Possibility of Evil

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The Possibility of Evil Evil exists everywhere in the world and especially in the human race. According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary evil means “morally reprehensible: sinful or wicked.” Within the short story “The Possibility of Evil” by Shirley Jackson Miss. Strangeworth’s comportment can be deduced as evil. Yet if the reader were to construe Miss. Strangeworth’s actions the reader would find that Miss. Strangeworth was truly evil. Now before it can be understood why Miss. Strangeworth is evil one must know the level of evil she can be viewed at. Evil can be given a level on your actions from bullying to serial killer stature. Now Miss. Strangeworth can be seen on a bully’s level of evil. So she is not a psychopathic killer but simply a bully. Yet what makes Miss. Strangeworth evil besides the fact that she is just a bully. One fact that makes her evil is the impetus of her actions. Miss. Strangeworth writes letters to the people of the town pointing out their flaws. The reason she does this is because she thinks its her duty to keep the town alert to the evil of the world, “ it was Miss. Strangeworth's duty to keep her town alert to it” (Jackson 210). Yet that is not what entirely makes her evil its the fact that she has no compunction when it comes to her letters. There is also the fact that she has a dissolute feeling when she knows the people that she mailed the letters to will read them. Yet one could make the argument that Miss. Strangeworth is not evil but simply has Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). OCD is where she must have everything perfect, “She found doing things exactly right” (Jackson 210). This would cause her to see the imperfections within people but not herself and cause her to think that she had to be better than anyone else. Now this may be true, but the fact that Miss. Strangeworth enjoys the feeling that she gets

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