How significant are outside influences onour decisions to commit ourselves to an action?

How significant are outside influences on our decisions to commit ourselves to an action?

To illustrate the timeless issues involved in this question and suggest an answer, I have chosen to examine two characters and influences on their actions in Fly Away Peter, written by David Malouf in 1981 and Antigone, based on a Greek myth, and written by Jean Anouilh in 1944. Together, these two texts, although separated by cultures and years, show that the actions of main characters from the two novels are influenced by different factors to varying degrees. Many influences on our decisions come from within, in the case of Antigone and Jim. Other pressures stem from outside, good examples being the death of Oedipus and his sons thrusting Creon into the throne and the expectations on Ashley Crowther. Additional cases may be found where outside influences seemingly have no effect on the decisions of characters, as visible in the actions of Creon’s guards.

Antigone and Jim Saddler are both characters whose influences to act come from within. Antigone’s morals cause her to feel obligated to bury her brother Polynices, whilst Jim’s nature leads to his involvement in the Great War. Both Antigone and Jim die as a result of their actions. Although Antigone is driven to act by her own seemingly senseless inner drive, which is greatly misunderstood, there are other factors which to a lesser extent effect her decision to commit herself to the proper burial of Polynices. Unlike her sister Ismene, Antigone does not believe herself to be beautiful, indeed she denies the fact on page 14, when Ismene tells her “you’re young, you’re beautiful” and she replies “No – not beautiful.” The reader is led to believe that Antigone is relatively plain and dull looking, whereas Ismene is pretty attractive and more social. The first paragraph of the play alludes to fact that Antigone is quieter, ponderous and less social than Ismene, when the Prologue tells of a thin girl sitting in a chair staring, thinking. Perhaps to a small extent the physical appearance of Antigone has inadvertently led to her become a vastly different person. This thinking, somewhat outcast nature due to outside circumstances uncontrollable to Antigone is integral in her decision to go against sensibility and bury her brother on two occasions. The reader is told of no other outside influences to her actions, either political or religious.

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Similar to Antigone it is the character of Jim, in his curiosity to experience another world, demonstrated when he thinks “If he didn’t go, he had decided, he would never understand…and nobody would be able t tell him.”(Page 55) that is the main reason for his actions in joining the war. However, again like Antigone an outside influence, in the form of his father, has some consequence on his decision to go to a foreign land to fight. Jim sees his link to his father as no more than an “accidental link of blood” (page 5), however he seems to be interested in the violence in the man, which he kept at arms length. This violence, which Jim sees as an infection in single men not mankind leads to Jim joining the war and explore a very different world to his own peaceful, innocent existence. It is the character of Jim and not the outside influences that most effect his decision to commit himself to war. It seems that Malouf agrees with this statement, as the metaphor of the ground Jim stands on tilting “to the place where the war was” hints of inevitability in Jim’s involvement in the war, a kind that will not be influenced by outside events, people or actions.

There are other occasions in which characters from Fly Away Peter and Antigone are significantly influenced by external factors. The primary example is Creon, who through little wish of his own becomes King and must undertake many more duties than previously. We are told that he is a practical, sensible man whose interests are political and social stability in order to give what Antigone believes banal happiness to the masses. The main action of Creon in the play is sentencing, against his will, Antigone to death for covering her brothers body against his orders. This decision would not have been made if outside influences in the death of Oedipus, the previous King, and his sons, Antigone’s brother’s, Etioclesand Polynices had not happened. These outside influences have a great effect on the way Creon decides to act.

Jim Saddler’s employer Ashley Crowther is positively attuned to change and progress and has a wider perspective than Jim. He is obviously an intelligent and sensitive man, and it is his keen social awareness and knowledge of his role in the post war World as a Cambridge educated young man which influence his committal to war. It is the nature of the world, and its perceived need for young leaders like Ashley, which influences Ashley’s decision to go to war.

The indistinguishable, mindless guards, constantly grouped as three and given no personal characteristics exemplify a situation where outside influences have no effect on the committal to act. The men concern themselves only with themselves and are untouched by the tragedy that unfolds before them. The chorus notes that the tragedy is “no skin off their backs”, and they have no vested interest in any actions which do not effect them or their purses. Interestingly the guards who involve themselves little emerge from the tragedy least effected.

The extent to which outside influences cause decisions and commitments varies greatly amongst the protagonists in Fly Away Peter and Antigone. The main characters of each text, Jim and Antigone, are driven mostly by their will, but are to a lesser extent influenced by outside actions. Creon is the main example of a character whose decisions are greatly changed by outside influences in the death of the King and his two sons inherent to the throne. Ashely Crowther also perceives external circumstances as requiring him to act in a certain way and join the way. In marked contrast are Creon’s guards, whose decisions are changed little by outside influences.

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