himself off from God's grace. (Edwards 190) William Wilson is more complex than the other tales; it deals with a split personality that is fighting with itself to gain dominance. The narrator refuses to agree with anything this second half tries to impose on him. Poe shows the struggle the average person can go through when coming to terms with himself. It is precisely this struggle that Poe exploits and uses as the main point of the conflict. Another thing that Poe illustrate is the length of time and effort that goes into avoid and deterring the second honest self. The narrator changes schools and even his living quarters just to avoid this struggle that is going on with himself. The reader along with the narrator soon learns that this is not a struggle that can be run away from. Poe uses the faceless stranger to exemplify the fact that this is once again an inner battle has to be settled within the mind, in order to bring the person as a whole, back to peace. The life style that the narrator chooses to live does not agree with the better half. The sin of gambling, cheating, and lying are all issues that rip and tear away at William's mind until the faceless William appears to betray his cheating ways and interrupt his dishonesty, "Gentle men he said, . . . Please to examine, at you leisure, the inner lining of the cuff of his left sleeve, and the several little packages which may be found in the somewhat capacious pockets of his embroidered morning wrapper."(Poe-91) In reality William has moments of moral rightness that he blames on the other William. It is this higher morality and stronger will that allows this struggle to continue for the number of years that it does. William does not want to realize what his true self is capable of, and that true self is tired of standing by while William continues to sin. As Edwards said, William never allows that conscience to ever govern his life, "You have conquered, and I yield. Y...
