David Wallace's Good People

What characteristics does a good individual have? Some people might respond that a good person always makes the right choices. However, everyone has their own ideas of what the right choices are. Furthermore, a good person is not perfect, human beings have their imperfections. A good person is an individual who is virtuous which include the characteristics concern for others, compassion, acknowledge their mistakes, and the desire to be honest.
The short story, “Good People” by David Wallace depicts how a good individual is virtuous through the character Lane Dean. The story involves a couple named Lane Dean and Sheri who are in a dilemma concerning an abortion. Lane Dean’s girlfriend wants to keep the child, however, he is not interested

in keeping the baby. Some readers will claim how Lane Dean is selfish for wanting Sheri to go through with the abortion, but he demonstrates compassion by not wanting to her hurt feelings with the truth. According to the article, “Duty, Desire and the Good Person: Towards a Non‐Aristotelian Account of Virtue” by Nomy Arpaly maintains, “A virtuous person might feel she must tell the truth, for example, and that “must” feeling is different from the ordinary “I want to” feeling.” (Arpaly 68). A good person can be labeled as a virtuous individual because of their desire to be honest and compassionate. Lane Dean described his desperation to be honest as a war inside his head, he wanted to confess to Sheri his real feelings because he is a good person. The reason why Lane Dean did not admit his honest opinion concerning the abortion was because he was keeping in consideration Sheri’s feelings. The main character Lane Dean in “Good People” represents the characteristics of what makes a person good.
A person who cares for the well-being of people and have the ability to acknowledge their own mistakes is what makes them good.

The story, “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin is about two brothers who journey through two separate paths. The narrator of the story goes through a more successful route than his younger brother Sonny who became a drug addict. Throughout the short story the narrator demonstrates being a good person by taking on the rule of caring for his brother after their mother passed away. In the beginning the narrator fails to watch over Sonny after a big fight occur between them concerning the way Sonny was choosing to live his life. After, Sonny is arrested during a raid for using and selling heroin. It is until the narrator realizes the mistake of not responding to Sonny’s letters from jail that the narrator resumes the role of being Sonny’s protector. Being a good individual involves recognizing errors committed by oneselves rather than blaming someone else. The narrator came to the realization that ignoring his younger brother’s letters was not going to improve Sonny’s well-being. When Sonny revealed his career interest of becoming a jazz musician the narrator was not understanding. In “Sonny’s Blues” the narrator thinks to himself, “I simply couldn’t see why on earth he’d want to spent his time hanging around nightclubs, clowning around on bandstands, while people pushed each other around a dance floor” (Baldwin 86). Towards the end of the short story

the narrator proves to be good person due to acknowledging his mistake of disapproving Sonny’s dream of becoming a jazz musician. The narrator states, “Freedom lurked around us and I understood at last, that he could help us to be free if we would listen, that he would never be free until we did” (Baldwin 100). Playing the piano was Sonny’s method of dealing with his troubles and his older brother finally understood. Furthermore, the narrator feels compassion for his brother thus he allows Sonny to stay at his home and approves of his career choice as a jazz musician. Compassion is what make a person good. A person who is considered to be good must be sympathetic towards those around them instead of only thinking about themselves.
What makes a person good is having virtuous traits. The short story, “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway is an example of what is considered a bad person. In “Hills Like White Elephants” the man named American is trying to manipulate his partner Jig to have the abortion by arguing that they will be a happy couple like before. The American claims, “We’ll be fine afterward. Just like we were before” (Hemingway 116). American is not labeled as a good person because he is not keeping in consideration of Jig’s feelings. Jig never confesses or thinks to herself how having abortion is incorrect, but readers can conclude her belief in the situation based on her actions. For example, in the beginning of the story Jig is closely paying attention to her surrounding such as the mountains and the curtain rather than discussing about the operation. The American is only pretending to be concern how Jig is feeling about having an abortion, but he lacks in demonstrating compassion. Throughout the short he claims that Jig does not have to go through with the operation, however, he contradicts himself by stating that getting an abortion is simply and it would restore their relationship. In Arpaly’s words, “However, the desire for the right and the good feels like duty when you know acting on it would be quite unpleasant, and yet it motivates you, despite competing desires acting on which would be pleasant or at least less unpleasant” (Arpaly 69). In other words, a virtuous person keeps in consideration how an individual feels when it comes to making decisions even though it might bring an undesirable result. The American in “Hills Like White Elephants” is only thinking about his own desires and not caring if he is negatively influencing people. He did not attempt to hear Jig’s opinion or understand her perspective relating to the operation.
A good person can be described as virtuous which include the traits compassion, aspiration to be honest, and recognize their own faults.

The character Lane Dean in the short story “Good People” by David Wallace is an example of a good person. Although, he wanted his girlfriend Sheri to undergo the operation he was constructing his thoughts and decisions while thinking of her feelings. Lane Dean was being a compassionate person by not wanting to leave Sheri alone to deal with the situation. Another attribute of what makes a person to be known as good is the capability to acknowledge their own errors instead of blaming everybody except themselves. The characteristic is represented through the narrator of “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin when he admits to himself that he was wrong for not supporting his brother’s choice of being a jazz musician. On the other hand, the character the American in “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway is an example of what not makes a person good. The American was not trying to reason with Jig on the abortion, but instead was manipulating her throughout the short story. A good person keeps in mind of people’s emotions and well-being. The American was driven by his own desires rather than thinking about Jigs’s desires. Being virtuous is what makes a person

good.