Gentle Creature Essay

A Not So Gentle Creature

In the following essay, I will explain one of the main issues in “Gentle Creature” by Fyodor Dostoevsky, in which the main character fights for equality, but in in the endthere is always inequality. To explain this, I will use and apply Hegel’s master-slave dialectic to the relationship that develops between the main characters.
“Gentle Creature” explores and delvesinto the complicated and abusive relationship between a pawnbroker and his wife. The whole time the pawnbroker believes the wife is a complete docile and gentle creature when in fact she is not.
Thefirst time he finally saw a peek of her other side, and was actually aware of the wife’s true character, he was baffled. “…she suddenly stamped her foot at me; it was a wild animal, it was a frenzy,it was the frenzy of a wild animal. I was petrified with astonishment; I had never expected such an outburst.” (Dostoevsky, Ch. 5)
We, as ideal readers, understand the complexity of the text and cansee just how defiant she behaves before he even takes notice of it. The pawnbroker is an unreliable narrator, therefore he makes mistakes, is biased and blind to the way things actually happen. Henarrates events in a way that is beneficial to his persona and in a way where he is always a hero. He feels that he is up against the world and that he is simply misunderstood.
From the first momentof marriage, the pawnbroker sought to dominate his wife. Quoting the pawnbroker: “But when I brought her into my home I thought I was bringing a friend, and I needed a friend so much. But I saw clearlythat the friend must be trained, schooled, even conquered.” (Dostoevsky, Ch. 7)
From the previous quote we can assume that he felt lonely and misunderstood and wanted a friend, a companion with whomhe could spend time with, but only if she were willing to submit to his rules and demands.
The pawnbroker tried to have a bit of an iron-fist with his wife and paint before her eyes this image of...