Empire Falls | Themes
Human Nature versus Free Will
Early on, Russo poses the question of whether people’s personalities and tendencies are fixed at birth, as their inherent nature, or whether they can change at will. In the prologue, C. B. Whiting feels that by leaving his painting and poetry behind in Mexico, he is “violating his own best nature.” His father Honus is more of the opinion that, even if a man had a “best nature,” “it was probably your duty either to deny it or whip it into shape, show it who was boss.” Francine Whiting believes differently....
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