The binary that I identified in Jacob Abbott’s “Rollo at Play” is penitent vs. unrepentant.  Rollo is a young boy that is growing and learning about life through his experiences.  The lessons that the author wants the readers to absorb is clear and easy to comprehend.  The following is one example of how the binary I identified is shown.

“Rollo thought he would go and read more. It is true he was tired ; but he was sorry he had done wrong, and he thought that if he read more than he was obliged to, his mother would see that he was penitent, and that he acquiesced in his punishment. So he went on reading, and the rest of the half hour passed away very quick- ly. In fact, his mother came out before he got up from his reading, to tell him it was time for him to go. She said she was very glad he had submitted pleasant- ly to his punishment, and she gave him something wrapped up in a paper.” (Abbott,10-11)

The moral lesson to be learned is that it is the condition of one’s heart that motivates a choice, by free will, to experience remorse.  In this example, Rollo has the support of his mother who rewards him for his “good/penitent” behavior.  Children and adults reading Rollo’s experience’s of having to make the right choices, helps to instill the idea of being obedient to one’s parent and penitence is the foundation of most if not all behaviors to help through into having a healthy and prosperous life.