Then there are the elements of the double to consider. We all need someone, or some authority, to answer to and to guide us otherwise, we can create our own sense of twisted rules and live in the darkness. Again, perhaps Hogg is demonstrating the dangers of such a situation. You can manipulate, murder and steal, and it just doesn’t matter. God has already saved you since the start of time. So why not have some fun? You might be punished, but that doesn’t matter. Mortal consequences are trivial when compared to the immortal salvation his soul will receive. It means that Robert has absolutely no one to answer to on this earth. Now this is a terribly dangerous mind-set. History has already been written: his soul has already been saved. He already has a free ticket into to heaven, so whatever he does on earth doesn’t matter. Robert opened the doors when he accepted the Calvinist principle of predestination he believes himself to be one of God’s elect. That’s all there in the text, but it is only the beginning. The novel can be read as a didactical message about the dangers of a sinful mind. The prince of destruction dominates his mind and controls his actions. Robert, our sinner, has been claimed by Satan. Perhaps the most obvious interpretation to start with is the religious angle. I shall try to tell you why this book is so utterly excellent. The narrative is so dense that it is impossible to make a solid interpretation of the events, but I shall try.
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