Henry Smart Excerpt

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The beginning of the excerpt mentioned above captures Henry Smart Sr.’s hopeful sentiments after the birth of his son. His feelings are elevated by the calmness and serenity of the surrounding. The image of the warm stew contributes to the overall hearty, cozy atmosphere—“The air around [Henry] smelt of cleanliness and hope, soon to be joined by the stew.” However, in contrast with the optimistic mood established in the beginning, the rest of the excerpt possesses a gloomy undertone overlapped with the conflict between Henry and his conscience. Particularly, the rest of the excerpt focuses on Henry’s guilt and regret for his actions in the past, which lead to the unfortunate deaths of his previous children. The remorse resulted from his wrongful