from Fallen his lofty and heroic station; now finally restored to the perception of truth; weighed to earth by the recollection of his own deeds; consoled no longer by a consciousness of rectitude, for the loss of offspring and wife--a loss for which he was indebted to his own misguided hand; Wieland was transformed at once into a man of sorrows! (Wieland, 258)
Throughout Charles Brockden Brown's Wieland the message about the dangers of things such as enthusiasm and seduction are quite apparent. In the above passage, the results of falling victim to these things are illustrated through the demise of Wieland. His transformation from a man who "lived in the bosom of security and luxury" (p.43) to a "man of sorrows" (pg 258) can be seen first and foremost as a cautionary tale of fanatical faith and seduction by those with insincere intentions. Also, this passage is unique because of its usage of the word "transformation" which appears in the title, then only a few times in the entire book. A largely important aspect of this story lies in its references to the theater. Consequently, when examining the usage of "The Transformation" within the story, it is important to define it within the context of the theater. Transformation in the theater is defined as a seemingly miraculous change in the appearance of scenery or actors in view of the audience (dictionary.com). When examining the word in this context, it is easy to see the similarities between the transformation that Wieland experienced and a theatrical transformation as defined above.
In the story, Wieland falls victim to such a miraculous change when he is seduced by the divine voices which are actually perpetrated by the notorious Carwin. He is ultimately overcome by the persuasions of Carwin and consequently takes the lives of his wife and children. The above passage explains the further transformation that Wieland from a man overcome by his seductions, to a man innately aware of the horrors and terror he had invoked on his loved ones because of his fanatical interpretations of these voices. While the passage examines the dangers of such a transformation within the context of the story, on a deeper level, it is examining such a seduction by the tumultuous society of the time. It is made clear that Wieland is "An American Tale", and therefore one can deduce that it has deeper meaning than telling a story about one family's demise. Moreover, this story is a cautionary tale for Americans to not get caught up in the radical political and religious movements of the time. Another examination in this book is that of religious and political enthusiasm. While such enthusiasm is usually associated with the lower class at the time this book was published, Brown's Wieland shows that even educated upper class individuals can get caught up in such feelings. In this case, enthusiasm to refers mistaking ones feelings or emotions for direct contact with God. In Weiland's case, he was tricked into such notions by the clever ventriloquist Carwin. When considering the broader meaning, perhaps Carwin exists as the symbol of the "false prophets" of revolution. He symbolizes those who are the catalyst of such enthusiasm through revolutionary writings and speech. He is a demagogue, a person who plays off of people's passions and hopes in order to stir up emotions for their own personal causes.
A possible implication of this passage is that eventually, those overcome by radical seductions and enthusiasm will eventually "be restored to the perception of truth". That is, eventually they will come to their senses and be reminded of the truth. This passage discusses that once this occurs Wieland could no longer justify his actions, and in finally realizing what he had done, was overcome with grief. In comparison, one could debate that this is perhaps Brown's forecast of what could happen if American's let their same enthusiasm dictate their actions. The narrator Clara, finally describes her forlorn brother as a man of sorrows. This allusion is a direct quote from the gospel of Isaiah. In chapter 53 verse 3 it is stated: "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not." (Isaiah, Holy Bible NIV). This allusion is especially notable since it is refereeing to Jesus Christ himself. As one of the first examples of revolutionary and radical thinking, it is interesting that Brown would use this phrase to refer to Wieland in this passage. Especially when one remembers that Wieland committed the murders of his wife and kids under the assumption that he was doing the work of God. I don't think it is possible that this was merely a coincidence. Especially when looking at Brown's carefully crafted commentary on radicalism throughout the book it is ironic that Jesus would be the reference point of this passage. Once this allusion was made, it then opens up discussion for other biblical comparisons in this book. One could easily view the siblings compound as a quasi-Eden. Once their Paradise was penetrated by the snake (in the form of Carwin), their fall from grace was inevitable. Several references are made to biblical symbols, specifically the
temple in which their father met his own demise. Also Brown's word choice on several occasions make direct references to biblical events and occurrences. I think that this is an important point when examining Brown's writing. In his attempt to warn society of the dangers of being easily convinced by powerful speech and writing that appeals to their emotions, he is doing virtually the same thing by making references to the one book that was universally known at the time.