She then brings up the issue of unnerving newspaper headlines such as “Bloodlust Video Games Put Kids in the Crosshairs” (205). Sternheimer feels not enough emphasis has been given to other issues such as “social rejection and depression” (206). She also brings our attention to information on statistical evidence. Sternheimer believed it to be “controversial” and feels it “exclude[s] a host of other factors” (207). Sternheimer feels it is these other over looked factors that are truly the cause of “young killers” (210).
Summary of Do Video Games Kill by Karen Stemheimer In the commentary, “Do Video Games Kill”, Karen Sternheimer brings to light an interesting and incredibly controversial subject; are video games to blame for youth gun violence? She maintains that due to many biased opinions; political, religious and advocacy groups, the media have failed to provide ample information to the public resulting in the inability to form an educated opinion, in turn causing a mass hysteria resulting in tougher security guidelines in schools, stricter juvenile laws and far less personal and parental responsibility. An incredibly popular first person shooter video game, Doom, is ripe with gratuitous violence. So much so that it has been blamed for several mass shootings, perpetrated by middle-class, white, young-adult males. The media, politicians, advocacy groups as well as the FBI are steadfast in claiming that the only rational explanation is that of the individuals falling prey to the aggression inciting video game.
The monster acts with extreme selfishness and from that comes unethical behaviour and actions. After not getting what he wanted, he promises to destroy Victor’s life and threatens him, by saying “I go; but remember, I shall be with you on your wedding-night" (137). The monster decides to unrightfully take revenge on Victor. The monster is so self-centred that it is incapable of acting ethical, and that its actions are solely to achieve its horrific goal. The above quote also ties in with one of the themes of the book, which is monstrosity.
While both women endured their brutal murders, they screamed out hoping to stop the killing and receive help from others. In “The Lottery”, Mrs. Hutchinson screamed, “It isn’t fair, it isn’t right” (Jackson 318), and in “Thirty-Eight Who Saw Murder Didn’t Call the Police”, Catherine Genovese screamed, “Oh my God, he stabbed me! Please help me! Please help me!” and “I’m dying” (Gansberg 121). In Shirley Jackson’s story, the town people are solely responsible for killing Mrs. Hutchinson by voluntarily picking up stones and stoning her to death.
Cooperjames from “The beacon” and Mr. Summers from “The Lottery”, who are both are responsible for keeping the tradition alive, and executing most of the activities of the ritual, there is a particular difference between the two stories in terms of how the rituals could be morally criticized by the viewer and lector respectively. In “The Beacon” the character of Dr. Barrows who is an outsider and not a member of the village, strongly objects and ever interferes with the beacons will by curing the chosen little girl who was supposed to die, with that happened the villagers decided to carry on with the ritual and kill Dr. Barrows in place of the little girl. On the other hand, in “The Lottery”, it is one of the village member Mrs. Hutchinson who tries to avoid the ceremony by forgetting the date and then arriving late to the event with a suspicious attitude of excusing herself, and even after her family draws the black dot she continuously showed signs of disagreement by saying “You didn’t give him time enough to take any paper he wanted. I saw you. It wasn’t fair!” and she continues to argue the unfairness of the ceremony, but she doesn’t do anything about it and accepts that’s the way the ritual has always been and she is stoned.
Two passages highlight tremendous fault in judgment pertaining to witch hunting, both of which I will explain and reflect upon throughout this essay. During the first act, upon Mr. Hale’s entry, Miller exposes the connections between communism vs. capitalism and good vs. evil. As Mr. Hale holds that “the devil is a wily one” (Miller, 35) and must be stopped, there were many in both the United States and communist Russia who condemned the opposite party of espionage in an effort to undermine what they believed to be “good” in the battle of “good” vs. “evil”. Russia, for example, during the years of Stalin’s reign, held military tribunals for those accused of conspiring with the capitalists. The average duration of these trials was three minutes (class notes, POL 334) and, most always, the tribunal
The accumulation of questions “How did she call him” and “When did you compact with the devil” reveal the instability of her belonging to the group as the interrogative pronouns “when” and “how” are assuming without question that she contacted the devil. This demonstrates how a lack of understanding of the truth prevents belonging. Increased understanding of the character of George Harvey, from the lovely bones, would ensure that prejudgements of characters would not prevent belonging. To one lacking understanding, George Harvey is “nothing remarkable” thus is able to shift the blame for Susie’s murder onto another. The boy was “certainly tweaked at an angle” and thus is expected to be violent.
And demandin’ of her how she come to be so stabbed, she testify it were your wife’s familiar spirit pushed it in’” (Miller 71). Spoken by Ezekiel Cheever, a clerk of the court, this dialogue shows that Abigail purposely stabs herself to make it seem as if it were the evil act of Elizabeth’s spirit. When the townsmen search the Proctors’ home, they discover the poppet with a needle poked in it (Abigail’s doing). Elizabeth is arrested, and Abigail is satisfied – for the time being. John Proctor, on the other hand, is outraged because he clearly knows the real motive behind Abigail’s deceitful
The course of enacting revenge is symbolically signified through the fervour of allegations of witchcraft, which destroys all judgment and creates a sense of belonging with the members of the community that have been involved in monstrous actions, such as killing babies and communicating with the devil. Miller, having been blamed of being a communist along with many of his friends, is critical of this hysteria. Despite some of his characters’ legitimate fear of witchcraft, the fervour surrounding their accusations leads to innocent people being accused of wrongdoing to satisfy vengeful grudges and create a sense of belonging. Abigail accuses Elizabeth of witchcraft in order to seek revenge, as Elizabeth acknowledges when she says, Abigail ‘thinks to kill me, then to take my place’. This shows Abigails desire to belong not only to proctor but also within the community, by taking Elizabeth’s position.
Abigail new the punishment for the crime of witchcraft was hanging and carried out her accusation so that she and Jon could “dance upon her grave together.”(Act 3) John Proctor is also charged with witch craft; he had a choice of lying about consorting with the devil or keeping his integrity. John Proctor died a positive role model for the community and his children, and went to death with his soul and integrity. Similarity, In “Macbeth” individuals are killed for greed of power. Macbeth makes foolish decisions that lead him to paranoia, grief and his downfall. “Where our actions do not, our fears do make us traitors.” (Act IV, Scene 2) Macbeth’s downfall is attributed to a sense of over-confidence and ambition Macbeth’s destruction.