I interpret Johnson's claim to mean that there are certain people who can get away with horrific acts because of who they are or who they are related to/ know. By endowments, Johnson means inherited something, be it money or power. "Men whose endowments..." refers to those who have "worth" or people who have inherited fortunes that allow them to get away with wicked crimes - "threw a brightness on their crimes." This could also mean that these people have the resources to make their crimes seem less harsh by justifying their actions to the public who listen to every word they say because of who they are. Johnson relates this to characters in fiction and art who are so admired bu the reader that the reader ignores the characters faults, thus mixing the qualities of good and evil in a way allows "the great corruptions of the world" to get away with their wickedness. This reminds me of Kevin Spacey's character in the Netflix original, House of Cards. His character is admired by all of the viewers even though he does horrible things to get his way in Washington. Writers for movies and television are doing this more and more in modern times because we seem to be drawn more to the characters with faults, possibly because we find them more similar to ourselves.
(Samuel Johnson: Against Wicked Characters)
As a personal fan of House of Cards I agree with the comparison you made to people in todays time being drawn to "bad" characters. I also liked the point you talked about how people enjoy watching shows with these type of characters because we find these characters similar to ourselves.
ReplyDeleteAs a personal fan of House of Cards I agree with the comparison you made to people in todays time being drawn to "bad" characters. I also liked the point you talked about how people enjoy watching shows with these type of characters because we find these characters similar to ourselves.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I have never watched House of Cards, I feel that your post exemplifies what I have heard about the show. It also insinuates that many real-world politicians do similar things and that it is best to look for the truth rather than what you are being told.
ReplyDeleteThe phrase by Johnson "Splendidly Wicked" is the best way to define these characters. TV producers and authors are creating main character antagonists and the audience is rooting for this evil characters. It speaks a lot about the nature of people and their perception of others.
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