English Literature

The central theme of the story is about guilt, a psychological state in which Hawthorne constantly explores. The protagonist, Reuben Bourne, is tormented at the brink of insanity because of the guilty feeling. The story made people think that if Reuben has the reason to fell guilty. He left his companion, Roger Malvin, to die. However, the old man requested Reuben to leave and survive. Moreover, Reuben failed to fulfill his promise to Roger Malvin to go back on the rock and bury his bones and say a prayer to them. The story examines the consequences of moral choice. Just like other works of Nathaniel Hawthorne, it offers no answers to the question he explored in the story. He just pushed the readers buttons and made them think if they are put in the similar situation. Guilt runs over Reuben and compels him to redeem himself from his sin. He also told a lie to his wife that he buried her father, making the sin more unbearable.

Roger Malvins Burial also talks about retribution or the indebtedness you have to pay to people who done you good. Reuben feel in debt with Roger Malvin as he let him survived. The feeling of guilt constantly reminded Reuben even after so many years that he did not fulfill his promise to Roger Malvin. Hawthorne tries to communicate to his readers  with his dramatic characterizations. The drastic situations that the characters are in make it difficult to analyze the right and wrong. The main motive of Hawthorne is to show that  satisfying a promise and resisting the easier path will lead to peace. as Roger Malvin faces death, he forced Reuben to make a promise to him and not fulfilling the promise will torment the person for life and making him feel that he has sinned to the person. And just like all sins, it has to be atoned, which cost him the life of his own son whom he accidentally shot. When his son died at the very spot where Roger Malvin died, Reuben felt relieve that finally, he was free from the curse of unfulfilled promise and that he can live in peace.