John Ruskin's 'The Roots Of Honor'

In the excerpt “The Roots of Honor” by John Ruskin, it is expressed that purpose can change and that it is affected by the way society views that role. In a since one’s true purpose can be overshadowed and manipulated to be viewed as something completely different, making it unreliable. This meaning is revealed through figurative language in the excerpt “The Roots of Honor”. In the beginning of the passage John Ruskin discusses the role of a merchant and the image that society has created for that profession. The image created is that merchants are greedy cheats who hurt people through their selfishness. He then goes on to declare that “a true merchant differs as much from a merchant according to laws of modern political economy, as the hero of
It is the comparison between the manufacturer and a father. The tool is trying to create a better understanding of the role and purpose of a manufactory by comparing it to something that is easier to understand like the purpose that a father serves. This view that a father would “sacrifice himself for his son” is one of the purposes that society has given to the role of a father. It is something that is agreed upon by many or in other words society. When it is compared to a manufacturer it can be seen that both of their purposes are natural responsibilities for those roles. If society is able to agree upon on the purpose of something like a father then they have the ability to decide the purpose of any role. This can be done by society deciding what the most important aspect of the role is and which purpose will be more beneficial. The view of a merchant having greedy purposes allows the members of society to make such types of claims in an attempt to get a better bargain. Society has so much power that it allows it to decide what routes and purposes are available for anybody. As norms and the views of society change so does the purpose of a