Character Sketch of Mr. Easton in Hearts and Hands
Introduction
Mr. Easton is a handsome young man with a bold, frank countenance and manner. In the story, he has been presented as a good liar and a well-mannered man. Perhaps, he has come to the west for a better life and in search of more money. When the story starts he is being handcuffed by the marshal to be taken to Leavenworth prison for seven years’ imprisonment for counterfeiting. On the train, he encounters a young lady Miss Fairchild and we come to know that both have been in friendship.
His Heavy Greed for Money
Mr. Easton seems to have migrated from the East to the West for earning more and more money. In the West, he looks for better prospects and wants to fulfill his dreams, ambitions, and aspirations by earning a lot of money. He knows that without money it is difficult to lead a decent life in this materialistic world. Perhaps he dreams to live in the midst of materialistic pleasures. As he says:
‘I had to do something. Money has a way of taking wings into itself, and you know it takes money to keep step with our crowd, in Washington. I saw this opening in the West ……’
Hence, Mr. Easton has taken an easy recourse to make money and has been counterfeiting before he is caught and sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment.
A Liar and Opportunist
In order to save his past reputation and respect in the eyes of Miss Fairchild who seems to be surrounded by social images, he tells a lie to Miss Fairchild. He tells her that he is a marshal when really he is a criminal. Mr. Easton is as quick thinking as the real marshal. He is also quite opportunist. He does not flinch to lie and continues to lie to Miss Fairchild once the marshal gets the ball rolling. He lays out an explanation as to why he has moved to the West and why he won’t be able to see her in the future. He even picks up the hint from the marshal when he asks to go to the smoke room quickly. He immediately accepts the request claiming that he can not deny a man asking for a smoke because ‘It’s the one friend of the unfortunate.’
His Showing Honesty in Certain Things
When the marshal becomes compassionate and saves him from embarrassment by lying to the lady that he is the convict, Mr. Easton carries on talking to the lady with ease. Though he carries on with the conversation, he seems to be very clear about certain things. He does not lie to the lady’s interest in him. He moreover points out that the relationship cannot go any further as his butterfly days are over. He moreover points out that Miss Fairchild has a shifting interest as she was interested in an ambassador in Washington. He does not keep her in the false hope of seeing her or having a relationship with her.
Finally, it can be observed that though Mr. Easton is a criminal and liar, he seems to be honest with Miss Fairchild in pointing out her mistakes and telling her that it is impossible to carry on a relationship with her. He also comes before us as a dynamic character. In the beginning, he tries to avoid talking to Miss Fairchild. When his marshal says that he (the marshal) is a prisoner, Easton comes out of his shell and seems to be happy to chat with Miss Fairchild.
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