Wieland: Or, The Transformation, an American Tale: Analysis of Major Characters
"Wieland: Or, The Transformation, an American Tale" is a novel that explores the complexities of human psychology, belief, and the consequences of fanaticism through its major characters. The narrative is driven by Clara Wieland, who recounts the tragic events that befall her family, including the disturbing fate of her father, Mr. Wieland, who succumbs to what appears to be spontaneous combustion while meditating on his religious convictions. Clara's brother, Wieland, is depicted as a somber figure who, driven by perceived divine communication, tragically sacrifices his wife, Catharine, and their children before succumbing to remorse and taking his own life.
Clara's relationships with other central figures provide additional layers to the story. She develops an attraction to Carwin, a stranger whose jealousy leads him to harm her reputation, and later marries Henry Pleyel, Catharine's brother. The characters are marked by their struggles with faith, madness, and the impact of external influences on their lives. Overall, the novel presents a rich tapestry of character dynamics that reflect the broader themes of transformation and the darker aspects of human nature.
Wieland: Or, The Transformation, an American Tale: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Charles Brockden Brown
First published: 1798
Genre: Novel
Locale: Pennsylvania
Plot: Gothic
Time: Eighteenth century
Mr. Wieland, a religious fanatic. He fears a dreadful punishment because he has not answered a “call” to become a missionary. He dies by what seems to be spontaneous combustion: His clothes suddenly burst into flames one night as he meditates. He is Clara and young Wieland's father.
Clara Wieland, the narrator, who writes a long letter telling of the tragedy that is visited upon her family. She is attracted to Carwin, but when he defames her character to drive off a rival suitor, her love ends. Eventually, she marries Henry Pleyel, the brother of her childhood friend.
Mrs. Wieland, Clara's mother. She dies shortly after her husband, leaving Clara and young Wieland to be reared by an aunt.
Wieland, Clara's brother. He, Clara, and his wife, Catharine, live together as friends. He is a somber, melancholy man of a religious turn. When he hears strange voices, he believes he is in communication with some supernatural power. Thinking he is guided by heaven, he sacrifices his wife and their children. Regaining his sanity later and crushed by remorse, he commits suicide by stabbing himself.
Catharine Pleyel, a childhood friend of the Wielands. She marries Wieland and has four children by him. She is killed, along with their children, by her husband, while he is in a fit of madness.
Henry Pleyel, Catharine's brother, a lively young man. Eventually, he and Clara marry, after the death of his first wife, a European Baroness.
Carwin, a stranger who appears dressed like a humorous beggar. He loves Clara but defames her to Henry, out of jealousy. He is accused by Clara of being the “voice” that guided Wieland to kill, because he is a ventriloquist. He assures Clara of his innocence and disappears from the area to become a farmer.