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Shahid MEnglish 10Ms. ZeineddineBlock 8

The Severity of Severity: With Reference to An Incident at aBridge

In the ever-growing world of literature, the majority

of authors do a great deal to visibly express the effect of 

certain events, people, or places. When we readers take

this into account, we tend to subtly observe two things:

primarily, what word had been installed to convey the

desired image, and secondly, how the word has superior

qualities that are ideal in the context. The word is but an

inkling of the story, but there are a few terms slotted in

that are emblematic of the whole tale. In William Maxwell's

With Reference to an Incident at a Bridge, the word

"severity" plays this role.

Within Maxwell's tale, "severity"is used to display how

Professor Oglevee, an "immensely patient, good-natured"

man, had no drop of the "unreasonable severity other 

grown-ups exhibited"(105) within his veins. However,

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although the chosen word is suitable for Oglevee's

description as, according to the Oxford English Dictionary,

he doesn't transmit any "rigour in treatment, discipline,

 punishment" ( 105). If one is observant he/she shall realise

that severity is a multi-faced word within the story, with a

definition that goes beyond the debonair Mr.

Oglevee."Severity" is contagious and rampant throughout

the plot, albeit quiet. Be it the severity of the awkward

social acceptance ("…manners entered into it, but so did 

money", 106) or the physical pain inflicted on the little

youths, we learn that it is not the actions themselves, but

rather the severity of these actions that really affects the

story as a whole. In accordance to this is another theme

that can correlate with severity- sensitivity. Sure enough,

the cruel deed which is carried out in the end isn't lethal,

strictly speaking, but it expresses what is arguably the

most important epiphany of the story; that the "potential

severity" of the protagonist's actions are "not to be

trusted" (106), and that every human being has a dark side

which can overtake him/her suddenly- in the protagonist's

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case, a " part that I was not sufficiently acquainted with had 

taken over suddenly.." (106).

Maxwell's With Reference to an Incident at a Bridge

examines several motifs- distastefulness, tranquility,

acceptance, and temptation (after all, it is a tale of Biblical

proportions). Yet it is the severity - a silent assassin, the

factor that transforms joy into hatred- that ultimately

leaves its bitter taste in the mouth of every character,

whether it is Mr. Oglevee, Max Robonowitz, or the chief 

character himself.