In his own lifetime, Hogg, a self-taught writer from a poor rural background, was best known as a poet. Championed by Sir Walter Scott and other leading figures from the literary world, he was seen as an untutored rustic genius in the tradition established by Robert Burns. Several volumes of his verse were published, but none of these proved any preparation for his masterpiece, the strange gothic tale of Robert Wringhim, a religious fanatic egged on to murder by an enigmatic alter ego who may or may not be the Devil. Like Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, which it strongly influenced, Hogg's novel makes use of different narratives to tell what is ultimately seen as the same story. In the first, an 'editor' presents the story of the murder of Wringhim's half-brother George Colwan; in the second, readers see events from Wringhim's perspective and hear how his doppelganger persuades him that, in a universe where (as the Calvinist Wringhim believes) God has already chosen those souls who are saved, there is nothing he can do which will affect his predestined salvation. Since Wringhim cannot achieve salvation through his deeds, and his fate is predestined, it matters little whether what he does is good or evil in the world's eye. Ambiguities and ironies pervade the pages of Hogg's strange and powerful novel. Readers are never quite sure of what to believe or not to believe in the narrative. Is the devil-like tempter intended to be real (at the end of the book it seems that, after death, Wringhim has been finally claimed by the forces of evil) or are readers to assume from the very beginning that he is a figment of Wringhim's imagination, a projection of his own darkest desires? Mixing psychological insights which seem remarkably modern with age-old ideas about demonic possession, Hogg produced one of the most original and chilling novels of the 19th century.

Free term papers are not written to satisfy your specific instructions. You can use our professional writing services to buy a custom written research paper, term paper, or essay on Book Reports at affordable price. CustomTermPapers is the best solution for those who seek help in writing term papers, essays, and research papers related to Book Reports and other relevant topics.