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Decision making and its consequences
Conclusion the importance of decision making
Decision making and its consequences
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When put in a situation where it comes down to one's own life or another person’s life, one will always do anything for their own survival. This could mean betraying others or even killing enemies just to ensure one's own survival. The protagonists in the short stories "Gregory" by Panos Ionnides and "Lather and Nothing Else" by Hernando Tellez are both faced with difficult situations where they must decide whether or not they want to save themselves by killing their enemies. However, the narrator who is a soldier in "Gregory" gets orders from headquarters to kill his prisoner whereas in "Lather and Nothing Else" the barber has a choice of whether or not he wants to kill his customer, Captain Torres. In both stories it is evident that in times of war, human instincts come into play and one's decisions are driven by the will to survive.
To start, the similarity within the two short stories is how both the protagonists have an opportunity to kill their foes. The narrator in "Gregory" chooses to kill his enemy for his own survival. Another fellow soldier tells the narrator, "'If you dare, don't do it! They'll drag to court-martial and then bang-bang...' Well, of course. The right thing is to save your skin. That's only logical."(Ionnides, 3). If the narrator decides not to kill Gregory, it will ultimately result in his own death. The soldier assigned to kill Gregory shows no remorse while killing him as all he cares about is surviving the war. As the soldier’s natural instincts take control of his mind it is only rational for him to kill Gregory despite the close relationship they develop while he is in captivity. Moreover, the barber in "Lather and Nothing Else" has a choice of whether or not he will assassinate his opponent, Capta...
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...ry", the narrator has no choice and is ordered to kill Gregory or lose his life in comparison to the barber in "Lather and Nothing Else" where he has a choice of whether or not to kill his enemy.
To conclude, it is safe to say that when one is put in a difficult position human instincts come into play and one's decisions are driven by the will to survive. In "Gregory" by Panos Ionnides, the narrator has a duty of serving his country. He could disobey his command to protect a friend, but in return would lose his life. In "Lather and Nothing Else" by Hernando Tellez, the barber has a choice of whether he wants to be known as a hero in his community by killing Captain Torres but would be killed by the opposing army. As a final point, if it comes down to one's own life or somebody else's and the power to decide is in one's own hands, one would always choose oneselves.
“Gregory” concerns the Narrator’s dealings with a prisoner of war named Gregory. In the beginning of the story Gregory has a gun pointed at him, which is being held by the Narrator; the story then jumps back to explain what led up to this point. Gregory is captured in order to try and combat the fact that one of the Narrator’s Lieutenants has also been captured. The Narrator has executed five people before Gregory finding that it is getting easier to execute prisoners; however, Gregory is different. Gregory is a very nice man, who does multiple things for the Narrator and considers him a friend. Gregory feels sure of this because they ate together. After the Lieutenant is executed the orders are given by headquarters to kill Gregory and hang him up as an example. The Narrator and other solders that are attached to Gregory try to allow him to escape in order to skirt the execution. Even though Gregory has multiple chances to escape, he decides against it because the soldiers are his friends and he considers being on the base a better situation. However, because Gregory does not escape the Narrator and other soldiers feel obligated to execute him. The ...
In W.D Valgardson story he creates pathos for Gregory by using unique symbolism and distinct descriptions of an everyman. This story shows how you should think before you make decisions because you may seriously hurt a person physically or psychologically, and how exclusion can lead to the rash acts of cruelty. This story’s unique writing talent makes this short story an exceptional read.
The perspective of the two stories allow the reader to perceive the sense of proximity the protagonist has with their victim. The Sniper is told in an objective point of view, the reader is presented only with short and factual information, keeping a distance between the reader and the story. Just Lather, That's All on the other hand, is told from a first person point of view, the reader intimately experiences the thoughts and feelings of the barber. The different points of view are used to give the reader an understanding of the distance the protagonists have with their victims. The third person point of view in The Sniper presents factual information, similar to how the sniper only knows what he sees of his targets. There is no compassion for the sniper when he is shot because it is stated in a neutral stand, just as he feels no compassion for his victims because he has not personally known them nor does he know their thoughts and feelings. The first person point of view in Just Lather, That's All gives a sense on empathy for the barber, as his thoughts and reasoning is presented, there is an understanding to why he d...
Another similarity in the setting is that both short stories take place in a war setting, the Vietnam war and the Ireland war. The characters in the two short stories have pretty equal similarities and differences. One of the big differences between the two characters is that one is a republican sniper and the other is a soldier. Another one of the differences between the two short stories is that the soldier in Ambush is scared and nervous about killing but the sniper in The Sniper is excited. “ He had been too excited to eat.”
