Introduction
The saying “The irony of getting away with something was that you were your keeper” recently gained prominence as a remark on the human psyche and the morality instilled in all people (Delaney). It emphasizes that personal accountability for one’s actions continues even if societal consequences are avoided; hence, I agree. Delaney’s “Clean,” which follows a young man as he attempts to make amends and rebuild his life, dives deeply into this concept.
The protagonist struggles with the idea that he is still responsible for his actions even if he is never held legally or socially accountable. This fiction analysis essay will examine the consequences of accepting responsibility for an individual’s personal development and character while focusing on Clean by Delaney. Accepting responsibility for one’s actions, even if they go undetected by the rest of society, is the ultimate level of accountability.
Guilt as a Form of Internal Punishment
Similar psychological issues of guilt, obligation, and morals emerge from the short stories by Edgar Allan Poe. In Poe’s tale, the narrator murders an innocent older man but is tormented by his actions until he eventually confesses and falls from grace. Similarly, Delaney’s protagonist quests to escape the responsibility of his misdeeds, only to learn that the only way to find redemption is to face the repercussions of his acts head-on. He cannot go forward with his life because feelings of shame plague him, and he regrets his past actions (Delaney 915).
The author stresses the need to accept personal responsibility and grow from experience in the face of adversity. It is a timely reminder of the transformational power of taking accountability and the importance of personal accountability and morality in defining one’s sense of self-worth and personal growth.
The choices made by the protagonist in Edward Delaney’s “Clean” show how guilt can engulf a person’s life and make it impossible to move on with it. The conflict between the protagonist and an opponent, which the protagonist ultimately wins by murdering, is the impetus for the story’s progression. Due to the guilt he feels for what he did, he is confined not only in his body but also in his mind.
The mental confinement of the main character swallows his entire being, making his body and soul unable to function normally. Even though he was found not guilty of the offense, the protagonist continued to suffer under the weight of his guilt, which ultimately led to the devastation of his life (Delaney 916). The feeling of shame promotes both physical and mental captivity, and as a result, this leads to an intellectual nightmare.
Accountability and the Burden of Freedom
In their respective works, Delaney and Edgar Allan Poe show the significant psychological effects of guilt. In “The Tell-Tale Heart,” the protagonist is driven insane by guilt (Sasa and Jweid 951). However, in Delaney’s story, the protagonist learns the hard way that accepting responsibility for one’s actions is the way to find redemption. The inability of the characters to take responsibility for their actions is a significant theme in both of these narratives, highlighting the significance of accepting responsibility for one’s actions to one’s personal growth and happiness. The irony is that individuals will execute themselves when they get away with something, and in a moment of regret, they might say something that would completely alter their course of action. Therefore, people should take responsibility for their actions, which is essential to having a happy and successful life, and the pain they experience due to not doing so can be emotional or physical.
A free person bears a much more outstanding obligation to account for their acts than when restricted. Delaney’s protagonist is an excellent example of this concept since he chooses to suffer the mental torment of living with his guilt rather than serve a lengthy prison sentence for his crime. The guilt was always there, eating away at his peace of mind and pushing him to continually debate with himself, no matter how much he tried ignoring the fact. (Fenton‐O’Creevy and Tuckett 3). Despite his best attempts, he could not shake the idea that he was to blame for what had occurred (Shen 1).
The constant fear that his closest friends would expose him was a burden he carried with him always. The fact that he got away with his crime adds to his mental suffering, and he is now trapped in a vicious cycle of guilt and mental anguish. It is an excellent example of how guilt can govern emotions and eventually result in self-imposed captivity on all levels. In this context, evading the consequences of unlawful activity indicates increased imprisonment rather than enriched freedom.
A person convicted should live with the humiliation and guilt of their conduct for the rest of their lives. Delaney’s protagonist must learn this lesson hard, as the consequences of his past acts follow him everywhere he goes. Poe’s protagonist is also nervous and anxious due to his guilt and fear of being caught (Bloom 243). The irony of getting away with anything is that it leads to self-destruction due to regret and remorse.
Delaney’s protagonist learns that a remorseful outburst can lead to a life-changing revelation. Both protagonists struggle to accept and get past the humiliation and sorrow they feel due to their acts. They are caught in a dilemma, wondering how lovely it would be to live, which alludes to the weight of guilt and the longing for the freedom it might provide. As the protagonists struggle to reclaim control of their lives, it becomes clear that guilt limits freedom and becomes the biggest enemy.
Delaney’s point of view is ironic since, despite appearing to live a “clean” existence, feelings of guilt and shame plague the protagonist. He feels trapped in his mental anguish, unable to break free from the physical and mental constraints imposed on him by his previous actions. Delaney claims that the protagonist’s life has become mundane and meaningless because he has come to accept it at face value (914).
The character is so consumed by guilt that he has become paranoid and spends his days preparing for the truth to be revealed. Delaney emphasizes that the protagonist’s guilt and emotional turmoil destroyed his relationship because he was at a loss for words, and she was grating on his nerves (916). These incidents demonstrate how guilt can muddle one’s life and relationships.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Delaney uses the story to illustrate that the irony of getting away with something lies in the fact that the person is their keeper. It illustrates an individual’s struggles with their crimes despite not being convicted.
Works Cited
Bloom, Richard W. “In Search of the Tell-Tale Heart.” The American Journal of Psychology, vol. 132, no. 2, 2019, pp. 245–250. Web.
Delaney, Edward J. “Clean.” Arguing About Literature: A Guide and Reader, edited by John Schilb and John Clifford, 3rd ed., Macmillan, 2020, pp. 913–918.
Delaney, Edward J. “Clean.” The Atlantic. 2012. Web.
Fenton‐O’Creevy, Mark, and David Tuckett. “Selecting Futures: The Role of Conviction, Narratives, Ambivalence, and Constructive Doubt.” FUTURES & FORESIGHT SCIENCE, vol. 4, no. 3-4, 2021. Web.
Sasa, Ghada, and Abdalhadi Nimer Jweid. “Paranoia, Neurotic Trauma, and Re-Traumatization as the Triad of Psychic Monomania in Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘The Tell-Tale Heart.’” Theory and Practice in Language Studies, vol. 12, no. 5, 2022, pp. 948–956. Web.
Shen. “Covert Progression’ and Dual Narrative Dynamics.” Style, vol. 55, no. 1, 2021, p. 1. Web.