Final answer:
Contempt for human behavior is illustrated through literary depictions of towns where natural beauty is sullied by human corruption, industrial pollution, and neglect of basic human ethics. Examples include the degradation of the Arkansas town and the Old Town of Manchester's filth and inhumane conditions.
Step-by-step explanation:
Contempt for certain aspects of human behavior is apparent in multiple descriptions of towns in literature. In the description of the Arkansas town, the contrast between nature and human influence is evident. The scenery, once replete with natural beauty, is marred by human corruption and industrial pollution. This area, burdened with cheats at the woodyard and pollution from stacked fish, reflects a degradation of the natural environment due to mankind’s activities.
Similarly, in other descriptions such as the Old Town of Manchester, the disregard for cleanliness, ventilation, and health is starkly criticized. The town is portrayed as being submerged in filth, clouded with the smoke of industrial foundries, suffocating both literally and figuratively the life within it. This vivid imagery positions the town as a symbol of urban decay, where the failings of human progress and ethics are fully displayed.
In broader literary contexts, authors such as Douglass and others have used these descriptive mechanisms to highlight societal flaws, such as the perpetuation of slavery or the neglect of the working poor. They underscore the contempt for moral decay and loss of human decency amid economic and social progression.