“Peccavi” is a novel about a clergyman living his life repenting for his sin. The title itself reveals the contents of the work, as the literal meaning of the word peccavi roughly translates to an acknowledgment of sin. The repenting hero of the novel is a clergyman who lived his life with the advantage of wealth and comfort.
Robert Carlton was a respected individual in his village prior to the scandalous sin that led him to become an outcast that must fend for himself. The sin involves a poor woman who recently died and himself, and the clergyman is being eaten by guilt which finally leads him to confess to the poor girl’s father. He loses all the support from the village, all his servants and must learn how to do basic tasks to survive, such as cooking food and cleaning after himself.
What makes Carlton different from his fellow men is his undeniable intelligence which makes the reader empathize to an extent. Carlton's intelligence is what doesn’t allow him to take the easy way out, to put blame elsewhere rather than himself, which leads to his journey of repentance.
The novel represents a full circle of this repentance, with Carlton’s confession to Jasper Musk through to their shared death. It is a story that shows the flaws of humans. Despite the positions they might hold, it doesn’t mean that they aren’t prone to dreadful mistakes, just like the respected man of the Church who made a mistake of his life which turned his life completely upside down.
