Who is ultimately responsible for the deaths of Catherine and her children?

            I completely agree with the argument that Wieland is physically responsible for the deaths of his wife and children in Wieland by Charles Brockden Brown, and I think the book leaves no question as to who physically committed the crimes. However, I believe the important question is who is morally responsible for these deaths, and I believe the answer is Carwin. Wieland says in his confession, “they were slain by me; they all perished by my hand” (Brockden Brown 186). It is obvious that Wieland committed the crime, but it is because Carwin impersonated God and convinced him to do so, and so Carwin is ultimately to blame.

From our in-class debate there seemed to be a consensus that Carwin created the voice that told Wieland to murder his family, though no one really addressed the issue directly. I believe evidence that it was Carwin’s voice lies in the three accounts of what happened that night from Clara, Wieland, and Carwin. In Carwin’s account, he said of Clara that she “saw me in the very act of utterance,” meaning she caught Carwin in the act of ventriloquism (244). In Clara’s account of the exact same part of the night she recalls seeing a mysterious being which resembled Carwin, though she did not think that it was him. She said that the face’s “eyes emitted sparks, which, no doubt, if I had been unattended by a light, would have illuminated like the coruscations of a meteor” (168). These two accounts taken together show that Carwin takes on a different, illuminated appearance while doing ventriloquism; and when combined with Wieland’s account of the event they show that it was Carwin telling Wieland to kill his family. Wieland says that when he encountered the being which he assumed to be God telling him to kill his family, “Nothing but a fiery stream was at first visible; but, anon, a shrill voice from behind called upon me to attend” (190). These three quotes combine showing that Clara’s and Wieland’s descriptions are of the same person, and that that person is Carwin. It was him who told Wieland to murder his wife and children.

            You may say that even though it was Carwin talking to Wieland, words aren’t what killed his family and so it was truly Wieland’s fault. I think the problem with this argument is that it does not take into account Wieland’s deeply rooted faith. If the voice were God’s, as Wieland truly believes it is, would it not be his duty to obey? If the one thing that gave you meaning and purpose in your life- the thing you hold divine and true above all else- gave you instructions to prove your devotion, would you not need to follow those instructions? Wieland has strong faith, and says “that God is the object of my supreme passion…I have thirsted for knowledge of his will. I have burnt with ardour to approve my faith and my obedience” (187). Carwin knew that Wieland wanted to please God, and he took horrible advantage of it.

             I don’t think Carwin is an inherently bad person who was seeking to cause harm, but he let his power overtake him and wreak havoc in the lives of the Wieland community. Carwin admits he “rashly set in motion a machine, over whose progress I had no control” in reference to how he misused his gift (246). He let his actions get out of control, and is ultimately responsible for the untimely deaths of Catherine and her children.
 

Works Cited

Brockden Brown, Charles. Wieland. New York: Penguin Books, 1991. Print.