Sir Philip Gardiner is shady, self-centered, and mischievous
which is proved in his letter to Milton, and other interactions throughout the
text. First off, Sir Philips’s letter
implies his mischievousness in a number of ways. His explanation to his friend
Wilton of why he is in New England sets up his character with this kind of
reputation. Explaining how Thomas Morton wanted him to be in a high position on
his land on page 205, but when Sir Philip arrives it is explained that this is
not the case. So Sir Philip adapts by pretending to be a pilgrim. Again on page
205 Sir Philip explains to his friend in a letter how he feels about the New
England Settlers, saying, “would it not be a worthy act to tear this scion of a
loyal stock from these crabs of the wilderness, and set her in our garden of
England?” By calling the settlers crabs of wilderness he shows the reader how
much he disapproves of them.
Then, after he
has finished his letter in Chapter three of the second volume, he abruptly
turns to find the woman he convinced to make this journey with him reading over
his shoulder. At this point, she announces her loneliness to the audience,
screaming, “I wish I was dead!” (209) The audience learns the manipulative skills
of Sir Philip when he sheds a few tears in order to trick Rosa into going along
with his game of false identification.
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ReplyDeleteI agree with your character analysis of Sir Phillip Gardiner. I, however, would take it one step farther to point out that Gardiner is used as a starkly contrasting foil for the protagonist Hope Leslie. While Hope Leslie is characterized as a rule-breaker and someone who deviates from social norms, Sedgewick’s inclusion of Gardiner underscores the fact that these traits of independence do not make Leslie immoral or bad so much as they make her noble. Sir Phillip Gardiner, who falsely upholds the puritan norms, in a “tedious masquerade” (269), to achieve immoral ends literally holds a title of nobility, yet, his actions prove extraordinarily common and vulgar. His independence from morality is used purely for selfish means, while Hope’s independent thinking leads to the pursuit of justice for Nelema and later for Magawisca.
ReplyDeleteIn a book where justice is one of the major themes, Sir Philip Gardiner’s introduction to the plot in the second part is an interesting juxtaposition. His injustice isn’t limited to the settlers of the new world. After seeing that his concubine has been reading his letter he contemplates striking her but resists, probably one of the only morally just decisions he makes throughout the entire novel. He becomes so two-faced that he even begins to trick himself. In setting a trap on the island he plots against the woman that he supposedly loves. Anyone who actually loved Hope would not do this. He looks down on not only the people of New England but fellow countrymen as well. Clearly, he is the one to be looked down upon.
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