Free Custom «Devil in a Blue Dress» Essay Paper

Easy Rawlins the main character in novel “Devil in a blue dress” was born in November 3, 1920 in Louisiana and later relocated to Texas. When he was seven years old his mother died, and his father abandoned the family. This was because his father feared the racially violent charges that would lead him to death. Easy Rawlins believed that when a man steps out of his door house in the morning he is already in trouble. Easy also believes that the only solution is to be in the house.

As per the novel, the devil in a blue dress, Ezekiel Rawlings known as Easy, is a moral character under various evidential situations in the novel. At the beginning, of the novel Easy portrays social factor where he states that he was used to being in white company since he had fought in World War II in Africa, Italy, and Germany. Easy further explained that he ate with them and slept with them. However, Easy was not so keen to help Mr. Aldright, but he only took the job because he had been fired from his job at Champion aircraft. Easy was so desperate as he was trying to pay a mortgage. Despite knowing that the job would be illegitimate, Joppy calms Easy’s suspiciousness by telling Easy that Mr. Albright was a shady businessperson not a gangster.

 

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As the novel explains Easy’s character, when he was part of the German army during the world II, Easy killed in combat, but his killing occurred as a defense mechanism. Easy was also a very observant man. When he visited Mr.Albright’s office, he noticed that everything was white apart from his black handled riffle. Despite Easy being in the German army, he feels uneasy after Junior, and how the white men killed Howard, through, Easy became uncomfortable when Mouse brought up the subject of his stepfather’s murder.

A moral character of Easy portrays itself in most sections of the novel. In 1948, Easy Rawlins begins to search for Daphne Monet a mysterious girl indeed; she was a wife of a wealthy man. This leads Easy to dangers that he had never involved himself in before; this was a game of crime and corruption. Easy’s financial status had pushed him to this lousy business of gumshoe.

Through his assignment, Easy remembers an old friend called Junior. Memories of Junior were unpleasant to Easy. Junior had knocked Easy down in a fight, and would have killed Easy if it were not for the intervention Mouse. This provides enough prove that Easy was not violent, and he would not act as his earlier career had taught him, that is why he did not fight Junior back.

After Easy raises suspiciousness on why Monet was so important to many people, he sets a goal to keep Monet out of jail. For a black man, who lived in Los Angeles after the World War II protecting Monte was not an easy job. This show that Easy was a caring hero and that is why he decided to protect Monte.

Further reading and throughout the novel, it is witnessed that Easy's love for his house is great. He adored the house as if it was a person, who had rights. He even went further to say that his house meant more than any woman would mean to his life, moreover, he would do whatever thing to guard it. This portrayed some sense of responsibility and a moral character because his house represented his dependence. This identified him as a homeowner.

Despite various heroic experiences that are depicted by Easy, the main character in the novel, there are various failures highlighted. These failures confirm the fact that even if one is a hero he or she fails in one way or the other. Our first dishonest and deceptive character of Easy was exhibited when he had sex with Coretta, though Coretta was the one who seduces Easy, but later on he lied to Dupree about him and his girlfriend. Later, Easy swore to himself never to look at another man's woman, and from that time, he stood with his promise that he had made to himself. Further reading of the novel explains that the Mouse was accompanied by Easy to a small town called Pariah. This is where Mouse shot a man named Clifton, who happened to be his stepfather. Easy was not involved with his friend's Mouse murder, but he felt guilty of taking a share of the bloody money from Mouse, but he feared Mouse would kill him too if he refused to take the share.

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Easy’s moral character is portrayed in the book when he states that he wished to have his own property, and then  leave his wild life be hide. This wild life referred to the life he lived in the army. However, Easy said that he only felt invincible once when he witnessed Mouse’s murder of his stepfather. Easy was frequently haunted by his experience with his friend Mouse in Pariah. This was too much in that he could cover whenever he receives even a letter from Mouse.  These disturbing memories of him and Mouse at Pariah made Easy feel isolated and morally bereaved.

