Unattainable Equaility Depicted in Carson McCullers's Sucker

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Anomalies in Equality

Equality is something that people have been fighting for for a long time, but is it really the answer to prejudice and pride? In the story "Sucker" Pete and Sucker live together like brothers, but their relationship does not reflect that. Pete treats Sucker like property, instead of a person. The distance between them that is a result of Pete’s mistreatment of Sucker is eventually closed by a period of peace, a short time when they both discover each other and begin to function together in a loving and brotherly way. This balance is soon broken by an outburst of Pete’s. The fight causes Sucker to give up passionately following Pete and rethink their relationship. Suckers revelation leads him to become a more sociable person. Sucker trusted Pete to a fault, the fight is the solution to Suckers gullibility and mindless following because it forces him to grow up and away from his childhood idol, Pete. When looking at the situation briefly, it seems the answer is equality. Equality seems to solve Pete’s mistreatment and dominance over Sucker, and it would also prevent Suckers great change and the permanent tension between sucker and Pete that resulted. But is equality a solution, or a problem all its own? The cause and the solution to his problems both start with the mistreatment of Sucker and his inferiority to Pete.

Pete is dominant over Sucker. Pete and Sucker live together as if they are brothers, but they do not act as if they are. There is no equality in their relationship, Sucker is treated like a dog, and Pete acts like his cruel master. "Whenever I would bring any of my friends back to my room, all I would need to do was just glance once at Sucker and he would get up from whatever he was busy...

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...was perfect equality then your choices would not influence your life, because nothing is better than anything else. Life would become shallow and unfulfilling. Humanity needs someone to love and someone to hate.

Is there such a thing as equality? Can you truly look at a person and say they are your equal, or are we too judgmental? No, as humans we are doomed to see the flaws in others and ourselves. The only way to truly have equality is to either have perfection, or to discard individuality all together. Seeing flaws is the only way to improve both ourselves, and others. To have equality is to sacrifice progress. Someone has to be the weak one. Without weakness there is no basis for strength. Without flaws there is no preference, and without preference there is no love. Life would become shallow and unfulfilling. Humanity needs someone to love and someone to hate.

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