Male Ambition in the Works

Male Ambition in the Works of Alfred Lord Tennyson, Charles Dickens, And Oscar Wilde

Literary works have so often used the theme of good-versus-evil in order to convey the message of morality implied in the work, whether in prose or poetry. However, underneath this good-versus-evil theme are numerous causes that serves as catalysts for this conflict, and one of this is human ambition. In this paper, the theme of human ambition, specifically male ambition, was given primary focus, a flaw that brought about people's downfall or 'moral conversion' in life.

In this paper, the works "Ulysses" by Alfred Lord Tennyson, "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens, and "The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde are analyzed with respect to the theme of male ambition. The discussion that follows posits that the works of Tennyson, Dickens, and Wilde depict male ambition as the result of the downfall of the characters of Ulysses, Scrooge, and Dorian Gray, respectively. This downfall due to male ambition, however, was redeemed with each character's recognition of their faults and misguided ambitions, thereby resulting to a final act of 'redemption' for them: moral conversion for Ulysses and Scrooge and death for Dorian Gray.

In the poem "Ulysses," poet Tennyson demonstrated male ambition as an individual's persistent pursuit for glory and success in life, elucidated through the feats and endeavors of Ulysses. Male ambition was shown as the mindless pursuit of one's goals without any regard to people who might be affected morally: "...always roaming with a hungry heart...all experience is an arch wherethrough...For ever and for ever when I move...A bringer of new things; and vile it were for some three suns to store and hoard myself and this gray spirit yearning in desire..." This passage reflects the very heart of an ambitious man, captured through Tennyson's effective use of symbolism and imagery. Despite his illustration of the subject's greedy pursuit of his ambitions, Tennyson had also shown redemption through Ulysses' eventual realization that success and ambition must be shared and done for the benefit of others, too: "...we are, we are, One equal-temper of heroic hearts..."

In a similar depiction of male ambition, Dickens in the novel "A Christmas Carol" illustrated how the character of Scrooge embodied moral degeneration as a result of greed and bitterness. The ambitious Scrooge was characterized by his townspeople and employees as an "ogre," especially for the Cratchit family wherein "[t]he mention of his name cast a dark shadow..." Realizing his errors in life through the Three Ghosts of Christmas, Scrooge redeemed himself by changing his ways, a moral conversion showed through generosity and compassion to others: "He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man as the good old city knew..."