▁noble , ▁and ▁his ▁early ▁belief ▁that ▁the ▁con quest ▁of ▁fear ▁is ▁the ▁ess ence ▁of ▁the ▁noble ▁life . ▁ ▁The ▁six ▁chap ters ▁of ▁the ▁novel , ▁which ▁tell ▁Ben ham ' s ▁life ▁story , ▁explore ▁this ▁per plex ity . ▁ ▁Ben ham ▁dies ▁in ▁the ▁midst ▁of ▁his ▁quest , ▁but ▁his ▁papers ▁show ▁that ▁he ▁has ▁arrived ▁at ▁the ▁tent ative ▁conclusion ▁that ▁there ▁are ▁four ▁imped iments , ▁or ▁" limit ations " ▁as ▁he ▁labels ▁them , ▁that ▁keep ▁human ▁be ings ▁from ▁living ▁nob ly : ▁ ▁( 1 ) ▁fear ; ▁( 2 ) ▁self - ind ul gen ces , ▁including ▁sex ; ▁( 3 ) ▁je alous y ; ▁and ▁( 4 ) ▁pre jud ice ▁( by ▁the ▁last ▁he ▁means ▁" the ▁most ▁remarkable ▁array ▁of ▁influ ences , ▁race - hat red , ▁national ▁susp icion , ▁the ▁evil ▁side ▁of ▁patri ot ism , ▁religious ▁and ▁social ▁int ol er ance , ▁every ▁social ▁consequence ▁of ▁mud d le ▁head ed ness , ▁every ▁div iding ▁force ▁indeed ▁except ▁the ▁purely ▁personal ▁diss ensions ▁between ▁man ▁and ▁man .") ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁bi ograph er ▁David ▁C . ▁Smith , ▁in ▁The ▁Research ▁Magn ific ent ▁Well s ▁is ▁" direct ly ▁tre ating ▁the ▁early ▁days ▁of ▁his ▁life ▁with ▁Reb e cca ▁West , ▁during ▁which ▁her ▁possess ive ▁drive ▁sometimes ▁rep elled ▁him , ▁but ▁his ▁sexual ▁need ▁brought ▁him ▁back "; ▁features