Natural To The End

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Natural to the End

"Stand with anybody that stands right, stand with him while he is right and part with him when he goes wrong." – Abraham Lincoln

Loyalty cannot be bought, sold, or traded. Loyalty must be achieved through the admiration of your peers. Loyalty is giving your word and sticking to it – not compromising your morals when the going gets tough or when you are presented a better deal somewhere else. A man who is admirable possesses the traits of loyalty. Crichton is admirable and remains loyal to the end. When the time is right, he parts. Is it natural to remain loyal?
We must first establish a definition of naturalness in the framework of the text. In The Admirable Crichton, whatever is natural is right. English social hierarchy is natural to the characters in the play. Crichton possesses respect for the system, for he immersed himself in it for a great deal of his life. However, his respect does not evolve out of fear or intimidation, rather, out of his understanding of the important role masters and servants naturally play in civilization. Crichton’s immersion into and understanding of the hierarchal system explains the significance of what comes naturally in the play; moreover, it lays the foundation for his loyalty. His position on hierarchy and social order is parallel to the stance Darwin, a British naturalist, established in the 19th century; stating social adaptations, herein to hierarchy, are natural for humans. In Act I, Lord Loam and Lady Mary speak to Crichton regarding the division into classes, and they discuss if these divisions are natural or artificial.
LORD LOAM: […] Can’t you see, Crichton, that our divisions into classes are artificial, that if we were to return to Nature, which is the aspiration of my life, all would be equal?
[…………………..………………………………………………………]
CRICHTON: The divisions into classes, my lord, a...