Humanity Vs. Society
It seems that although people are all born equal, society forces the act of separation by ranking and evaluating each other based on materialistic things and ignoring the importance of kindness and respect. In the novel Barometer Rising, the main character goes through the suffering of being harshly judged by others. The main character experiences situations that cause moral dilemmas. Also, the main character is faced with being exposed to emotional abuse. The author Hugh Maclennan demonstrates in the novel that the social hierarchy in society creates more difficult and challenging lives for the less fortunate.
In the novel Barometer Rising, are cruelly judged. In Barometer Rising, Neil suffers from the judgments of others. Throughout the novel, colonel Wain continuously criticizes him in a very rude manner: “This boy is nothing but a loser!” said colonel Wain with disdain, while speaking with his daughter Penelope. “The way he dresses! And what thick boots!” (Maclennan 153). Since mr. Wain does not have anyone at his house to babysit Penelope, he then invites Neil to come over. When Neil arrives to his house to babysit, he notices Penelope’s cold and insulting behavior. When they are playing cards, she begins to mock Neil by first referring to him as “boy”, judging the way he dresses and his social status. Due to her superior attitude, this is when he first truly realizes the inequality between the wealthy and the poor, which effects him forever. Another person that criticizes him is Penelope’s Father Mr. Wain: “Away,” said Mr. Wain; “educating for a lady; far out of your reach; prettier than anything alive; admired by all who see her. Do you feel that you have lost her?” (Maclennan 236). When Neil starts to develop feelings towards Penelope, he decides to educate himself in order to become a respectable gentleman and win her heart. However, when Mr. Wain is aware of Neil’s plans, he still decides to judge Neil’s intelligence by telling him that he will never be smart or rich enough to marry Penelope. For such reasons, being at the bottom of the social ladder causes Neil to undergo hardships in his life.
Furthermore, In Barometer Rising, Neil is put into situations that cause him to question his morals. Throughout the beginning of the novel, James orders Neil to commit a crime: “You get me a pistol. And you get me a helmet. You bring ‘em both to me or I’ll have your eyeballs and heart out” (Maclennan 40). When James meets Neil, he realizes that Neil is a less Fortunate person that belongs to a low social ranking and decides to take advantage of his humbleness. Since he is aware that Neil is educated, he tricks him into thinking that if he does not bring him a pistol and a helmet, a terrifying group of men will hunt him down and kill him. Therefore, Neil, terrified , steals a pistol and a helmet from his military camp and brings them to James the next day. Neil’s morals are also tested when his brother in law, William visits him: “Neil, dear old brother, If you're trying to achieve something, there will be roadblocks. I've had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” (Mcalennan 250). When Neil finally becomes a gentleman, he appears to forget and ignore the people who really care about him. When William unexpectedly visits him in Halifax, he is very embarrassed and annoyed by him. What causes Neil’s feelings to change towards William is because they do not belong in the same social level anymore. Since people most of the time treat Neil horribly due to his social position, it makes him more hungry to rise to the top of the social ladder, which unfortunately causes him to lose his morals and ignore the people who truly care for him. Therefore, being part of the lower social hierarchy creates many difficulties in Neil’s life.
