Stone’s performance in court is used to demonstrate how attempts to cover up past mistakes ultimately contribute to the decline of someone’s reputation. While discussing Santiago’s cause of death with Jessep in preparation of the trial, Jessep convinces Stone to testify that Santiago died of poison by saying, “...the first thing I’ll do when I leave is tell the folks upstairs I want Walter and the big Stones coming with me… That’s why I think it had to be poison [that killed Santiago]” (Sorkin 72). However, in the courtroom, after confidently stating that Santiago died of poisoning, Dr. Stone contradicts himself, saying that Santiago “...complains of chest pains, shortness of breath, fatigue,” which hints to the fact that Santiago died because of his coronary disease, not of poisoning (Sorkin 81-82). Selfishly blinded by the promotion Jessep hints toward, Stone does not consider the negative affects his decisions will have on him in the future, thus his reputation is tarnished by his greed for a higher position. Any attempt to save his reputation as a doctor would fail, for he clearly contradicted himself, and it can be inferred that the jury now knows that Stone lied about the poison on the rag. Therefore, because of the hole he dug himself into, he has no way to save himself from humility, proving that trying to preserve one’s reputation by lying only makes himself look
Stone’s performance in court is used to demonstrate how attempts to cover up past mistakes ultimately contribute to the decline of someone’s reputation. While discussing Santiago’s cause of death with Jessep in preparation of the trial, Jessep convinces Stone to testify that Santiago died of poison by saying, “...the first thing I’ll do when I leave is tell the folks upstairs I want Walter and the big Stones coming with me… That’s why I think it had to be poison [that killed Santiago]” (Sorkin 72). However, in the courtroom, after confidently stating that Santiago died of poisoning, Dr. Stone contradicts himself, saying that Santiago “...complains of chest pains, shortness of breath, fatigue,” which hints to the fact that Santiago died because of his coronary disease, not of poisoning (Sorkin 81-82). Selfishly blinded by the promotion Jessep hints toward, Stone does not consider the negative affects his decisions will have on him in the future, thus his reputation is tarnished by his greed for a higher position. Any attempt to save his reputation as a doctor would fail, for he clearly contradicted himself, and it can be inferred that the jury now knows that Stone lied about the poison on the rag. Therefore, because of the hole he dug himself into, he has no way to save himself from humility, proving that trying to preserve one’s reputation by lying only makes himself look