies. With Anse, I just don't see this as the case at all.1204085163

While I will agree in saying that Anse is unintelligent, I will say that he had enough cunning and at least enough intelligence to know how manipulate the members of his family for his own gains. I think though with having Whitfield in the novel that Faulkner was making a sligh commentary on abuses within religion. Anse knew that he was manipulating people by going on and on with that whole Good Christian thing and that he only used it so that he could get things for free and get free help. Whitfield though was a clergyman who broke a fundamental rule of the Church by his affair and so in a sense he is just as bad as Anse because he didn't excuse himself from having sex. Anse used the excuse of religion to get things, while Whitfield failed to use the excuse of his vows and dedication to his faith to keep him from having sex. In all honesty, they're both dirtbags for what they did, but it's just more obvious for Anse because Anse didn't really try to cover up his transgressions because he really had no one to hide from as his family was uneducated and couldn't see through his manipulation.

I agree with MKa though that Whitfield kind of redeems himself by at least trying to go ahead and admit his sins to Anse. Sure, he chickened out, but at least he felt guilty and probably prayed for repentance whereas Anse goes through the novel guilt-free about all the peril he puts others through for his own gains. At least Whitfield showed some remorse for what he'd done and gave an inclination that he didn't want to make that mistake again. Anse frankly doesn't seem to care and will continue to use people as long as he possibly can.1204166449

Yeah, but I guess there's a different shade to it. You can be religious but still be sinful, I guess, and that just means if you're religion is based on love (like his) then you're being hypocritical. Although he might sin in sex but be fine in everything else. Either way, he's a sinner, and a covert one. Anse is possibly just as bad though. I mean, he's brutal to everyone else, and probably earned whatever poor reputation he now has by his bad actions and selfishness. At least Whitfield doesn't go that far to be so mean to everyone, even if he hides the truth. Well, Anse was wronged by Whitfield, but I can't say he didn't deserve it, nor that he might not have seen it coming, the way family relations were so... well... lacking, I suppose. Whitfield is a weak character though. I see Anse as being greedy and mean, I see Whitfield as being more subtle, but actually nicer, even if he's still sinful. I dunno, I'd rather have Whitfield around, but he's really a weak character if he can fool himself into thinking he'll confess his sins to others, but then when he's about to say it, turn back and not confess that he did something poor, and play it along as if it never happened. Weak! He needs a little moral courage there I guess. 1204258578