There is not one single theory or motive that causes one to commit a life of deviance. One who lives out a deviant life has interdependent motives such as the environment, access to means, and their upbringing. Fox Butterfield's work All God's Children outlines this notion through the depiction of the Bosket family and the focus on Willie. Four theories that are both interdependent on one another as well as motives for the deviant outcome of Willies life are the social disorganization theory, labeling theory, social process theory, and social control theory. It is known that our family is the most important influence on our socialization. As Butterfield explains throughout the first half of his book, the Boskets always dealt with non-promising circumstance and events. These events and circumstances led them to develop and pass down traditions of violence and a lack of trust. One example of this is found on page 143, "Worse it reinforced Willie's belief that the way to settle things was by getting physical." Another example of this is found in how "Laura never knew her father and thus when Butch, was in prison she felt that he had neglected her, similar to the way her father did" (135). Also, Willie's mother taught him to swear at a really young age; Butterfield notes that "he was swearing and committing deviant acts before he even entered school" (138). Through this action one not only sees the distrust passed down but the onset of Labeling theory and how it will haunt Willie his whole life. Willie resembled his father both physically and emotionally, this resemblance helps further the label that Willie receives. In support of this statement, on page 142, Butterfield provides the reader with a psychiatrist's observa... ... middle of paper ... .... There are numerous examples of how Willie's mother neglected him and his father influence on him was not only nonexistent but also a negative one, Butch was in jail. Willie's deviant life started not on the day he was born, but since the beginning of his family's existence. Butterfield give extensive information on how the Boskets grew and the negative social influences that they faced throughout their history. The negative influences that each generation of Boskets faced allowed for the passing down of mistrust and a selfish lifestyle that put themselves first above their family members. As Willie's case exemplifies it is not only Willie's family that socialized him to become deviant but rather the environment in which he was raised. Willie's whole life he was told he was a bad kid, this stigma led him to a life of crime and ultimately is life in prison.
The similarities in the lives of this father and son are uncanny. I will look at the murders committed by both Butch and Willie. They both committed two murders. I will look at the correlation between the two men and the murders they committed. I will touch on their lives and their treatment at home. In addition, how that eventually affected them and the eventual murders they both committed. Their mother has sent them both away. They were both sent to the same juvenile detention centers at different times. This affected both men differently. The psychologists gave them the same diagnosis at different times, but no one realized this at the time. It is astonishing that there was no connection made between the two men. There was bound to be tragedy in their lives given the history in this family. Butch and Willie both committed heinous crimes, but for different reasons. I will look at why I think they killed and what sentences I believe they should have gotten for killing.
Two people with two completely different characteristics have something alike. Both Dally and Johnny are mentally tough because of their parents. Johnny and Dally’s parents both do not care for them and could care less about them. For example, during Dally’s childhood he went to jail, been in a gang, and has been in many fights and his dad still would not care for him even if he won the lottery. Dally also talks about his dad's disgrace towards him in the car with Johnny and Ponyboy, “‘ Shoot, my dad don’t give a hang whether I’m in jail or dead in a car wreck or drunk in a gutter...’”(88). Dally could easily live without his dad and he does for the most part. Dally just hangs around with his friends and stays at their place. Similarly, Johnny's parents use him like a rag doll to blow off steam, “his father always beating him up”(14). The gang knows what happenes in Johnny’s house. Once Ponyboy was witnessing, “Johnny take a whipping with a two-by-four from his old man”(33). Ponyboy talks about how loud and mean Johnny's mom is and,“you can...
At heart, Willie Stark is a good man with good intentions, but his philanthropic nature clashes with his burning desire for success. Cousin Willie’s political career was conceived out of his search for truth. After the schoolhouse incident, Willie is proclaimed an “honest man” and is thrust into the governor’s race (Warren 97). But Willie is heartbroken when Sadie Burke cruelly informs him, “You a...
though in the end, he is overcome by the forces of knowledge. Willie did not
The theoretical study of societal reaction to deviance has been carried out under different names, such as, labelling theory, interactionist perspective, and the social constructionist perspective. In the sociology of deviance, the labelling theory of deviant behaviour is often used interchangeably with the societal reaction theory of deviancy. As a matter of fact, both phrases point equally to the fact that sociological explanations of deviance function as a product of social control rather than a product of psychology or genetic inheritance. Some sociologists would explain deviance by accepting without question definitions of deviance and concerning themselves with primary aetiology. However, labelling theorists stress the point of seeing deviance from the viewpoint of the deviant individual. They claim that when a person becomes known as a deviant, and is ascribed deviant behaviour patterns, it is as much, if not more, to do with the way they have been stigmatized, then the deviant act they are said to have committed. In addition, Howard S. Becker (1963), one of the earlier interaction theorists, claimed that, "social groups create deviance by making the rules whose infraction constitute deviance, and by applying those rules to particular people and labelling them as outsiders". Furthermore, the labelling theoretical approach to deviance concentrates on the social reaction to deviance committed by individuals, as well as, the interaction processes leading up to the labelling.
