Sloth In Algernon's Guilty

Although Algernon seems to be guilty only of harmless sloth, he is the lowest on the axis for not only his complete lack of guilt, but for making fun of those who take any responsibility. While Algernon’s sloth may seem harmless, only going “Bunburying” to escape from tedious family dinners, his actions cause a great deal of trouble for the other characters, and his lack of responsibility leads him into deep debt. Whereas Algernon at first seems to have absolutely no concerns in his life, at the end of the first scene his butler, Lane, presents him with bills which he immediately tears up before announcing that he is going “Bunburying,” or taking a trip to the country under the guise of caring for a sick friend. He also shows a complete lack

However, the poem also hints at a deeper sloth, a sloth that tempts the narrator into death and despair. The narrator of this poem seems to show slight, though not overwhelming, guilt for indulging in this shallow form of sloth, watching the woods rather than continuing home, when he says “My little horse must think it queer/ to stop without a farmhouse near…He gives his harness bells a shake/ to ask if there is some mistake” (Frost 5-6, 9-10). These lines hint that the narrator knows that he has work to do and should be continuing home, but does not feel too guilty for indulging in this virtuous sloth. However, he shows slightly more guilt for being tempted by the deeper despair of sloth saying, “But I have promises to keep/ and miles to go before I sleep/ and miles to go before I sleep” (Frost14-16). Though it takes only the jingling of bells to pull him from his shallow sloth, it is these promises that pull him from this despairing sloth, suggesting that he feels guiltier about the temptation to break these promises than avoiding work. While the other characters and authors below the narrator on the scale seem to renounce guilt in some way and those above the narrator seem to be quite wracked with guilt, this narrator is neutral, with only slight hints of guilt. Instead of being overwhelmed by sloth or scorning it, he seems to be simply observing