Dexter
English 102
Barton Owen
Professor: Louis Eaton
Just imagine sitting at your dinner table and your teenage daughter says that she is infatuated with a vigilante serial killer. Well, it’s happening across America and across the world. Showtime’s Dexter is rocking pop culture to its very roots. While the majority of people enjoy watching shows like Criminal Minds where an FBI team is constantly apprehending serial killers, Dexter is exactly the opposite. He is a vigilante serial killer, and somehow he has made it ever so appealing to a vast audience base. Dexter is a mini series on Showtime, based a series of novels by Jeff Lindsey containing the fictional antihero vigilante serial killer who everyone knows as the calm, cool, collective, Dexter Morgan, forensic blood splatter analyst who enjoys his job more than expected by day as a member of the fictional Miami-Metro Police Department. (Lindsey, Darkly Dreaming Dexter, 2004) But by night he delivers a cold, calculated, justified, death, to those that have earned it, on a table wrapped in plastic, from a knife cloaked in leather. Although Dexter appears to the public to be a quiet man that is only part of his well maintained disguise. A
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(Monaghan, 2004) Upon acquittal, Wyatt kills many more members of the notorious gang to avenge his brother Morgan’s death before the end of his campaign. Vigilante murders occur frequently today primarily due to lengthy trials and numerous well-developed, publicized loopholes in the legal system allowing criminals to walk freely. Vigilante killers are commonly acquitted depending on the situation due to some of the same loopholes, whether it’s a father shooting the drunk driver that has just killed his two sons or a mother shooting her daughter’s admitted
Dexter denies his background as coming from the middle class and wanting to have more in life. He started as a fourteen year old golf caddie and was the best one around. Dexter one day while working thought to himself that he could have so much more than just being a golf caddie. Then and there he decided to quit his job and move on with his life. As Dexter grows up and moves out west to fulfill his dream, there is a duality inside of him that ultimately is his own downfall.
Dexter, although he could have attended a state university, chose to attend an older and more prestigious university in the East. However, he struggled with his limited funds while studying there. After college, he invested in a laundry business, which he grew and eventually became very wealthy. He returned to the golf course to play with the wealthy old men he once caddied for.
When Dexter Haven came back into his ex-wife’s home unannounced would very much compare to the Anomie theory. As stated by Jack Levin, “a social situation in which the traditional rules of everyday life have broken down and individuals became confused as to how to behave.” (Levin, 54) I believe this is very noticeable in Dexter’s behavior when he comes back into Traci’s home attempting to introduce Macaulay Connor and Liz Imbrie as family friends of the family so they can report on the wedding for their tabloid Spy Magazine. Dexter became confused as the person who he is when he learned about Traci’s wedding. He was an old employee for Spy, and that is when he decided to intrude into the wedding with his plot. `
Though his killings occurred over thirty years ago Clifford Olson is still knows as one of Canada’s most notorious serial killers. Active through the years 1980-1980 he was responsible for eleven gruesome murders in that short span of time. The shocking nature of his crimes ensured nobody would forget his notorious deeds. To build on that, Olson is loathed because he extorted authorities into paying $100,000 for the locations of his victims’ remains, an agreement that haunted the survivors of Olson’s crimes, and ruined the careers of the officials who buckled under Olson’s outrageous demands. Furthermore, his crime spree led Neighbourhoods that once claimed to be “so safe you could leave your door open” to secure their doors; hitchhikers were seldom found on highways, and telephone poles were covered with posters warning that nearly a dozen adolescents were missing and a killer was on the loose. Had he not been apprehended by the authorities on August 12th, 1981 his spree of brutal slayings may have continued for much longer, as he showed no remorse for his ruthless crimes.
Little did Dexter know that Judy was going to play him like she has played every other man in town, dinner, dates, and get booted to the curb when she got bored. Judy preyed on Dexter’s so-called love throughout his childhood, adulthood, and his engagement with Irene. Dexter and Judy’s relationship was based off Dexter’s dream to have the prettiest girl even if she couldn’t be
The similarities between Jay and Dexter are quite apparent when reading each story. They both come from the Midwest and although Dexter’s family has some money, both are similar in the fact that they did not start out as wealthy, upper class men from rich families. Their hard work and determination to make their own wealth and acquire the luxuries and social status that come with it are completely by their own doing. Both men achieve their goals of the American dream at a relatively young age and are able to be a part of the high society they once observed from a distance. Their desire to amass wealth and the perks associated with it come with an ulterior motive, to win back the girls they desire that will only be with them if they have the wealth and status to bring to the table.
American serial killer, Richard Ramirez was born on February 29, 1960 in El Paso, Texas. Ramirez was known for being a satanic worshiper and for going on a two-year raped and torture rampage, harming more than 25 victims and murdering more than a dozen. Ramirez, also known as the "Night Stalker," turned to satanic worship at an early age by his cousin, a soldier who had recently returned from the war in Vietnam. Following a four-year trial, in 1989, Ramirez was convicted of 13 killings. Ramirez received the death penalty and was sent to San Quentin Prison in California. He later died on June 7, 2013, at the age 53.