...her than what they are capable of. In Of Mice and Men, the main protagonist George makes a choice to stay with his friend Lennie, even though he says he would be better of without him. Through, his choices, he is described to be a compassionate, understanding, and mature person which makes him supremely different from the other ranch hands in the novel. Likewise, in the Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus calculates several decisions that reveal his wit, resourcefulness, pity, and courage, all of which define him as an epic hero. More over, each author in their own way, preferable focuses on the options the characters choose for themselves and how they are or became the basic building blocks of their humanity. Ultimately, your abilities can be fashioned and built up over the course of many years but, no life altering decision is ever made twice, and neither is each person.
Making difficult decisions show up in life more often than realized. These choices can alter a person’s life in good and bad ways. “The Bicycle” by Jillian Horton is a story that focuses on a young talented pianist named Hannah. Throughout the story Hannah deals with the strict teachings of her Tante Rose, which leads her to make ironic decisions. Similarly, in the story “Lather and Nothing Else” by Hernando Tellez, the barber undergoes a dilemma in which he must consider his moral values before making his final decision. Both stories have a protagonist that face conflicts which lead to difficult decision making, and in the end leads the characters to discover themselves. In both stories the authors use the literary devices theme, irony and symbolism to compare and contrast the main ideas.
Some of the similarities in these stories is that both the Sniper and Barber are devoted to their jobs. The Sniper exemplified this trait by killing his brother, even when he didn't know that the enemy sniper was his brother he still killed him. After he knew it was his brother whom he had just killed, he did not let it rattle
Many people are capable of making their own decisions and sometimes these include ethical choices. This is an idea that contains making a rational decision between what is right and wrong. Most people struggle with making the right decision to get the intended, desired outcome. It is a choice that centers on personal conscience. One may know the right choice by instinct, but there are times in which people have to think about the outcome and challenge their morals. In the novel, The Devil and Miss Prym a young girl Chantal finds herself in a tough situation when a stranger visits town and offers her a choice to break her morals and steal, or give the opportunity to the village to murder for money. She tells the village and they decide to kill the eldest, Chantal stands up to them and eventually the decision is made not to murder and the stranger is forced to admit that people are neither good or evil, they are simply human. A film that also faces decisions is Sophie’s Choice where a young mother is sent
“I would rather die than do something which I know to be a sin, or to be against God's will.”
Some of the similarities in these stories is that both the Sniper and Barber are devoted to their jobs. The Sniper exemplified this trait by killing his brother, even when he didn't know that the enemy sniper was his brother he still killed him. After he knew it was his brother whom he had just killed, he did not let it rattle
So powerful is the compulsion of the law, that even if a man slays one who is his own chattel [i.e., his slave] and who has none to avenge him, his fear of the ordinances of god and of man causes him to purify himself and withhold himself from those places prescribed by law, in the hope that by so doing he will best avoid disaster.
For most people, survival is just a matter of putting food on the table, making sure that the house payment is in on time, and remembering to put on that big winter coat. Prisoners in the holocaust did not have to worry about such things. Their food, cloths, and shelter were all provided for them. Unfortunately, there was never enough food, never sufficient shelter, and the cloths were never good enough. The methods of survival portrayed in the novels Maus by Art Spieglmen and Night by Elie Wiesel are distinctly different, but undeniably similar.
What lengths should one go to in order to survive? This is a question which has challenged the human race for generations and to which no satisfactory answer exists. In the modern world, this issue is examined theoretically, but rarely confronts individuals, with the exception of the most destitute. However, in harsh environments and forbidding territories, this matter becomes very real and pressing. Nature pays no attention to the arbitrary emotions of man, demanding only the forfeiture of the sorrowfully short life granted to him. Many would argue that in order to delay the inevitable conclusion awaiting every man, humans must act upon their primal intuition rather than their emotions. Jack London’s “The Law of Life” includes this naturalistic viewpoint that human survival instinct drives individuals more than feelings or compassion. London shows this through his protagonist Old Koshkoosh’s past experiences and tribal upbringing, his view on life, and the actions of his family members.
make a choice between the love of your life and going to a football game, a
We make choices every hour, every minute, and every second of our lives; whether big or small our choices are slowly putting us in the direction we choose or end up. Many of us do not realize what contributes to the choices we make and why it affects others the same way if affects us and because of this many authors and writers have written stories and articles about coming to terms with making a choice and how to better ourselves when it comes to decision-making for the future.