Feelings in The Man of Feeling

The Man of Feeling was one of the most unique books we have read so far. Harley was a man who let feelings control his judgment, which caused him to not gain the money he set out for and to die because of loving a woman whose affections he could not gain. The book was broken up into little "scenes" or "episodes," and there were a lot of sections missing from Harley's writings. These omissions were disorienting at first (when did Harley lose his dad; why is there a section called "The Pupil" which seemingly came from nowhere?), but I got used to it after a while. Each section was compact enough to learn the lessons in each without getting confused. My main problem with the novel was that I was forced to feel a certain way for each person Harley came across. I mean, it was hard not to feel sorry for certain individuals like the woman in the mad house or for Edwards, but it was too much by the end of the book. It was like everyone had misfortunes and no one had any joy in their life. And if I wanted to pass judgment on a certain character (like the prostitute; maybe she was to blame for her hardships because she went after that guy and didn't even tell her father), I couldn't. Harley's words and his compassion, as well as the feelings of the girl's father, were like swords stabbing my brain, telling me I had to feel sorry for this poor girl. I did find it interesting how Harley managed to touch everyone he came across; making me think that he was turning others into "men of feeling." Yet in the end, he died back at home and without the woman he loved. If anything, Harley taught me that a man should not let his feelings rule everything in his life; there needs to be a balance between reason and feelings. If Harley had followed this advice, he'd be alive, had gotten money, and would have expressed his love for Miss Walton sooner rather than later, and possibly have gotten married to her. Instead, we are left with an ending that seems to say "Harley managed to save everyone but himself."