Essay Questions

Why did Robert Carlton confess his sin?

When Molly Musk died, the secret of her child’s father went with her to the grave. Carlton could have gone with his life as before, unsuspected of such an act. But he chose to confess his sin because he was not a hypocrite, and he refused to live as one. The parson wanted his mistake to be known so that he could atone for it and make amends for both God and Man. All he cared about was his integrity even if such confession would ruin his life and reputation.

Why did Wilton Gleed hate Robert Carlton?

The characters in the novel are divided into two main factions; while one favored integrity, the other worshipped reputation. Carlton belonged to the former faction, for he had jeopardized his entire life for the sake of honesty. Gleed, however, was more concerned about his reputation, and he hated the association of his name with the parson’s scandal. He was a wealthy man, who owned the living of Long Stow church, and therefore wanted the parson and his scandal gone from the vicinity of his village. When the latter had refused his request, Gleed became vindictive towards him and spared no hardships to compel him to leave.

What are the main issues tackled in the novel?

Peccavi is a brilliant book, which combines its author’s interest in criminality with the state of social corruption in late 19th century England. The novel denounces moral hypocrisy and the double standards of Victorian society. Among the other issues it also tackles, rigidity and narrow-mindedness occupy a great portion. The reaction and treatment of the Long Stow inhabitants of their parson subsequent to his scandal illustrates their rigidity and hypocrisy at the same time. From the one hand, they perceived him as utterly evil for committing a single sin, and from the other they behaved as though they, themselves, were saints who had never sinned. The book also dwells upon the social corruption caused by the influence of wealth through the character of Wilton Gleed, who spends money with the design of controlling other people’s lives.