The Secret Agent

Initially, The Secret Agent is not an easy read because of its "jumping" nature. The novel constantly jumps from present to past to flashbacks to everything in between. Once you can get over that then the book's underlying themes start to make some sort of sense. "Mr. Verloc, getting off the sofa with ponderous reluctance, opened the door leading into the kitchen to get more air, and thus disclosed the innocent Stevie, seated very good and quiet at a deal table, drawing circles, circles; innumerable circles, concentric, eccentric; a coruscating whirl of circles that by their tangled multitude of repeated curves, uniformity of form and confusion of intersecting lines suggested a rendering of cosmic chaos, the symbolism of a mad art attempting the inconceivable." In this quote we can see the initial development of the idea of trust in the novel. Stevie, an idealistic, naive, and autistic boy, puts way too much trust in authority. He's an innocent who only intends to do good, but he is tricked and deceived into doing an evil, deadly act. Trust is a dangerous game which can leave one vulnerable, and as the explosion goes off and Stevie dies, the development of trust's dangerous nature is finalized. Without trust, Stevie would have never died. Without trust, Winnie would have never killed her husband. Without trust, the novel would have taken on a completely different turn. The world is not perfect, and there is no reason we should trust and believe every single thing an authority (or government) figure spews out at us.

Othello

Personally, as a biracial male, I can already identify with Othello to some extent. Although I wouldn't classify Othello as a complete outcast, he is certainly different and excluded in many aspects. People, such as Iago, have a strong feeling of jealousy and hatred towards Othello and decide to plot against him. “Were I the Moor I would not be Iago. In following him I follow but myself; Heaven is my judge, not I for love and duty, But seeming so for my peculiar end. For when my outward action doth demonstrate The native act and figure of my heart In compliment extern, ’tis not long after." In this quote we can see Iago referring to his tactics against Othello. Although Othello was a very powerful general, he did not have complete power over his emotions. This is possibly the trade-off for years of military work as the social dimension of his life was probably not fully developed. After his deception and suspicion that his wife was a disloyal cheater, his downfall unravels. Jealousy, irrationality, and anger take over his mind. Even after a source confirms to Othello that his wife Desdemona and another man, Cassio, have not done anything that would suggest infidelity, Othello refuses to listen and decides to question Desdemona himself. It is this irrationality that eventually leads to the death of Othello and Desdemona. It was a shock to see that such a simple seed of jealousy and deception planted in Othello's mind could destroy such a confident and powerful man. It goes to show that an emotion as sweet as love is a double-edged sword that can corrupt and destroy.