Willy is a Multifaceted character who portrayed a deep problem with sociological and psychological causes and done so with disturbing reality.
Overall, Willy’s actions greatly influenced his children’s lives. The statement, “He has reared his children- his own seed- in the contaminated soil of delusion” is very accurate. Willy raised his children guiding them through his ways of life. Biff was “contaminated” in his childhood as he strived to live up to his father’s dreams, not realizing the negative effect it had on his life. Happy’s lack of attention as a child only made him act out and develop bad morals. Willy’s delusional life impacted every part of his two son’s lives. Willy’s death which is mourned by only Biff, Happy, and Linda represents the delusion of Willy’s well liked personality. Biff and Happy’s childhood was contaminated by the delusions of their father.
The second defense is that of equality. Boy Willie believes how a certain individual perceives himself determines what that individual really is in reality (p.92). He also believes that white men have one advantage over black men and that ...
The role of a father could be a difficult task when raising a son. The ideal relationship between father and son perhaps may be; the father sets the rules and the son obeys them respectfully. However it is quite difficult to balance a healthy relationship between father and son, because of what a father expects from his son. For instance in the narratives, “Death of a Salesman,” and “Fences” both Willy and Troy are fathers who have a difficult time in earning respect from their sons, and being a role model for them. Between, “Death of a Salesman,” and “Fences,” both protagonists, Willy and Troy both depict the role of a father in distinctive ways; however, in their struggle, Willy is the more sympathetic of the two.
Aside from having poor parenting skills, Willy also fails to act as a role model for his sons. When Biff discovers his father’s affair with “the woman,” Willy l...
The controversy with nature versus nurture can be difficult to grasp, but after reading the article and examining the Bogle’s family tree it is noticeable that pervasive dysfunction is due to the environment that one is in. From infant to early childhood are the years of learning, it’s where children learn from their parents. As Tracy Bogle states that the children were to be raised as outlaws from the very beginning. In response the children pleased their parents with doing what they were told to do by using violent and illegal behaviors. Despite the environment that they were raised it, the nature outside of that would also play a role in how the children were raised. Besides following such dysfunctional orders, the children soon to be adults seeked for spouses/significant other with the same characteristics and environment raised in. As you can tell from the family tree the only outlier of the entire Bogle Family would be Tammie Bogle because even though she was raised within the same environment she had strayed from the behaviors of her
"Tragedy, then, is the consequence of a man's total compulsion to evaluate himself justly" (1021). It is the nature of man to make evaluations of himself based upon his peers. Willie's peer with whom he evaluates himself is Charley. Willie and Charley are about the same age, their children grew up together, and have been friends for many years. Charley has achieved what Willie has dreamed of for so long. Charley's son is a successful lawyer, whereas Biff is a loafer. Charley is successful in business, whereas Willie has "washed out." As mentioned before, for Willie to be great, Biff must be great. Willie has failed his job in making Biff better than Charley's son, therefore he fails his evaluations of himself.
Willy also has very poor parenting skills. He has two children Biff and Happy. Willy excuses Biff for a lot of events when he was younger. If Biff stole something, Willy just brushes it off and says that is was no big deal. He didn’t even care when Biff failed math and did not graduate from high school. He measured success in how many people you knew not what your grades are. In one breath Willy would say that Biff is lazy and then in the next say he’s not.
This provides the reader with evidence that the ideas that Willy presented to his sons would make history repeat itself in the next generation. Unlike his brother and father Biff Loman feels compelled to seek the truth about himself. He is Willy's pride and joy, being the first-born; Biff is the personification of all of Willy's dreams, he would be respected and "well liked". As a teenager, Biff worshipped his father. He was everything Willy wanted him to be -- star athlete, popular with the girls, "well liked" by everyone, he was "Like a young god.
Marguerite says that “In our society, where two-legged, two-armed strong Black men were able at best to eke out only the necessities of life, Uncle Willie, with his starched shirts, shined shoes and shelves of food, was the whipping boy and butt of jokes of the underemployed and underpaid” ( Angelou 1 ). Not only is he a victim of racism by the white community, but he is also known to be lower than his actual people due to his disabilities and not being like the others. This then makes him feel unwanted due to his race and his disability causing him to change the person he is just so he can fit in with the others and feel wanted in his community and his