English Literature

The story is anchored on historical event Lovewells Fight in 1752. However, Hawthorne referred to it as Lovells Fight, a battle in the Indian and French wars. Two soldiers survived the fight, Roger Malvin and Reuben Bourne, and they try to get to the nearest human settlement. However, as they are both badly wounded, there is a slim chance of survival. The older man, Roger Malvin, asked Reuben to go on and leave him there to die. However, he made him promised that he will go back and bury the old mans bone and say a prayer to them. Years passed, Reuben did not go back on where Roger Malvin died and unfulfilled his promised to Malvin to bury his bones. He married Roger Malvins daughter, Dorcas, and felt guiltier when he lied to his wife that he buried her father and he saw him die. He cannot feel at peace because he feels guilty. He tried to live a normal life however, he does not feel at ease in the society. They travelled on the wilderness and in the forest when Dorcas is preparing a meal, Reuben saw something hustling in the bushes and shoot it by thinking that it is a deer. Reuben accidentally killed his son by shooting him at the same place where he left Roger Malvin to die.

Theme Analysis
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 feel 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 a moral choice. The guilty feeling is plaguing the protagonist through the entire story. 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 (Mansour, 2009). Reubens abandonment of Roger Malvin is justified in every way. First, the old man requested Reuben to leave him as he argued that it is stupid to have two men die instead of one. However, Reuben felt guilty throughout the story because of the father and son relationship that the two men developed in the story. He felt guilty by leaving his almost-father there and the bond that they formed made it more unbearable for Reuben to forget what he did. The author did this for a reason, it is for the readers to critically think if the abandonment is justified or not. He formulated a logical reason to justify the protagonist actions however, he also made a consequence that, somehow, it is viewed to be unjustified.
   
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. (Causey, 2009). 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.
   
Hawthornes piece of literature stirred up the feelings of the readers by his prolific writing and story-telling. The beautifully-crafted plot paved the way for a memorable story that challenges our rational thinking versus our morality. The two, sometimes, runs in conflict with each other. The story tells us that there are situations in our lives that we have to choose however, our decision is always anchored on the premises that we have to think through. Some of the lifes choices are disagreeable and that whatever we choose will have an impact in the end.
   
This particular piece of literature embodies the logical and moral conflict in our lives. It is about a crucial decision that a person has to make. The story taught us a timeless lesson about our sins and how people perceive and respond to it. Our sins have the power to torment us due to its gravity. It can rob the peace in our lives and we will always carry the burden of it. The story also taught us that we have to pay for our sins and destiny will make a way for our retribution. In Reubens case, he paid his guilt and transgression through the death of his own son on the same spot where old man Roger Malvin lay. Upon that retribution, he finally escaped the guilty feeling of his unfulfilled promise to Roger Malvin.