Matthew Harriman
English 1201 S10
M. Ashley
March 25th 2004
Sydney’s Excessive Morality
In David Adams Richards’ novel Mercy Among the Children, Sydney Henderson at the age of twelve, could have followed his peers into a life of petty crime (Charles page 19) however, instead makes a pact with God; “never [to] raise his hand or his voice to another soul” (Richards 23-24). Sydney never strays from his promise with God, and believes “they who lift a hand against you do so against themselves”(Richards 283). Sydney’s pact with God has a profound effect on his family. Because of Sydney’s refusal to defend himself, others in the rough rural community view Sydney’s extreme morality and pacifism as an opportunity to exploit and abuse the Hendersons (Richards back cover). Sydney’s morality leads to the pain and suffering of the Henderson family causing them to endure persistent gossip, ridicule and abuse as well as physical hardship such as starvation and depressing poverty. Unwilling to fight or defend himself against any accusations, Sydney is exploited and falsely accused of “fathering an illegitimate baby” (Fernandez 63), theft, sabotage and murder. There is, therefore, such a thing as being too moral.
Cynthia Pit, with the support of Diedra Whyne, a worker for the
Department of Social Services, accuses Sydney of fathering her unborn child. Cynthia tells Diedra, “she had go to Sydney for some financial support, and Syd had rebuked and struck her”(Richards 40). Diedra suggests that Sydney take a blood test once the child is born to clear the matter however, Sydney refuses to prove his innocence and alleviate any accusations from “a women who suspected him of beating his wife and hopes for the failure of [his] marriage”(Richards 41). Sydney would rather have the suspicion of guilt upon him than “participate in the shame of one and the ridicule of another for my own welfare” (Richards 40) when the blood test results would prove his innocence. Despite Cynthia’s malicious accusations, Sydney does not seek reprisal. Instead Sydney and his wife Elly come to her aid and deliver the baby because a doctor is not available during a severe snow storm. Sydney’s adherence to his questionable and problematic wisdom, treating his enemies with kindness and compassion that they do not deserve seems to enrage the community (Charles 19) and fuels a contempt and hatred that plagues his entire family.
Preyed upon by society, Sydney’s generosity is treated with scepticism and he is “persecuted by the residents of his community” (Ganshorn 1). Walking home from midnight mass, Lyle experiences first hand the brutality towards his helpless father. Sydney is pushed down by three men and is repeatedly kicked, while one man repeats, “I told you I’d get you back”(Richards 58). Sydney, refusing to defend himself, let alone fight back, is assaulted in front of his family on Christmas Eve. Witnessing the attack Lyle “for the first time […] realized there was a poverty in us that had nothing to do with dirt” (Richards 58). Poverty had robbed the Henderson family of their dignity and self worth; Sydney’s morality had been ingrained into them to believe “the vanity and falseness of violence” (Richards 111) however, it only brought them more hardship. Lyle feels betrayed by his father’s morals and becomes infuriated with him for not defending himself, instead adhering to his pact with God. Degraded by his beating, Sydney holds onto the only truth he knows, “they cannot do this and not destroy themselves. This will lead to their own destruction” (Richards 193).
Sydney had very little understanding about the judicial system so when accused of stealing a box of smelts from Connie Devlin, instead of stating his innocence and pointing blame at the obvious culprit, Matthew Pit, who Constable Morris and Connie both suspected but feared, Sydney accepts blame. Constable Morris could intimidate Sydney into confessing without any evidence because Sydney clung to his belief, “no one can do any injury to you without doing an injury to themselves”(Richards 38). Lyle is infuriated by his father’s passivity when told he will help his father replace the box of smelts he knew Matthew Pit had stolen. Lyle and the community see Sydney’s pacifist ways as a sign of weakness instead of strength. Lyle watches his family suffer with accumulating fury because of his father’s fanatical morality (Fernandez 63). Lyle tells his father, “God has made you his slave because of your unnatural self condemnation” (Richards 24). Sydney explains to Lyle, “Son, people have treated me unfair most of my life. To beg the truth in front of them is unconscionable, because truth gives them a respect they might not deserve”(Richards 49). Sydney’s morality contributes to his family’s suffering, “his wisdom did not bring money, did not alleviate hardship, but caused a lack of one and a surplus of the other” (Richards 245). Sydney’s morals dictated his family’s future and have consequences reaching far beyond just himself, affecting his wife Elly and his children who perhaps would choose not to be so moral and passive.
In an act of revenge and jealousy, Matthew Pit sabotages an unstable span of a bridge, which Sydney had been helping to construct. Accidentally Matthew Pit’s younger mentally challenged brother Trenton, falls to his death when the bridge collapses and a series of perpetrated lies by Matthew Pitt frame Sydney’s involvement. While Constable Morris was collecting hearsay evidence, “[setting] up a scenario against him, [judging] him without any evidence” (Richards 120), Sydney was hesitant to hire a lawyer although strong accusations were being made against him. Sydney did not want to burden someone else with his problems. Despite his innocence, Sydney felt “morally bound to confess, because all the river believed he was guilty” (Richards 148). Sydney’s excessive morality made him helpless in the face of brutality, created frustration and emotional strain on his marriage and on his children who were bullied at school as a result. Sydney realizes, “I know how my life will go—it is a mathematical certainty […] I will be condemned” (Richards 155). Blinded by his pact with God, Sydney’s moral superiority is misunderstood and therefore feared by his community. Constrained by his pact with God, Sydney accepts his fate in life to be condemned without dispute however, he did not realize he was also condemning his family who perhaps would choose not to be so submissive.
Sydney’s morality “results in the harrowing persecution of [himself] and his family by the towns people” (Wiersema 20). Refusing to defend himself physically or verbally, Sydney’s morality and pacifism is used as an opportunity to manipulate and exploit the Henderson family. Sydney is too moral because his beliefs lead to the suffering of his own family forcing them to tolerate persistent rumours, ridicule and cruelty. Sydney lives and dies by his extreme pacifism ideals because no matter the consequence he will not betray God and break his pact (Ganshorn 1).
Works Cited
Charles, Ron. Rev. of Mercy Among the Children, by David Adams
Richards. Christian Science Monitor 93 (222) (November
2001): 19.
Fernandez, Sandy M. Rev. of Mercy Among the Children, by David
Adams Richards. Time Canada 156 (18) (October 2000): 63.
Ganshorn, Heather. Rev. of Mercy Among the Children, by David
Adams Richards. Resource Link 8 (January 2002): 1.
Richards, David Adams. Mercy Among the Children. Toronto:
Doubleday Canada, 2001.
Wiersema, Robert J. Rev. of Mercy Among the Children, by David
Adams Richards. Quill and Quire 66 (August 2000): 20.