In the novella, Apt Pupil by Stephen King, the author illustrates and explains to us what his concept of evil is by showing us the ways society only see's and accepts the superficial aspects of people, like Todd the "All-American kid" (111) who is acceptable in every way and although Todd seems like the American ideal that most people view as what America should be like, society and people ignore or pretend that a person perfect like Todd or a man like Dussander who "exuded a certain courtly charm that all the young ladies responded to" (247) could get the nurses to blush, was actually able to think that killing "winos were fun" (210) and that "they made him feel alive" (210). Todd's grandfather was the type of man who had a "Left Hand Book" (185) where he helps out the people who go to his store. Todd's father soon grows to hate those people for causing him to wear Good will pants and the values that Dicks father has is twisted by Todd's father and the hate Todd's father has transferred to Todd, but in a more extreme manner. In the beginning of the novella, Todd is the All-American kid that looked as if he “might have a paper route” (111) to innocently pass the days along during his summer vacation. When Todd first meets Arthur Denker, who is actually Kurt Dussander a former Nazi, he still retains the innocence he held since his summer began, but as he learns more about the crimes and terrible acts of murder Dussander committed during the Holocaust, Todd’s innocence’s begins to dissipate as he becomes influenced by Dussander’s past memories. As Todd continues to listen to Dussander’s past memories, his image of being a golden child in the eyes of the adults in his life begins to crumble as he becomes more influenced by Dussande... ... middle of paper ... ... contributes to the loss of innocence Todd experiences because of the way she interacts with him and how she lets him treat her and how she treats him. When Todd is describing what his mother looks like, he tells us of her appearance in a sexually way a boy should not describe his mother in and when they call out to each other. He calls his mother "Monica-baby" (135) and she calls him "Todd-baby" (135) as if their close friends and not mother and son. Because of this, the way a boy at Todd's ages should think of or describe their mother should be that she's just their mom and or just the basics of what they look like. Instead because of the way Monica treats Todd, he does not describe her as a mom, he describes her to us, as she "wasn't a bad-looking chick for thirty-six...tall, shapely" (135) and he does this as if he's a guy who's checking out some chick he sees.
Baby narrates her story through her naïve, innocent child voice. She serves as a filter for all the events happening in her life, what the narrator does not know or does not comprehend cannot be explained to the readers. However, readers have reason not to trust what she is telling them because of her unreliability. Throughout the beginning of the novel we see Baby’s harsh exposure to drugs and hurt. Jules raised her in an unstable environment because of his constant drug abuse. However, the narrator uses flowery language to downplay the cruel reality of her Montreal street life. “… for a kid, I knew a lot of things about what it felt like to use heroin” (10). We immediately see as we continue reading that Baby thinks the way she has been living her life is completely normal, however, we as readers understand that her life is in fact worse then she narrates. Baby knows about the impermanent nature of her domestic security, however, she repeatedly attempts to create a sense of home each time her and Jules move to another apartm...
It is this dysfunctional world that Equality 7-2521 is born into. The novel begins with Equality 7-2521 alone in a dark tunnel transcribing his story. He begins with a declaration that “It is a sin to write this… [because] men may not write unless the Council of Vocations bid them so” (Rand, 17). Equality 7-2521 writes that he was born with a curse: He is different than the other men in his society. He laments that “the learning was too easy. This is a great sin, to be born with a head too quick” (Rand, 21). From the youngest age children were taught that ability is a vice, not a virtue. They were to be embarrassed of their superiority because “it is not good to be different from our brothers” (Rand, 21). Equality 7-2521 writes that he tried to stifle this fault but was unable to do so.
...cence fall prey to the evil within the novel, demonstrating the corruption of innocence. Knowles and Golding responded to World War II with a novel presenting the darkness of human nature, as the terrors of World War II surpassed all others. However, even today examples of inherent human savagery can be witnessed. People still find joy in the pain of others, similar to Jack and the hunters. For instance, people enjoy violent sports and laugh at the misfortune of others. Moreover, people act self-centered and abandon the needs of others. These selfish actions are not only committed but supported. Many television shows base their plots on personal gain. Competitors have to be willing to sacrifice their follow man for their own personal gain and survival. Perhaps, modern civilization closely resembles the evils within the groups of boys in these novels.
Harrison Bergeron’s mother, Hazel Bergeron, is the definition of the Handicapper General’s “normal” and model for enforced equality. Everyone must be leveled and thereby oppressed to her standards. Hazel’s husband, George Bergeron, is no exception. “‘I’d think it would be real interesting, hearing all the different sounds,’ said Hazel, a little envious. ‘All the things they think up.’” (Vonnegut 910). George suffers from his own comically ludicrous mental handicap. The fact that this incites jealousy in Hazel reaffirms the artificial equality Vonnegut ridicules. The author satirizes oppression in American society through his depictions of misery and restraint exhibited in his characters’ ordeals. “The different times that George is interrupted from thinking, and his inner monologue is cut, we have a sort of stopping his having dialogue with himself. So he can’t have a unique personality, which itself involves his worldviews” (Joodaki 71). Not being able to know oneself epitomizes
overcome before he can move up in the Hollywood society. Todd’s life begins to go downhill as he
No matter what actions or words a mother chooses, to a child his or her mother is on the highest pedestal. A mother is very important to a child because of the nourishing and love the child receives from his or her mother but not every child experiences the mother’s love or even having a mother. Bragg’s mother was something out of the ordinary because of all that she did for her children growing up, but no one is perfect in this world. Bragg’s mother’s flaw was always taking back her drunken husband and thinking that he could have changed since the last time he...
