If it weren’t for the secret and the stranger, who knows whether Reginald St. Leon would have ever kicked his habit of addiction or continued to make poor choices. Godwin in “Political Justice, Magical Science and Harry Potter”, “argues against the idea of punishment as a corrective against vice:…” (p. 407). How many times was Reginald thrown in prison for having money that had no visible source? If the punishment fits the crime, it would seem that good, old Reggie has definitely been punished! He has lost his mother, his wife, his only son, and his daughters do not know that he is even alive. The loss of family and all connections is the loss of any shelter at all, morally. Unfortunately, Reginald does not realize this until it is too late. He is able to give his son one last gift without him knowing, the gift of a dowry for Pandora. He is still alone as he was when he accepted the secret of the Stranger.
A question that I would definitely like to ask of Mark Canuel when he comes to our class is “How can Reginald cure himself of “ambition’ and “pomp” when his cultivated family demands both?” In reading his paper, I see where he draws a comparison between his son’s love for his mother which is regenerated in his love for Pandora. The only reason that Pandora was able to marry Charles was through “beneficent fraud” committed by his father. You could call it a parting gift, hoping that Charles will be happy and understand the relevance and need for family. This almost sounds sappy in Reginald’s direction but I really do feel for the guy at the end.
The Philosopher’s Stone is just an inanimate article, or is it? No one knows if it is a rock, an elixir, powder, or what, but it did bring ruin and loneliness to Reginald as well as the stranger. Why else would he die penniless and alone? The reason for that is the morals and values of family and friends is corrupted when wealth and fame are added. To seek after wealth, fame, and immortality is a to demean oneself; having family and friends to support and show their love for you makes them the treasure which we should each seek after,
Literature Rocks 