Essay Comparing The Englishman's Boy And The Sisters Brothers

1117 Words3 Pages

ISU Comparative Essay Destruction is generally defined as the action or process of causing so much damage to something that it can no longer be repaired. In The Englishman’s Boy and The Sisters Brothers, destruction is prominent in both novels through Shorty McAdoo and the Sisters brothers and the people that surround them. However, destruction can also be the result of an action, such as betrayal, which occurs often in these novels. The characters of these novels commit many acts of betrayal that also tie into the destruction that follows. Therefore, in The Englishman's Boy by Guy Vanderhaeghe and The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt, betrayal leads to destruction through individuals and those around them. First off, The Englishman’s Boy …show more content…

Firstly, the little boy the Sisters meet on their way to California, is betrayed by his family. The boy was completely abandoned when his uncle Tom, his friend and his friends wife died. Leaving his dad, uncle Jimmy and him until Jimmy stole the money leaving the just the two of them. His father left to look for california, but never returned, clearly showing betrayal as his entire family has left him. The destruction that follows this is total emotional destruction as the kid “being so engrossed with his own sadness” (Vanderhaeghe 112) bursts into a cry. An example of when the sisters are betrayed is when one of Mayfield's men frame the brothers for stealing the red bear fur. The Sisters brought the bear fur to Mayfield for a large price and had been celebrating this event with Mr. Mayfield. The Sisters, especially Charlie had set a strong friendship with Mayfield until the trapper broke this trust by framing them for stealing the fur. Not only did this act of betrayal destroy the friendship between the brothers and Mayfield but also resulted in the death of all of his men, including the trapper that framed them, and the death of mayfield and loss of everything he owned. Another way the Sisters brother are betrayed is by their boss. The Commodore, lies to them about Hermann Warm being a guilty thief and assigns them the task of murdering him. The brother eventually figure out that Warm was an innocent man and the Commodore only wanted him for his chemical that reveals gold in water. The brothers then planned for revenge, which resulted in the death and destruction of the

Open Document