It is significant the the source of the rumors that led to
the disgrace and banishment of Adolph Myers, also known as Wing Biddlebaum,
was
"a
half-witted boy of the school (who) became enamored of the young
master."
The fact that the
boy is described as "half-witted" casts immediate doubt on the veracity of his
accusations, and the added information that he "became enamored" of his teacher further
fuels the possiblity that his perceptions of Myers might not have been completely
objective. In the final analysis, the source of the rumors was unreliable. The author
goes on to say that the boy
"imagined unspeakable things...in his bed at
night...and in the morning went forth to tell his dreams as facts...strange, hideous
accusations fell from his loose-hung
lips."
It is significant that
the boy "imagined" these things, which he went on to spread among others as truth. His
accusations clearly stemmed from "dreams," not reality, and what he said about his
teacher was "strange, hideous," falling from "loose-hung lips" which gives the
impression of idle talk unsupported by reason. The effect of the boy's prattling was
devastating - "shadowy doubts that had been in men's minds concerning Adolph Myers were
galvanized into beliefs" because of his testimony, and the master was sent away from the
community in ignominy.
No comments:
Post a Comment