9/05/02
There are several clear signals that The Damnation of Theron Warewas written in
the 19thcentury. One of the earlier and most prevalent is the heavy emphasis placed on
religion. The churches of the towns were in control not only of the parishioners’ immortal
souls but also of their social life and standing. The fact that in Octavius it was not
acceptable to receive milk deliveries on Sunday because it would require “working” on the
holy day is an example of the extremely tight grasp the religious leaders had on the town.
Even the streetcar was an issue because it was built on Sundays as well as the usual
workweek. (This line had been built several, but not many, years before, which also
points to a 19thcentury time frame). This degree of control by the church was certainly not
as prevalent as the 20thcentury progressed.
The idea that an unrelated man and woman walking together on a street could
cause disapproval points to an early time frame as do the actual streets on which they
shouldn’t have been walking. As Theron paces in front of the Catholic Church, a
lamplighter works his way up the street. And the lights in the homes are also described as
lamps. The presence of this type of lighting again points to the mid to late 1800’s.
Theron’s trip to New York also has indicators of a setting in the 1800’s. The
gentleman on the train pointed out Aaron Burr’s house as a public attraction, assuming
everyone would readily understand the reference. Upon arriving at the station, Theron
imagined jumping into a carriage to follow Celia and Father Forbes, not an automobile.
And at the Murray Hill Hotel, there is a separate entrance for women patrons and their
luggage.
Another strong indicator is Theron’s romantic outlook on life. His ideal of Celia and
the love that he thinks they share belongs resoundingly in the period of romanticism. (His
declarations of love and commitment sound amazingly similar to that of the characters of
Arcite and Palamon in “The Knight’s Tale” from The Canterbury Tales). The other newer
schools of thought that Theron discovers during his growth and “illumination” are
completely foreign to him. Although he was probably born 50 years too late, he would still
have been a viable character for a 19thcentury setting.
4 September 2002
The Damnation of Theron Ware or Illuminationa possible solution to the problem may lie
within a retort of Father Forbes:“The truth is always relative, Mr. Ware” (Frederic 309).
Although the statement comes at a most distressing moment for the infuriatingly naïve
Theron, it would be true illumination if the character were permitted to understand instead
