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Analysis Of The Deadliest Of Sins By Robertson Davies

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In The Deadliest Of Sins Robertson Davies, the seven deadly sins are briefly talked about but his main focus is directed towards the sin, Sloth. He talks about the sins in a speech to fellow Queen’s University graduates and is explaining to them what sloth, or as he refers to it throughout the speech, Acedia, does to the mind and why it was considered a sin. I will summarize Davies points as well as add in my own opinion to the subject. In the beginning of Davies speech he explains that he is an author and how being an author is more of a state of mind rather than a job. He goes on to say that he will be quitting his job as an author and pursue a new job. Failure is something that Davies believes will come with finding a new career but he tells the university students that failure is something that is easy to live through and that the only failure that breaks the spirit and that failure is the failure in life itself. The thing about that type of failure is that it does not just come suddenly, it creeps up on you and grabs a hold on you with you knowing. Davies begins to talk to about how this failure is considered one of the seven deadly sins and this one in …show more content…

It is not the same meaning as how Sloth is known now which is to be physically lazy or sluggish. Davies goes onto explain how to recognize Acedia in people. He explains that Anatole France said that we mistake growing older as becoming more wise when in reality growing old doesn’t mean we are gaining more wisdom. It simply means that we learn how to avoid things that hurt us and we teach ourselves that we need to avoid anything that causes pain. Davies says that if we can’t feel pain in life then surely we can’t feel joy either, therefore letting Acedia take over. That is why it was considered a sin, because it didn't brighten the mind but more so dimmed it which eventually just kills

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