Appearance
Excerpt
Excerpt from The Contrast, by Royall Tyler
I go to the land where my father is gone;
His ghost shall rejoice in the fame of his son:
Death comes like a friend, he relieves me from pain;
And thy son, Oh Alknomook! has scorn'd to complain.
There is something in this song which ever calls forth my affections.
The manly virtue of courage, that fortitude which steels the heart
against the keenest misfortunes, which interweaves the laurel of glory
amidst the instruments of torture and death, displays something so
noble, so exalted, that in despite of the prejudices of education I
cannot but admire it, even in a savage. The prepossession which our
sex is supposed to entertain for the character of a soldier is, I know,
a standing piece of raillery among the wits. A cockade, a lapell'd
coat, and a feather, they will tell you, are irresistible by a female
heart. Let it be so. Who is it that considers the helpless situation
of our sex, that does not see that we each moment stand in need of a
protector, and that a brave one too? Formed of the more delicate
materials of nature, endowed only with the softer passions, incapable,
from our ignorance of the world, to guard against the wiles of mankind,
our security for happiness often depends upon their generosity and
courage. Alas! how little of the former do we find! How
inconsistent! that man should be leagued to destroy that honour upon
which solely rests his respect and esteem. Ten thousand temptations
allure us, ten thousand passions betray us; yet the smallest deviation
from the path of rectitude is followed by the contempt and insult of
man, and the more remorseless pity of woman; years of penitence and
tears cannot wash away the stain, nor a life of virtue obliterate its
remembrance. Reputation is the life of woman; yet courage to protect
it is masculine and disgusting; and the only safe asylum a woman of
delicacy can find is in the arms of a man of honour. How naturally,
then, should we love the brave and the generous; how gratefully should
we bless the arm raised for our protection, when nerv'd by virtue and
directed by honour! Heaven grant that the man with whom I may be
connected--may be connected! Whither has my imagination transported
me--whither does it now lead me? Am I not indissolubly engaged, "by
every obligation of honour which my own consent and my father's
approbation can give," to a man who can never share my affections, and
whom a few days hence it will be criminal for me to disapprove--to
disapprove! would to heaven that were all--to despise. For, can the
most frivolous manners, actuated by the most depraved heart, meet, or
merit, anything but contempt from every woman of delicacy and sentiment?
[VAN ROUGH without. Mary!]
Explanation
Detailed Explanation of the Excerpt from The Contrast by Royall Tyler
Context of the Source
Royall Tyler’s The Contrast (1787) is a satirical comedy of manners and one of the first American plays to achieve significant recognition. Written in the early post-Revolutionary period, it critiques the moral and social contradictions of American society, particularly the tension between republican virtue and aristocratic affectation. The play contrasts the honest, virtuous American (embodied by characters like Colonel Manly) with the foppish, morally corrupt European-influenced dandy (Van Rough).
The excerpt is a soliloquy spoken by Letitia, a refined and morally upright young woman engaged to the frivolous and dishonorable Van Rough. Her speech reflects on courage, reputation, and the precarious position of women in a society that demands virtue but offers little protection. The lines she quotes at the beginning are from a song sung by a Native American warrior (Alknomook’s son), which she admires for its noble defiance in the face of death.
Breakdown of the Excerpt
1. The Native American Warrior’s Song (First Stanza)
"I go to the land where my father is gone; His ghost shall rejoice in the fame of his son: Death comes like a friend, he relieves me from pain; And thy son, Oh Alknomook! has scorn'd to complain."
Themes:
- Stoic Courage & Honor – The warrior embraces death with dignity, valuing reputation ("fame of his son") over life. His defiance of suffering ("scorn'd to complain") aligns with Enlightenment ideals of virtue and self-mastery.
- Filial Piety & Legacy – His actions are not just personal but tied to his father’s memory, suggesting a cultural emphasis on lineage and honor.
- Death as Liberation – Death is personified as a "friend" who ends pain, framing it as a noble release rather than a defeat.
Literary Devices:
- Apostrophe – Direct address to "Alknomook" (his father or chieftain) heightens emotional intensity.
- Personification – Death is a benevolent figure ("comes like a friend").
- Parallelism – The structure of the lines ("I go... His ghost... Death comes... thy son") creates rhythmic solemnity.
Significance:
- The song serves as a foil to the frivolity of characters like Van Rough. It represents authentic virtue—untainted by European corruption—which Letitia admires despite her societal prejudices ("a savage").
- Tyler uses the "noble savage" trope (popular in 18th-century literature) to critique the moral decay of "civilized" society.