After the World War II, Easy finds himself being less of a hero to a second-class citizen. This was contrary to many soldiers after retiring from the World War II.  Easy worked towards independence and being a homemaker. He was full of loneliness, whenever he recalled the incident that occurred at Pariah. Despite being a hero, he had his major downfalls, which threatened to ruin his great feeling and personality.

A moral character of Easy was depicted, when he encountered the footballer and his friends who mistreated him for being a black. Easy remained calm, yet he knew he could have killed all of them. He kept wondering if they knew anything about violence as he did. He knew that he was able to crush their windpipes, and they could not have stopped him nor run fast enough to escape him. These feelings and thoughts did not, in any way, despise his character. Easy still felt that he was still a killing machine, but he could still put up with the teenagers.  Ezekiel was different from Mr. Albright, who exhibited no mercy even to unarmed teenagers.

As Mr. Albright walked towards his Cadillac, Easy was angry with him for humiliating the footballer; however, Easy knew that Mr. Albright would even humiliate him more.

Easy portrays a humane character of a moral hero throughout this novel. Easy portrayed this character, when he promised to give Mr. Albright information about Daphne as long as he assures him that no one would be hurt in any way. Mr. Albright promise that he had no bad intentions with the Daphne, but he could not guarantee harm would come to anyone in the course of action. This makes Easy feel comfortable and satisfied that Mr. Albright did not want to hurt Daphne, and gave him the information. Easy is a moral hero in the novel. This is evident in that Mr. Albright asked Easy why he had not defended himself against the footballer, and his friends. To this question, Easy answered that he did not participate in killing children. There was an ambush that had been set for Albright and his goons as Daphne and the photos were rescued. Easy later finds out that Joppy was dead, and Mouse was responsible for the killing. Easy had photographs that had evidence that Mathew Terrelli was a pedophile, and Easy is promised by carter that there he would be no more problems. Through all these events, Easy has not been caught up by any scene of murder as it is with his friends.

It is not that Easy is shy that he runs away from danger and death, but he is not hardened like Mr. Albright. At times, Easy is violent in actions, but he was moral, and always a cautious person at the core. This is what perfectly kept him alive when so many others of his friend fell. This is a heroic character, which is portrayed in Easy in that, he decides not to run away like Odell but to stand up for himself and make things right since he knew he was a strong man and he needed justice done.

Easy has been convicted of several murder cases, but whenever he was put in custody, Easy made his was out after being found innocent. This is significant when officers took Easy down to the police station for the second time and analyzed his fingerprints, hoping they would match with the ones on the knife that was used to kill Richard McGee. At first, Easy was worried that the officers would  accuse him falsely just to have him as the culprit, but when the fingerprint results were in, the officers let Easy go. At many incidences, Easy proves that he was not a killer.

The novel ends as Easy, and Mr. Carter becomes close friends. Easy had gained power ally in Mr. Carter contrary to how he had subjected Easy to the worst racism. When Mr. Carter knew that Easy had helped Daphne, he began valuing him as a human being and not a dog as he had done before. However, Daphne sets of Easy's own dream of independence different from that of Mr. Carter, who wanted desperately to depend on Daphne in comforting and standing up for him, but Easy finds this to be total crutch (Mosley 67).

Conclusion

At the end of the novel, Devil in a blue dress, Easy had attained his goal of owning a home through his actions and his company. Easy spent most of his time at home watering his home garden, and became a private investigator. Easy remembers the experiences of the past life which was full of danger and uncertainty, but finally he had retained pride in becoming stable financially and morally. A modern hero in many instances is expected to be an individual with less or few failures. The individuals, who are granted the title of being a modern hero in the society, are characterized by various things. First, they are those who in most times are willing to sacrifice for the sake of the society. This kind of sacrifice may involve one’s life. He or she may be willing to go against the laws of the country in order to meet their demands. Secondly, a modern hero is considered an individual, who despite the failures that he has gone through in life has achieved an extraordinary achievement in the society. Examples of modern heroes today are those who normally are granted titles for example the Nobel peace laureates in the world. Easy is a moral hero. From the discussion above one tells from his acts that he is a moral hero.