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In his final confrontation with the Heratican police, Wiley proclaims his rights:

“I refuse to surrender to you now- in any way. You can shackle me, arrest me, convict me, and execute me, but I will not surrender. I have conceded to your

commands in the past- in your schools, in your politics, and even in my own

family- but I say to you, never again. My heart and mind belong to me,

and I will never surrender them!” (290)

At this moment, Wiley is ready to die, and he expects to do so. The ensuing revolution of his followers, the total overthrow of the corrupt world of Heratica, has no bearing on his statements.         Beginning in childhood, Wiley senses what it is to be moral, and that sense gives him confidence and power.  He develops a conscience based on his instincts and tested in his heart.  Rina and Michael, Mrs. Johannsen, and his store of forbidden books reinforce his beliefs, but in the end, only Wiley can commit to faith and honesty. His choice brings him serenity and joy. In Bennett’s words, “. . . there could be no substitute for this [decision], no alternative. Life was Ryan’s creation, and he had created a life of blessed belief and truth” (301). More than any other character in the book, Ryan seems fulfilled and satisfied in his existence. Even as others attack his beliefs and threaten his life, his faith and honesty give him direction. Ultimately, he and his followers overcome what seemed to be the insurmountable terror of their government to triumph as individuals.

            Chronicle of a Traitor is Michelle Bennett’s testament to the dangers of authoritarian governments and the significance of individual morality.  By cataloging the horrors of life in Heratica, a world devoid of spiritual comfort where no one can be trusted, she cries out against potential tyranny in the modern world.  In Bennett’s view, a life without faith in God and in each other is a life not fully human. When a government attempts to impose such conditions on its people, Bennett demands rebellion. Driven by his own beliefs, Ryan Wiley does rebel, proclaiming “the primacy of men over bureaucrats and despots, of truth over anti-truth, and of the individual conscience over all” (Hastings, Women Authors 257). Clearly, Wiley is Bennett’s hero, a faithful, honest man who demonstrates that resistance to injustice can make a human being noble.

 

 

Notes and Suggestions from Class Discussion:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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