Casey Thompson

Analytical Paper – ENG 250

20 October 2007
Justify: to show or prove to be right or reasonable; be a good reason for. Rationalize: an

attempt to explain or justify (one's own or another's behavior or attitude) with logical, plausible

reasons, even if these are not true or appropriate. We’ve all heard these terms before, used in a

variety of different circumstances. The poor thief stealing from the rich man, the righteous man

sinning hypocritically, etc. are examples in which the doer must use these principles to cope with

their decisions. Each of us has also used these philosophies at some time or another to try and

defend our actions. One such story that illustrates these points and their effects is the story of the

“Pied Piper of Hamelin” by Robert Browning. Through my reading, I found some good

examples of both the good and the bad consequences of justifying or rationalizing actions. I

believe that the pied piper was justified and rational in his taking the children away from

Hamelin because of the wrongful use of these same principles by the government of the town.

The government’s decision to hire the pied piper was made hastily, leaving much room

for error, and thus, justification. First of all, what is the purpose of rationalizing anything? One

of the reasons that people get into messy situations is because of choices they made while under

the influence of some sort of justifying mindset. For example, when people make uncertain

choices or choices that cause a major change in their life (i.e. marriage, financial expenditures),

they often use some form of rationalization to help them feel comfortable with their decision,

trying to convince themselves that it was the right thing to do even though they had doubts in the

first place. In the Pied Piper, one of the uncertain actions on the Corporation’s part was their

urgent consent into making a deal with the pied piper. The town’s people, being fed up with the

rats in Hamelin, cried out in lines 23-32:

``Tis clear,'' cried they, ``our Mayor's a noddy;

 ``And as for our Corporation -- shocking`

`To think we buy gowns lined with ermine

``For dolts that can't or won't determine

``What's best to rid us of our vermin!

``You hope, because you're old and obese,

``To find in the furry civic robe ease?

``Rouse up, sirs! Give your brains a racking

``To find the remedy we're lacking,

``Or, sure as fate, we'll send you packing!''

After having been pummeled by this riot by the people, the governor and his associates

were, of course, hard pressed to solve this problem. They “quaked with a might consternation”

(line 34) showing the very first part of their progress toward a flawed and hasty decision.

Consequently, as any average person would do, they accepted the first help that they could get,

even though it came from a source that they were not familiar with, nor had ever had dealings

with before: the pied piper. Not taking proper time and consideration to think up their own

scheme to destroy the rats (in their case, one short hour in council, line 35) prepared them to

make that mistake. They justified their action of hiring the piper on the premise that anything

was better than nothing, which was not the case at all. For instance, if the piper had power to

lead the rats away, could he not also bring them back at his will and pleasure whenever he

wanted, thus receiving subsequent rewards for his continuing service to the town? True, the

piper gave them plenty of reasons to trust him (lines 71-79) but rushing to the choice was a

blunder on the corporation’s part. So eager were they for the help that to the piper’s request, “If

I can ride your town of rats will you give me a thousand guilders?” they quickly exclaimed,
“One? fifty thousand!” In the end, this swift decision to hire the pied piper would prove to be

greatly erroneous, resulting in the town losing their children.

Later on is the story we find that the governor’s previous choice made in haste has forced

him to rationalize another action, this time causing more damage than the first. After the pied

piper destroys the rats and comes for the agreed payment, the governor states in lines 155-173:

A thousand guilders! The Mayor looked blue;

So did the Corporation too.

For council dinners made rare havoc

With Claret, Moselle, Vin-de-Grave, Hock;

And half the money would replenish

Their cellar's biggest butt with Rhenish.

To pay this sum to a wandering fellow

With a gipsy coat of red and yellow!

``Beside,'' quoth the Mayor with a knowing wink,

``Our business was done at the river's brink;

``We saw with our eyes the vermin sink,

``And what's dead can't come to life, I think.

``So, friend, we're not the folks to shrink

``From the duty of giving you something to drink,

``And a matter of money to put in your poke;

``But as for the guilders, what we spoke

``Of them, as you very well know, was in joke.

``Beside, our losses have made us thrifty.

 ``A thousand guilders! Come, take fifty!''

The mayor recognized his folly in so promptly accepting the piper’s help and now he had

to justify his not paying the reward money. This is illustrated when he says to the piper, “We

saw with our eyes the vermin sink, and what’s dead can’t come to life, I think….Of [the

guilders], as you very well know, was in joke.” This statement made by the mayor came strictly

from his realizing that now that the threat had been taken care of, there was nothing more to fear.

In his mind, his hasty decision had paid off and he was in control of everything again. If the

piper was not rewarded, what did that matter? The problem had been solved, and could not

come back to life. His attitude and actions clearly point to this fact: he winks, he thinks of how

much wine (i.e. Rhenish, Moselle, Claret, etc.) the thousand guilders could buy, he says the

contract was a joke, and he debases the extraordinary service rendered by the piper when he

thinks, “to pay this sum to a wandering fellow with a gipsy coat of red and yellow” (lines 161-

162). All of these thoughts and actions had to be justified in the mayor’s mind in order for him

to feel that he was in charge of the situation once more.

The pied piper’s subsequent actions were in direct connection with and spurred by

rationalized decisions made by the mayor and Corporation. In the story, as soon as the mayor

tells the piper that the contract was a joke, the next line states, “the piper’s face fell.” The bad

choice on the mayor’s part not only affected the piper’s immediate circumstances, but also future

obligations. In lines 175-180 the piper describes his prior commitment to be in Bagdad that very

night to help the people there. This put the piper in a muddle that needed resolving quickly. His

speaking of “No trifling! I can’t wait, beside!” plainly shows this. At this point, the pied piper

understands that they mayor and Corporation made their promise to him without due

consideration of the consequences of not following up with their promised reward. The piper
takes matters into his own hands and rationalizes a decision of his own. He forcefully replies to

the mayor, “ With you, don’t think I’ll bait a stiver! And folks who put me in a passion may find

me pipe after another fashion” (lines 182-184). This basically meant that he was through

attempting to negotiate with the mayor and was going to exact payment through his own

methods. The mayor belligerently contests the piper’s insults with wrathful words of his own in

lines 187-190:

``Insulted by a lazy ribald

``With idle pipe and vesture piebald?

``You threaten us, fellow? Do your worst,

``Blow your pipe there till you burst!''

This comment further justified the piper’s actions of taking the children from Hamelin.

The mayor had “put [him] in a passion” and he was going to pay for his quick, angry words.

From all of the rude comments and lies made on the Corporation’s behalf, the pied piper’s

actions were thus spawned and rationally made.

At the close of this story, we can clearly see that the mayor’s and Corporation’s decisions

were made rashly, and had to be justified and rationalized by them. This, in turn, led to the

piper’s almost forced choice to find recompense in his own way. All over the world there are

choices made similar to those of the parties involved in this story. Even though these choices

may seem justly made at one time, many of them turn out to not work so well. Those actions can

cause others to make decisions that must to rationalized and justified as well. Whenever possible

we should make choices only after considering the consequences of that choice, and how it will

affect others actions as well.