2. Letitia’s Reflection on Courage and Female Vulnerability
"There is something in this song which ever calls forth my affections... that fortitude which steels the heart against the keenest misfortunes... displays something so noble, so exalted..."
Themes:
- Admiration for Masculine Virtue – Letitia praises the warrior’s courage, which she sees as universally noble, transcending cultural biases ("in despite of the prejudices of education").
- Gender Roles & Protection – She argues that women, being "formed of the more delicate materials of nature," require brave men for security. This reflects 18th-century views on female dependence but also critiques men who fail to protect women’s honor.
- Hypocrisy of Society – She laments that men, who demand female virtue, often betray that virtue ("leagued to destroy that honour upon which solely rests his respect and esteem").
Literary Devices:
- Rhetorical Questions – "Who is it that considers the helpless situation of our sex?" – Engages the audience in her argument.
- Antithesis – Contrasts the "softer passions" of women with the "brave" protectors they need.
- Irony – Society praises female virtue but punishes women harshly for minor deviations ("the smallest deviation... followed by the contempt and insult of man").
Significance:
- Letitia’s speech exposes the double standards of her society: women are expected to be virtuous but are powerless to defend their reputation.
- Her admiration for the warrior’s courage is subversive—she challenges the idea that only "civilized" (European) men embody virtue.
- The passage also critiques foppish masculinity (embodied by Van Rough), which lacks the courage to protect women.
3. Letitia’s Personal Crisis: Duty vs. Desire
"Heaven grant that the man with whom I may be connected—may be connected! Whither has my imagination transported me... Am I not indissolubly engaged... to a man who can never share my affections..."
Themes:
- Forced Marriage & Female Agency – Letitia is trapped in an engagement to Van Rough, a man she despises for his "frivolous manners" and "depraved heart."
- Internal Conflict – Her emotional outburst ("Whither has my imagination transported me") reveals her desire for a virtuous partner (like Colonel Manly, the play’s hero) but her powerlessness to choose.
- Reputation as a Woman’s "Life" – She earlier states that "reputation is the life of woman," yet she is bound to a man who threatens that reputation.
Literary Devices:
- Apostrophe to Heaven – "Heaven grant..." – Shows her desperation and lack of control.
- Repetition & Interruption – "may be connected—may be connected!" mimics her anxious, fragmented thoughts.
- Irony – She is engaged by "every obligation of honour," yet the man she is bound to is dishonorable.
Significance:
- This moment highlights the tragic position of women in Tyler’s society: they are property exchanged between men (father to husband) with no say in their own fate.
- Her disgust for Van Rough ("contempt from every woman of delicacy and sentiment") aligns with the play’s satire of false refinement—he is a parody of European aristocracy, all surface and no substance.
- The soliloquy foreshadows her eventual rejection of Van Rough in favor of Colonel Manly, the play’s virtuous American hero.
Key Themes in the Excerpt
- Virtue vs. Corruption – The Native American warrior embodies true courage, while Van Rough represents moral decay.
- Gender and Power – Women are vulnerable and dependent on men, yet society punishes them for any perceived moral failing.
- Republican vs. Aristocratic Values – The play contrasts American simplicity and honor (Colonel Manly) with European frivolity (Van Rough).
- The Illusion of Choice – Letitia’s engagement is a social contract, not a personal one, exposing the lack of female autonomy.
Literary Significance
- Early American Literature – The Contrast is one of the first American plays to engage with national identity, pitting American virtue against European vice.
- Sentimentalism & Sensibility – Letitia’s emotional speech reflects the cult of sensibility, where moral virtue is tied to deep feeling.
- Satire of Social Norms – Tyler mocks the hypocrisy of a society that praises female virtue while denying women agency.
Conclusion: Why This Passage Matters
This excerpt is a microcosm of the play’s central tensions:
- The noble savage (Alknomook’s son) vs. the corrupt dandy (Van Rough).
- Female vulnerability vs. male protection (or betrayal).
- Duty (Letitia’s engagement) vs. desire (her longing for a virtuous man).
Letitia’s soliloquy is both a critique and a lament—she admires true courage but is trapped in a society that rewards appearance over substance. Her words resonate with the Republican ideals of the new America, where virtue, not birth, should define worth. Yet, as a woman, she is denied the freedom to act on those ideals, making her speech all the more poignant.
The interruption by Van Rough ("Mary!") at the end abruptly snaps her out of her reverie, reinforcing her powerlessness—she must return to the reality of her engagement, a fate she finds unbearable. This moment underscores the play’s satirical edge: the "contrast" is not just between America and Europe, but between idealized virtue and harsh reality.