In Chapter 8 Justine struggles with lying and later confesses her lie because of a guilty conscience. "I did confess; but I confessed a lie.... He threatened excommunication and hell fire in my last moments, if I continued obdurate... What could I do? In an evil hour subscribed to lie: and now only am I miserable." (Shelley 77)
Although Justine confessed her lie, is it the act of lying that causes a guilty conscience or is it a guilty conscience that the act of lying?
I believe that it is the act of lying that causes a guilty conscience. If justine never lied she wouldn't feel miserable at all in this chapter. There was no need to lie. In life, lying can ease certain situations and this could have been her dilemma. If you lie about something extreme, that however can eat away at you forever.
ReplyDeleteIt is to be seen as the act of lying that causes a guilty conscience rather than a guilty conscience being the reason to lie. Although both can occur within life and be used either way, it is more prevalent for a being to lie and then feel remorse or guilt about it later. A lie can be defined as a false statement made with deliberate intent to deceive or to convey a false impression. In Justine's case, she felt as though she had to lie at the particular moment in order to protect herself emotionally and mentally. After this lie she developed the guilt follow and haunt her. The truth should always be told no matter how bad it may seem within ones mind; it is always best to use the truth than spare ones feelings with a lie. The outcome of the truth can be completely different if one was to actually give the listener the chance to respond. Telling a lie only creates another as well as magnify the problem.These consequences from a lie can all be avoided easily by telling the truth!
ReplyDeleteThe act of lying triggers a guilty conscience. As a young child, parents instill that the act of lying is not the right thing to do. The "guilty" feeling that follows the act of lying shows that a person knows what they did was wrong. Justine's guilty feeling was a combination of her lying, and a feeling of regret because she "confessed" to a crime that she did not commit. If Justine had told the truth, the guilty conscience would not have existed. In essence, a guilty conscious is caused by someone lying and knowing that it was not the right thing to do.
ReplyDeleteThe act of lying is what causes a guilty conscience. Once a person lies, they sit back and think about what just occurred. Once it has registered that they have done something wrong, a guilty feeling enters their conscience. On the other hand, it is possible for a person with a guilty conscience caused by lying to continue to lie in order to protect themselves. However in order for a person to have a guilty conscience, they must first do something that would cause guilt.
ReplyDeleteAfter one lies, a guilty conscience and remorse are often experienced due to the knowledge that the act of lying was the wrong thing to do .Justine experiences this guilty conscience after confessing to a crime that she did not even commit. However, guilt forces individuals to lie as well. One may believe that the outcome of the situation may be better if they lie when in reality the truth is always the best way to solve problems.
ReplyDeleteI agree with my peers when they say the act of lying is what causes a guilty conscience, After lying, guilt slowly seeps into a person's soul as one must think about how to continue one's lie and one must also ponder the consequential actions of lying. Being a liar doesn't not only develop distrust and uncertainty in relationships and friendships, it also can prove to be harmful physically as in the case of Justine. People lie with the hopes of receiving lighter punishments and consequences but do not think of the personal punishments one must receive from oneself. As Justine states "but now falsehood lies heavier at my heart than all my other sins" (Shelley 77), she speaks about her lies, she pleads God for forgiveness and after she concludes that she is truly miserable. A guilty consequence comes within a lie but a lie does not come within a guilty conscience.
ReplyDeleteA guilty conscience is remorse caused by feeling responsible for some offense. Therefore, i agree with the others stating that the act of lying is what causes a guilty conscience. When one tells a lie, sooner or later they will feel some type of guilt. There is often pressure when telling a lie because one will eventually have to tell more lies to redeem itself. Justine endured a guilty conscience when she decided to confess the truth.
ReplyDeleteI agree with my peers on the fact that lying causes a guilty conscience, but I also believe that a guilty conscience can cause you to lie. The reason I say that is because if you know you did something wrong and you were asked about it you will most likely lie, but if you feel that you did nothing of bad intention or anything that was wrong in your morals, you have no reason to lie, therefore you will not lie. On the other hand, a lie can cause a guilty conscience because you have conflicting on whether you should or should not have told the truth. They both go "hand in hand" and can be the forefront of each other.
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