# XII: Malcontents explained — Erewhon

> Chapter companion for Erewhon by Samuel Butler.

## What happens

The narrator reflects on the trial of a consumptive man, grappling with Erewhonian justice that punishes illness as a crime. He considers the arguments of reformers who advocate for more humane treatment of the diseased, drawing parallels to English practices like quarantine and the treatment of maniacs. The chapter explores the relativity of justice and the influence of societal norms on moral judgment.

## Themes in this chapter

### Inversion of Morality

Erewhon punishes illness as a crime, inverting conventional moral judgments about health and disease.

### Truth and Deception

The narrator sees the injustice of the trial, while the Erewhonians accept it as truth, highlighting societal deception.

## Character check-ins

### Narrator

Reflects on the trial and Erewhonian justice, comparing it to English customs.

### The Judge

Presides over the trial of the consumptive man, delivering harsh truisms despite his kind nature.

### Erewhonians

The court and society accept the punishment of illness as just, showing collective moral certainty.

### Mr. Nosnibor

Mentioned indirectly as part of the society the narrator observes.

## Key lines

> Men will hide their illnesses as long as they are scouted on its becoming known that they are ill; it is the scouting, not the physic, which produces the concealment

People conceal their diseases because of social stigma, not because of medical treatment.

_Reformers argue that shame, not medicine, drives concealment of illness._

> What is responsibility? Surely to be responsible means to be liable to have to give an answer should it be demanded, and all things which live are responsible for their lives and actions should society see fit to question them

Responsibility is simply being answerable to society's demands, regardless of personal circumstances.

_The narrator reflects on the nature of responsibility in Erewhonian justice._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/erewhon_se/chapters/xii-malcontents
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/erewhon_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/erewhon_se/chapters