Hypocrisy In 'The Cost Of Kindness'

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Recommended: Criticism of religious institutions in literature

“The Cost of Kindness” is a humorous satire that involves St. Jude parishioners, Mr. and Mrs. Pennycoop, and their pastor, Reverend Augustus Cracklethorpe. Literary elements exhibited in the short story include theme, conflict, characterization, imagery, point of view, and literary devices. The theme that is prevalent in “The Cost of Kindness” is hypocrisy. Jerome specifically writes about the hypocrisy of Christians in the short story. The theme is introduced after the encounter between the Pennycoops and Reverend Augustus. After it spreads through the parish of Mrs. Pennycoop’s kind deed, “others ladies felt it their duty to show to Mrs. Pennycoop that she was not the only Christian in Wychwood-on-the-Heath (Jerome, “Cost” 4).” Other ladies …show more content…

Contrastingly, other parishioners see this as an opportunity to try to step ahead of each other; they interpret Mrs. Pennycoop’s confession as a contest on who can be the best Christian. Reverend Augustus even doubts the true nature of the congregation before deciding on whether he would deliver his farewell sermon. Jerome writes, “That they did not wish him to go, could he doubt? Only by regarding them as a collection of the most shameless hypocrites ever gathered together under one roof. The Reverend Augustus Cracklethorpe dismissed the passing suspicion as a suggestion of the Evil One…” (5). Reverend Augustus had the right to doubt his parishioners who all suddenly appeared his office with words of enlightenment, a few days before his intended departure. Instead of dwelling on this unmistakably true doubt, Reverend Augustus puts trust into the supposed Christians of St. Jude. The theme of hypocrisy reaches its climax once Reverend Augustus informs St. Jude of his decision of staying in Wychwood-on-the-Heath. The hypocrisy of the parishioners is shown when Jerome describes the solemn faces emerging …show more content…

Specifically, the conflict in the short story is between Reverend Augustus and the congregation of St. Jude. The discussion between Mr. and Mrs. Pennycoop, regarding the Reverend at the beginning of the story, establishes the conflict of man versus society. Mr. Pennycoop retorts, “A vicar who has contrived in three years to make every member of his congregation hate the very sight of a church—well, there’s something wrong about it somewhere” (1). To St. Jude, Reverend Augustus is an ignorant old man who neglects others feelings by boasting his own views that he deems as completely true; in return, the church shows the same animosity towards the Reverend (2). The conflict reaches its climax once Mr. and Mrs. Pennycoop give Reverend Augustus one last visit before he leaves. In the event of the visit, Mrs. Pennycoop confides to the Reverend the kindly feelings she has towards him, which breaks Reverend Augustus’s hard exterior. Trembling, the Reverend is appalled that he has finally found someone in the parish who has true amiable feelings towards him. Mr. Pennycoop follows up his wife’s confession by admitting his hidden respect for the Reverend (4). This kind visit from the Pennycoops starts a chain of parishioners to follow suit, and by Sunday, the Reverend has a change of heart; he no longer wants to express hatred towards St. Jude but instead wants to fix the souls of those in spiritual need (5).

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