A serial killer is defined in Webster's Dictionary as someone who murders more than three victims one at a time in a relatively short period of time. There is no one generic profile to identify a serial killer. They usually are people seeking for a sensation, a lack of guilt or remorse, a need for control, impulsivity, and predatory behavior. These traits make up a psychopathic personality disorder. Psychopathy is a disorder manifested in people who use a mixture of charm, manipulation, manipulation, and occasional violence to control others, in order to satisfy their own wants and needs. There are four main types of serial killers; thrill seekers, mission-oriented, visionary serial killers, and power and control killers. There may be other
Ramirez had many characteristics that could be similar to a typical serial killer. There are a great number of traits that can make a serial killer who they are. There are also upbringings that can make a serial killer act a certain way. Experiences and certain events can cause them to become the serial killer they are. Serial killers can also become who they are not just because of their surroundings, but because they want to. Sometimes they want revenge on somebody and then it just continues on because it becomes a habit. Characteristics of a serial killer include: alcohol and substance abuse, psychological abuse during childhood, sexually stressful events in childhood, bed-wetting, growing up lonely and isolated, fantasies, preferring auto-erotic activities, developing voyeurism and fetishism in adulthood, acting out fantasies on animals, and physical injuries (Gerber 2). There are quite obviously more traits that are typical of a regular serial killers, but these ten appear to be the most common amongst them.
Dexter is a television show that was made from the years 2006 to 2013. It stars many talented actors such as: Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Carpenter, David Zayes, James Remar, C.S. Lee, Julie Benz, and many others. The characters that were just mentioned are just the main characters of the television show. The premier of season 3 was released in September of 2008 and attracted the eyes of 1.22 million people, making it the most viewed TV drama since 2004 (IMdB).
He lives a double life as a vigilante-serial killer type killing criminals guilty of heinous crime such as rape and murder, and are free from consequences of their actions. Dexter follows a strict code known as the code of Harry created by his father. These codes prevent Dexter from killing those that aren’t deserving. Producer Cerone uses Dexter's past to create a way for a viewer to become emotionally invested in the main character. Kayla Upadhyaya, a columnist for Michigan Daily (2013), believes that creators of shows like Dexter commonly force the character to push the envelope for their villainous ways and then creating a moment where the character switches to a more vulnerable and compassionate state. These states of vulnerability and compassion makes it easier for one to sympathize with Dexter. An example would be that in the first season, viewers learn that not only did Dexter witness his mother’s murder when he was very young, but he was stuck at the scene for many days before he was found. This emotional and traumatic moment not receives pity from viewers, but it shows what exactly may be a cause for Dexter’s character. Dexter eventually grows into man fascinated with blood and the urge to kill. With this code of Harry Morgan finds solace through the merciless killing of criminals. Even
In Darkly Dreaming Dexter, Jeff Lindsay presents Dexter Morgan, a serial killer who kills only criminals, and in doing so, generates controversy about what constitutes morally justifiable behaviour. Lindsay’s protagonist blurs the lines between right and wrong, exposes the inherent flaws of justice systems, and ultimately forces the reader to evaluate his or her principles. While many North Americans believe that murder is unquestionably evil, I disagree on the basis that this stance overlooks the need to take into account the circumstances of the situation—such as who the victim is, who has committed the murder, and why he or she has done so—which are crucial factors in passing moral judgement on an offender’s actions. I argue that Dexter is correct to channel his sociopathy into something positive—disposing of individuals who have committed atrocious crimes in a vigilante fashion—because North American justice systems are incredibly flawed, as they allow heinous criminals to walk free too often due to prevailing social biases, systematic loopholes, and lack of manpower. Dexter compensates for this defect because, unlike justice systems, he eliminates criminals without prejudice towards the offender or the victim, operates on a straightforward basis free of political rigmarole, and achieves results in an efficient fashion, all of which make North American society a safer place, save lives of would-be victims, and spare their families mental anguish. Ultimately, this reveals that the line between what is right and wrong is not as clear as one might initially think, as well as the troubling notion that North American institutional structures are in need of reconstruction if readers are more confident in justice delivered by a ...
The series starts up inviting its viewer to dark scenery through the downtown Miami night life with the main character’s chilling narrative, when the main character (Micheal C Hall) exposes some of its back-story and certain first person views on how he sees and compares the world around him as a playground where he could choose the next victim that can satisfy his thirst for blood hence demonstrating its character complexity and multifaceted components. Dexter Morgan, the principal protagonist, lives a double life were on day time he is a forensics blood spatter analysis expert for the Miami P.D while on night he leads he’s life as a “good” serial killer, who kills by being fateful to a set of vigilante like principles implanted by his father, were he should only kill people that deserve it, for the sake of controlling his unnatural violent need to kill (“Dexter: Season 1: Episode 1:’Dexter’ Review”). Taking in mind, that Dexter contains such a disturbing concept and presence, it is impressive how well did the main cast executed through its first episode, especially Micheal C. Hall case, since he does a magnificent act as Dexter, due to he’s ability to flesh out such a well written yet biased character.
...career ahead of you, Dexter showed us that if you work hard enough you can end up at the top, but you have to be willing to do the work, and everyone has an equal opportunity to be successful it is just the people who are willing to make sacrifices and want to be successful in life. I think that this story has a really good message in it especially because we live in such a small town and reading this makes it more inspiring because it shows us that we can do something with our lives. Even if the odds are against us in being someone important or being super rich we know now that it is possible to achieve this. Dexter shows the American Dream perfectly he demonstrates how you can start from the bottom of the food chain and make your way to the top, but it is going to have to take some work and sacrifices. You never know what is going to happen unless you take risks.
Serial killers are everywhere! Well, perhaps not in our neighborhood, but on our television screens, at the movie theaters, and in rows and rows of books at our local Borders or Barnes and Nobles Booksellers” (Brown). When people think of serial killers, names such as Dahmer, Gacy, Bundy, and Gein are cited. During the time Jack the Ripper was executing his victims in London, Holmes began his gruesome career in Chicago (America’s Serial Killers). “Despite being America’s first serial killer, Holmes is hardly a familiar name and until now we haven’t had any popular visual record of his crimes: (Spikol). Why is it that people only think of the more popular killers with higher known profiles? They are all very similar to one another because they share characteristics. H.H. Holmes was a successful serial killer because he was well educated, cunning and charming. Those are just a few traits Holmes ...