Accordingly, I can't relate directly to Tom's obsession, but I can certainly turn to examples of my own peculiar fixations to understand how quickly an object of desire can enslave my powers of reason and choice. Furthermore, I know all too well how my distorted perceptions can make me believe that, despite the experience of one disaster after another, this next time will somehow be magically different.
The gamblers are so absorbed in their addiction that they do not even notice how a fire has broken out. Tom, with his wig discarded, raises his fist to Heaven, for like so many who are seduced by sin, he is surely convinced that God is to blame for his failure. I am all too familiar with the feeling that Fortune has wronged me, when all along I have only wronged myself.
A highwayman, identifiable by the pistol and the mask in his pocket, drinks to forget his losses, while another fellow bites his nails in torment. A man who has just lost pulls his hat over his eyes. Two men are pleased with their ill-gotten gains, while two other men are in the midst of a dispute. A well-dressed gentleman borrows from a loan shark, who might remind the viewer of Tom's father.
A mad dog reflects the hysteria of the entire scene. Is it safe to say that Tom has now used up all the possible escapes from his foolhardiness? For a man who has thought of nothing but acquiring money, what will become of him now that his wealth is finally gone for good?
William Hogarth, A Rake's Progress VI: The Gaming House (1734)
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