Adolph Myers, a kind and gentle man "[ is] meant by nature to be a teacher of youth"(215), however, the towns' people can not understand that the male school teacher - a not so common phenomenon at the time--spoke soothingly with his hands and voice only to "carry a dream into the young minds" (215) of his students. The young school teacher was wrongfully accused of doing "unspeakable things" to his students, and as a result was beaten and run out of town without being given a chance to explain the his love for the children was pure, and that he had done nothing wrong. Therefore, as young Adolph Myers, whose only crime is of being a good and caring person runs out of Pennsylvania, old Wing Biddlebaum, the lonely and confused victim of a close-minded society walks into Winesburg Ohio.
...l human character. Writers of American literature have many different opinions on the society. In order for readers to understand an author’s view on the society, they must look at many different aspects including the writer’s life and the time period in which the work was written. Though writers have different theories about the society, they express their philosophies into their work. The town who seem horribly uncivilized, where a son stones his mother, yet they can easily be compared to today's society.
Children have often been viewed as innocent and innocent may be a nicer way to call children naive. Since children’s lives are so worry free they lack the knowledge of how to transition from being a child to becoming an adolescent. Their lack of knowledge may be a large part of their difficulties growing up, which could be a few rough years for many. In books like the boy in the striped pajamas the story is told from the point of view of a little boy, this way we get a full view of how innocent he is. In this book the writer shows the reader first hand how a child viewed the holocaust and how his innocence cost him his life. Then in books like the perks of being a wallflower Charlie is a teen whom is struggling with the transition from being a child to becoming an adolescent. In this book the writer gives a first hand look at how difficult it can be to transition into an adolescent. Charlie has many difficulties in this book; he is in search of his identity and how to fit in.
Children are seen as adorable, fun loving, and hard to control. Ida Fink uses a child in “The Key Game” to be the key to this family’s life. The setting is placed during the start of World War II; Jews all around were being taken. Fink uses a boy who doesn’t look the traditional Jewish, “And their chubby, blue-eyed, three-year-old child” (Fink). As they read on the emotional connection is stronger because there is a face to go with this character. Fink draws a reader in by making connections to a family member the reader may know. A blue-eyed, chubby child is the picture child of America. A child in any story makes readers more attached especially if they have children of their own. The child is three way too young to be responsible for the safety of the father, yet has to be. Throughout the story, we see how the mother struggles with making her child play the game because no child should be responsible like
One’s morals set in place the actions they see as proper and improper in their current society. Individuals in the same socioeconomic settings tend to overlap and correspond to each other. Other times morals are nonexistent or different due to one’s upbringing and culture, this means that ‘appropriate’ decisions as seen by some people may be seen as ‘inappropriate’ to others. Evil in terms of morals can be defined as someone 's morals being so extreme or nonexistent when compared to those of modern society 's views that they can not be logically comprehended.
“They weren’t only equal before God and the law. They were equal every which way.” Set in a futuristic society, “Harrison Bergeron” is a story of corrupt morals and a dehumanizing system. In this fictional future, the government handicaps the talented, forcing everyone to be equal, which creates a “utopian society.” Hazel and George Bergeron have a son, Harrison Bergeron who is so smart, handsome, and strong, the government took him away under suspicion of being overthrown. Harrison then escapes, and broadcasts to the country he is the new emperor before he is shot for rebelling. Harrison, Hazel, and George show certain character traits from their appearances, words, and actions.
Bruno, an eight year old boy at the time of the war, is completely oblivious to the atrocities of the war around him - even with a father who is a Nazi commandant. The title of the book is evidence to this - Bruno perceives the concentration camp uniforms as "striped pajamas." Further evidence is the misnomers "the Fury," (the Furher) and "Out-With" (Auschwitz). Bruno and Shmuel, the boy he meets from Auschwitz, share a great deal in common but perhaps what is most striking is the childhood innocence which characterizes both boys. Bruno is unaware that his father is a Nazi commandant and that his home is on ther periphery of Auschwitz. Shmuel, imprisoned in the camp, seems not to understand the severity of his situation. When his father goes missing, Shmuel does not understand that he has gone to the gas chamber.
Society teaches both good and evil without realizing that they are corrupting In the novel Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card uses Peter, Ender, and several symbols to strengthen his theme of the duality of human nature to show that humans are not pure good or pure evil – they are a combination of both.
Many of Stephen King’s writings explore the theme of evil, and Apt Pupil is no exception. He has incorporated his ideas of malevolence into the characters of Todd Bowden and Kurt Dussander. The beginning of the novella delves into the dark thoughts of a young boy whose encounter with Dussander encourages the growth of his dark side. From stories of Patin to killing animals, the potential for evil can be seen in the eyes of the two and leads them to the ultimate evil: murder.