Data Bases • Custom Term Papers • Free Term Papers • Free Research Papers • Free Essays • Free Book Reports • Plagiarism? Links • Top 100 Term Paper Sites • Top 25 Essay Sites • Top 50 Essay Sites • Search 97,000 Papers @ DirectEssays.com • Search 101,000 Papers @ ExampleEssays.com • Search 90,000 Papers @ MegaEssays.com Free Essays • Term Paper Sites • Chuck III's Free Essays • Free College Essays • TermPaperSites.com • My Term Papers • Get Free Essays • Essay World • Planet Papers	Search Lots of Essays Back to Subjects - Miscellaneous The Cradle Will Fall The Cradle Will Fall In many works of literature, a main character is motivated by pure greed in order to gain wealth, fame and power. This idea is very clearly developed in the novel The Cradle Will Fall by Mary Higgins Clark where Dr. Edgar Highley, a well respected obstetrician and gynecologist is using deceitful, depraved, and often deadly methods of “curing” infertile women to gain national fame. The doctor’s motivation was so great that he was willing to go to great lengths to keep his unethical practices hidden. When his work was threatened by others he felt no shame or guilt in getting rid of his problems in The doctor knew his procedures were illegal and often deadly, however the chance for money and fame outweighed the failures in his mind. Dr. Highley was experimenting with females who could not conceive by taking fetuses from women who had abortions and implanting those fetuses in sterile women. The amazing part of it was that the process worked. “ In these past eight years he learned to immunize a host mother from rejecting an alien fetus.” (Pg. 311) However his plans for success were ruined when by mistake he implanted a Caucasian women with and Oriental fetus, and was forced to kill her before she leaked the truth. This occurrence brought on a police investigation that uncovered the The doctor shared his plans with no one, but he hoped someday he could share his genius with the world. He had already had a success with his procedures but he knew he could not proclaim it for there had been too many failures and too many lives wasted. “ He already had his success. He could prove it beyond a doubt. He had accurate records, scientific documentation, pictures, X-rays, the step-by-step, day-by-day accounts of all the problems that had arisen and how he dealt with them.” (Pg. 152) The doctor knew it was his procedures that had killed many women, however he felt that for every patient he lost, he gained more insight into his practice, prenatal care, and how to correct problems he encountered in those difficult pregnancies. “When the proper time came he would burn the files about the failures and claim the recognition that was due to him. By then there would surely be more triumphs.” (Pg. 152) The doctor knew nothing must stand in his way and he had to make sure nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Dr. Highley knew his reputation would be hurt with all the questioning by the police so he offered to do an interview with Newsmaker to boost up his standing in society. “The Newsmaker article would be on the stands. It would enhance his social as well as his medical prestige.” (Pg. 153) The doctor knew that his work at the hospital would lead him to the public path of fame but too many people were getting in the way and had to be disposed of. He anticipated the chance of bringing his work out publicly. He was motivated by pure greed for the money and fame which would lead to power in the medical field. “One day he would be able to carry out his work publicly. One day he would have the fame he deserved. One day the fools who said his work was impossible would be forced to acknowledge his genius.” (Pg. 204) However with all the killing there were sure to be mistakes, and the ones Dr. Highley made uncovered the truth about the scandal surrounding him and the hospital. Highley’s system had become so perfected that the race issue was really not a consideration. When the fetuses didn’t abort spontaneously, he became so fascinated by his own research that he knew he couldn’t destroy the fetus. Highley’s research was so far advanced that he was able to suppress the immune system to the unborn child without harming it. The danger lied in the mothers. “He’s killed sixteen women in the last eight When Dr. Highley’s plans were uncovered he knew there was no more lying that could be done. He thought of his future from that moment on and realized he would never reach that level of fame and power. “He who had conquered the primary act of life, the birth process, a common prisoner.” (Pg. 305) The doctor knew it could not end like that so he took his own life the way he had taken others by swallowing a vial of cyanide. Dr. Highley proved to be a person who used his own genius for his own cause of gaining fame and fortune all powered by one man’s greed. He had God given skill but used it to experiment with lives so he could be recognized as a hero and a savior. One selfish person causing harm to others for their own personal enjoyment and success and not worrying about the consequences. This can clearly describe a villain in any piece of Bibliography: Word Count: 838
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