Dead Man Walking
1.) When the Prison chaplain talks of "morbid curiosity" he is asking
Sister Helen why she wants to look after Matthew, is it because has
never seen someone die before, never seen someone executed? The
Chaplain also believes that everyone in the Jail is evil, Sister Helen
sees the people as good and as the acts they have done to be their
evil. The Prison chaplain doesn't understand why Sister Helen is
talking to this evil person in the prison and this is why he speaks of
"morbid curiosity".
2.) It is normal after such an emotional situation as the one which
happen to Matthew that his first action is to deny it ever happened
and not talk about it. As soon as Matthew talks about it he is
admitting it happened to himself which is not what he wants. Matthew
blames Karl for the murders to shift blame from him, he has probably
convinced himself in his head that it was Karl's fault.
3.) Matthew's mother, like any mother would, feels like it her
responsibility that Matthew's life went astray and she is questioning
herself about where she went wrong. This is another form of denial,
she believes that it is her fault and in her eyes this makes Matthew
look better, like he is the victim of his upbringing.
4.) I think that Matthew has trouble respecting others as when he was
growing up he might not have received the respect he should have got,
being bullied on and things like that. Matthews mother talks of him
being bullied at school at the appeal. The lack of a father figure
from when he was 14 onwards wouldn't help his lack of respect. You
would imagine that Matthew would have to show respect to his father,
even more than he would his mother.
5.) When Mr. and Mrs. Percy ask her why she swapped to their side, and
she says she is on no side, their attitude towards her change, they
cannot be friendly with someone they see as friend with the "enemy".
2. Explain how a character in the book changed or is starting to change in the part you are reading?
Also, it could be said that one can be a ‘good person’ and a valued
In deciding whether or not a person is good, all of their characteristics must be looked at.
that he is not the only prisoner and that it is more than a physical
Good, a word used by all, but most not truly knowing what the true concept of good actually is. What is good? Good, in my own understanding, entails an act or statement that is, not only morally and perceptively correct in the eyes of others, but also in one's own eyes. There is a sense of accomplishment; a sense of achievement felt when something good has been done. This feeling usually does not only pertain to the individual, but also to those around him who might have benefited in one way or another from his/her good deed or statement.
The film Dead Man Walking focuses on the controversial topics surrounding the death penalty and whether or not the legal system possess the right to kill a person as punishment for a crime. The movie is about Matthew Poncelet on death row and his struggles while awaiting his execution. The death penalty was reinstated in the United States in 1976, and some states have chosen to do away with executions, even with the development of lethal injection. In Tim Robbins’ movie Dead Man Walking, he employs characters to convey how the death penalty eliminates the possibility of rehabilitation, the way a punishment fits the crime, and the guarantee that killers cannot kill again to strengthen death penalty arguments throughout the movie.
Wallace, David F. "Good People." The Norton Introduction to Literature. 11th ed. New York: W. W. Norton &, 2014. 149-55. Print.
In order to define personhood, one must first define a human. A Human can be thought about in two different senses, a moral human sense and a genetic human sense. In a moral sense, humans can be thought of as a person who is a member of the moral community. In a genetic sense, humans are merely any physical being categorized as a being in the human species. From this one can conclude that a person is a human in the moral sense. Furthermore, characteristics of a person must be defined in order to differentiate moral beings from genetic humans.
Question: Discuss the transformation that occurs in Landon?s life due to the influence of Jamie Sullivan.
difficult relationships present that day in the prison, and emphasizing with detail on a few inmates
that Darcy had said about her and her family.
to man himself, delving into the moral and mental nature of man and dealing with
...person who sees it. When an aspect of life is held to something better, the frailties can be seen, and a change for the better may result.
There is an incredibly thin line between what makes a person good and what makes a person right. A person being right is something that’s controversial; you can choose what you want because it’s your opinion. A person being good is something that no one gets a say in; all people are good. It’s hard to see that because people skewer the image of other people when they think that person did something wrong. We are judged more by our actions than by our intentions. In reality, our intentions are all that matter.
know what is best for the society and therefore becomes the ruler of everyone else. Our