The Death of Justina

Quote 1
“It seemed to me that men had honored one another with medals, statuary and cups for much less and that abstinence is a social matter. When I abstain from sin it is more often a fear of scandal than a private resolve to improve on the purity of my heart…” (542)

In this quote he is talking about how the actions he does, quitting drinking and smoking, is not for his own good and health but rather for his appearance. That in today society being abstinence is a social matter and so therefore he does it. He doesn’t care about the health of quitting but rather to stay out of scandal and to appear “good” in the eyes of others.

Quote 2

“I must pretend, I must, like an actor, study and improve on my pretension, to have nothing to do with his triumphs and I must bow my head gracefully in shame when we have both failed.”

Here, at work, he pretend when his boss tells him to pretend. He similar to the first quote does what looks good and not for his own satisfaction. He does what society is telling him to do and must act to do it.