'Shame And The Development Of Character In Zofloya Or The Moor'

Shame and the development of character

During a lifetime a person probably cannot count the number of times they have felt shame. When you forget to feed the dogs, when you cause your first car accident, or when you yell at your mother in frustration. In Zofloya or the Moor by Charlotte Dacre, one character who feels shame throughout the novel is Leonardo. After feeling immense shame from his mother’s infidelity the feeling follows him subsequently through the rest of the story following other actions or feeling he has. In Shame by Dick Gregory, the author becomes ashamed of his home situation after a confrontation with his first-grade teacher bringing his struggles up in class. The real question here is whether shame is always a bad thing,

He first encounters the feeling of shame as an adult after he finds out about his mother’s infidelity. This led to him running away from his problems and leaving his family behind. This specific feeling of shame led Leonardo down a darker path than if he had confronted his feelings, but because he was so spoiled as a child he wasn’t emotionally intelligent enough to make the right decision. Dacre states that he is "unable to resist, in any shape, the temptations of his heart" (Dacre 5). This observation of Leonardo’s character helps to show he is emotionally unintelligent and follows whatever it is he desires. So far in Leonardo’s case, his shame has led to him making bad decisions and being destructive in his nature. Is it too late for him to make a change and realize the negative impact his decisions have on himself? Well no, Leonardo still has time to become emotionally intelligent and make a difference. “But weep not so bitterly, good mother…we will talk further upon the subject of your sorrow” (Dacre 277). This evidence supports the idea that Leonardo can change if he decides to and learn from his

None of this however was of his own volition. It was all either childish reactions from his emotional unintelligence or manipulation from others of his free will. Some may say that Leonardo is actually emotionally intelligent after he finds his mistress Megalena and goes with her; however, she is actually manipulating him so she can get what she wants after Leonardo experiences shame once more this time for trying to murder Berenza and once again fleeing for his own good. “Know that it was I who directed to your faithless and unworthy breast that hand which failed in executing its office” (Dacre 240). This evidence shows how Megalena manipulated Leonardo into attempting to take Berenza’s life and how he had little control over his situation. On the many occasions that Leonardo ran away, he was left scared and with nowhere to go. Sooner or later this is going to catch up with him. If he doesn’t face his shame he will never develop from the scared broken kid he is. For him to become a truly good kind person he will have to stand up to the man he is becoming and use his shame to develop his character to become the man he should