"William Wilson"
Submitted by on January 1, 1998
Category: Book Reports
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Poe's William Wilson: Wilson v. Wilson, will v. conscience
Liana R. Prieto (Spring 1996)
Every person experiences conflict between their will and their conscience. Reasonable people recognize that both of these are components of their mind, but William Wilson does not. Wilson believes his conscience is another being entirely who struggles to hinder his schemes and ambitions. His life is spent trying to avoid or dominate the 'other' William Wilson. Poe effectively uses the Gothic doppleganger technique to show the violent conflicts within Wilson's soul. Poe shows that the will and conscience ar two distinct, but inseparable, parts of the complex human mind.
Wilson's life is a futile attempt to escape from conscience. He has personified his conscience to the point where it has a voice and body independent of his own. He sees their shared...