Envy: A Tale from 1852 to 2022

    

    Envy is perhaps the ugliest of human emotions that many choose to hide but can reveal much about a person’s character when exposed. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, the narrator’s bitter attitude towards Zenobia involves both admiration and condescension through the use of reverential and scornful diction to illustrate how people demonize those who expose their own insecurities. Simultaneously, Sara Protasi’s “Love Your Frenemy” casts a philosophical lens on the nature of envious relationships like the one in Hawthorne’s novel and how it can be understood.

    Coming from a town where socioeconomic status was controlled, the narrator’s intention to divulge Zenobia’s “true” character reveals how he needs to justify her wealth by proving her personal flaws to himself (Hawthorne). In essence, he can’t help but find reasons to attribute her apparently high socioeconomic status which he glorifies yet roots to an ingenuine character, which also forces one to question the reliability of his narration. Is Zenobia truly “incapable of pure and perfect taste” or does the narrator ignore the ease with which she conducts her “passionate, luxurious” self (Hawthorne)? The contrast between the initial derogatory description and the positive description indicates that the narrator is capable of seeing Zenobia’s redeeming personality traits, which implies that his antagonistic behavior indicates an envious relationship directed by insecurities and shame. 

    His attitude is not only a reflection of his own insecurities, however, but the common philosophy of envy. Aristotle would say that the narrator’s disposition is akin to the equality he sees between him and Zenobia. In “Love Your Frenemy,” written by Sara Protasi, Aristotle’s theory that envy cannot be present without some level of equality highlights how critical the character’s origins are (Protasti). It can be inferred that the narrator has a growing desire to understand why Zenobia left Blithedale and see her “true” character, but his irritation, in Aristotle’s perspective, would suggest that he’s merely realizing his inferiority in front of a woman he considers his equal. After all, coming from an egalitarian society, the narrator is not predisposed to the exorbitant wealth that Zenobia is able to attain in the free market world she is a part of. The Blithedale farm is an ideal world working to promote communal living, where the narrator is most likely used to equal socioeconomic statuses. Seeing Zenobia, so far removed from that context, the narrator nearly feels compelled to maliciously expose her true character. 

    While the nature of envy fueled by personal insecurities is parallel across both texts, admiration is looked at differently. Hawthorne portrays his admiration for Zenobia’s wealth as simply a byproduct of the economic disparity between the two individuals, but Protasi argues that admiration is simply “self-surrender,” a positive emotion to appreciate something from afar without wanting to become it (Protasi). It isn’t clearly evident that the narrator wants to become like Zenobia, but his admiration is not entirely positive. Claiming that “it cost [him]... a bitter sense of shame,” to observe her incredible wealth, the narrator’s feelings operate solely from bitter envy (Hawthorne & Protasi). This refers to an attempt to bring the subject towards one’s own inferior position, which is precisely how the narrator spends his time mocking Zenobia and the time she spent with Hollingsworth and setting a goal to see her vulnerable. Even ending the piece with a final highly scornful and rather exaggerated characterization of a “self-possessed” Zenobia, the narrator’s demonizing activities paint an image of the seemingly prominent resentful attitude towards her (Hawthorne).

    Taking place in 1852, when equal rights for slaves had already been established and the Industrial Revolution had just ended, relationships like the narrator’s must’ve been commonplace. As more people transitioned to cities to attain greater success, their surrounding peers who may have seen them as equals now realized the distinct shift in social status, financial stability, and cultural norms. The Industrial Revolution at its core challenged people’s perceptions of a homely, agriculture-based life; as Zenobia begins to impart these similar ideas on the narrator, he responds with irritation for he likely sees her idea of constantly working towards a better tomorrow as foolish. The clash of these societal and cultural ideals cannot be discussed without the presence of competing economic systems. It is evident that the Blithedale farm’s rural-based economy is ways away from the capitalistic environment in Zenobia has built her wealth from. 

Relationships of envy can be tied to an array of personal and environmental factors, but people tend to want to understand how envy can be avoided. Even the narrator admits his malicious intentions, but the reality is that envy is unavoidable. In fact, Protasi even claims that romantic relationships can even be built on envy; it is important she claims to embrace “emulative envy” that motivates rather than discourages people to work on themselves. We cannot teach the narrator of Hawthorne’s 19th-century novel this lesson of course, but his story serves as a powerful reminder of the blinding nature of envy when unchecked. We must be aware of our resentment towards others and embrace it towards becoming more conscientious people.