Redemption is a binary concept – success is achieved by fully acknowledging and regretting one’s wrongdoings, while failure entails clinging to a troubled past indefinitely. True redemption is characterized by accepting accountability and expressing genuine remorse, followed by the performance of virtuous actions to offset the negative ones, ultimately restoring equilibrium in their life.
Truman Capote and Oscar Wilde explore the theme of redemption in their respective books. In Capote’s In Cold Blood, Dick Hickock and Perry Smith committed a quadruple homicide and have awaited their final day on death row for five years. While they could not perform a good deed to erase their bad one due to imprisonment, they had the opportunity to take other actions. By accepting their punishment, apologizing sincerely for their crime, and refraining from prolonging the process, they could have demonstrated remorse and potentially achieved redemption. As stated by Capote, “why haven’t Smith and Hickock got it in the neck, how come they are still eating up the taxpayers’ money” (page 335).
Hickock vehemently opposed the death penalty, stating “I believe in hanging. Just so long as I’m not the one being hanged” (page 336), during the three years leading up to his and Smith’s death sentence. Both of them lacked genuine remorse for the murder. Before his hanging, Dick even joked with his jail friend Andy, saying “I’ll be seeing you soon…So scout around and see if you can’t find a cool shady spot for us Down There,” displaying complete indifference towards his actions and showing no intention of making amends in his life.
Dick maintained a composed and optimistic demeanor prior to his execution, thanking those who apprehended him and acknowledging that he was going to a superior realm. Nevertheless, this did not exempt him from his culpability. Dick never admitted his participation in the Clutter murders, never expressed remorse, and neglected to undertake any substantial measures to compensate for his offenses. Perry also did not achieve redemption as he was considered a coward.
Before facing the gallows, Perry sincerely apologized, stating that while it might be seen as meaningless or inappropriate, he felt the need to apologize for his actions.
(page 340) Despite its inappropriateness, it held significance for him and brought him a sense of peace. Though the Clutter family was absent, it may have held meaning for them. However, the lateness of his apology made it inappropriate. Perry’s refusal to accept the punishment he deserved showcased his cowardice, as he attempted a “phony starvation routine” (page 335), as described by Dick (Perry’s attempt to starve himself in order to avoid hanging). Perry’s resistance to face his punishment and lack of any meaningful actions to offset his wrongdoings, along with his untimely apology, lead one to conclude that Perry did not achieve redemption.
In Oscar Wilde’s novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, the main character Dorian Gray forms a pact with his soul to retain eternal youth. Nonetheless, as time elapses, his portrait starts aging and mirroring the immoral choices he has made, while his physical appearance stays unaltered. Through Dorian Gray’s characterization, Wilde examines the notion that redemption is unachievable. Over the course of his life, Dorian bears responsibility for three deaths and eventually leads himself to ruin. Moreover, Dorian terminates his engagement with his fiancée after she decides to abandon her acting career. Sibyl Vane, who was passionately in love with Dorian, tragically takes her own life as a consequence.
Dorian engaged in various nefarious activities, such as blackmailing Allen Campbell, an ex-friend, which ultimately drove him to suicide. Furthermore, he murdered his once closest companion, Basil, as he believed the portrait painted by Basil tarnished his existence. Throughout his life, Dorian also indulged in opiate use. All of these malevolent acts are vividly depicted in the deteriorating state of his portrait. Despite numerous chances for redemption, Dorian’s unwillingness to acknowledge and repent for his wrongdoings persisted; he adamantly refused to confess. This refusal to confront his actions echoed the cowardice exhibited by Perry.
Despite knowing it was his obligation to admit, endure public disgrace, and publicly repent (page 163), he was unable to do so. He did not express remorse for his role in their deaths either; “Basil had uttered intolerable words…the murder had merely been an impulsive act of madness. Alan Campbell’s suicide was his own doing, it held no significance for him,” despite the fact that he had extorted his friend and caused his death. Instead of accepting responsibility, he rationalized the situation by attributing it to the circumstances or the nature of suicide.
Despite not being directly responsible for any deaths, Dorian questioned whether he could alter his behavior and, consequently, the appearance of his portrait. With the intention of performing a good deed, he made a promise to become a morally upright individual. However, upon witnessing his portrait after making this commitment, Dorian was disappointed to find that it was “more loathsome than even before” (page 163), depicting an even uglier image.
Wilde demonstrates that Dorian’s inability to redeem himself is illustrated through the deteriorating state of his portrait, which symbolizes his soul. Despite Dorian’s efforts to purge himself of his wrongdoings and commit to a virtuous life, the stains on his soul remain indelible. Redemption is a challenging and arduous process that may require extensive effort, or even a transformative act of heroism that reshapes one’s tarnished reputation. Nevertheless, the path to redemption often exacts a hefty toll, necessitating the confrontation and amends-making with those who have suffered at the hands of the wrongdoer.
To sincerely apologize and make amends for their actions is an immense challenge, as exemplified by the lives of the three characters in this book, only two of whom were capable of doing so. Their attempts to perform a deed significant enough to counterbalance their heinous acts proved to be nearly impossible, given that each of them had committed murder. Numerous individuals contend that redemption for a murder can only be attained through the perpetrator’s demise, an idea with which I concur. However, since these characters failed to fulfill the remaining criteria of redemption, they remain unredeemed.
