3* - Friday Seminar
Boston bombing
1. In the novel, do you think Willy can be seen as detrimental/beneficial to his kids?Do you think Willy wants the best for his kids?
2. Are Willy's intentions good or evil?
3. Is man's nature inherently good or evil?
4. Are Biff and Happy defined by their father?
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Could there be good without evil or vice versa? Why do you think people like the people who blew up the bombs in Boston do what they do?
I think that we are all pressured the same way but in different ways if that makes sense. I believe that we are all expected the same as our potential. All three of us are different and unique in different ways that it is hard to expect the same thing out of every person. My sibling's best could be better than my best at something and my best could be better than theirs. The main expectation and pressure that we have is to do our best. I believe that this way is the correct way to expect out of your kids because it is too hard on them to expect things from them that are not reasonable. You can only expect their best and I think that way the kids do feel pressure in order to push themselves, but not overwhelming pressure--MATT IAMMARINO
ReplyDeleteI think that no matter what, there will be people who abide by the law consistently, and people who strive to break it. I think that occasionally there are justifiable reasons why people harm others such as with the bombing, which was not justifiable, but most happenings such as this are not at all justifiable. I feel that most people who do this are troubled with life or other people, which contributes to a positive feeling for them when things like this happen. Also, some people who have mental illnesses idolize people who do this sort of thing, and make multiple attempts to recreate such events. One last thing that causes things like this are people who become pressured into it, such as with a terrorist group who promises to provide something if the task is fulfilled. -- JAKE ZALBA
ReplyDeleteI think people like these may be neither good nor evil. In their mind, they are acting upon their beliefs. To call them evil is assuming that the American frame of reference is right and objective. That being said, I don't think one can ever pass the classification of good or evil upon an action or mindset. Therefore, I don't believe it is possible for anything to be only good or only evil. It always depends on who you ask. --BRENNAN MORELL
ReplyDeleteI think that all evil people have good in them. Many people who do these evil things do them by choice or because of something painful in their life. However, I think that there is also evil in good people. Probably not as extreme but people could handle stress for example in a malicious way. People like the Boston bombers often do these terrible things to prove a point, do what they think is right with their religion, and because of disagreements with America. Terrorist of 9/11 for example bombed America for their religion because they believed that what was right. Russia probably bomb us because of disagreement with government policy due to the fact Russia is communist and we are a republic. They also bomb for a reward in return by their terrorist group if there plan is successful.
ReplyDelete1) I believe that Willy wants his children to be succsesful and happy, but shows it in the wrong ways. Although Willy has many detrimental effect son his kids, they are all completley unintentional. He sees his kids as they used to be, in high school when they were popular, like BIff. Willy says this in the play, believing they will be succsesful due to their good looks. Willy puts unintentional pressure on his kids to make them better, yet does not realize how badly it has effected them.
ReplyDelete2) I believe that Willy definatley has good intentions, but doesn't follow through on them. He is oblivious to the fact that his actions are negatively effecting his kids. While everybody in the play, and all the audience reading the play, sees the bad effect Willy has on his kids, they don't have the heart to tell Willy because they know he means no harm.
3) I believe whole heartedly that mans intentions rest on the side of good. Even though many things tend to get twisted into evil, the intentions always start out as pure. This is a large and pressing issue in our society as a whole, but I do not believe it will ever be fixed.
4) Biff and Happy do not seek to be defined by Willy, but are anyways. Willy's actions and manner always gets in the way of the boys acheivments. The stressful and not truthful enviorment they are raised in has a large effect on how the boys turned out.
5) I do believe that all "evil' people have good in them. I think that many people who do horrible things like the bombings have mental or emotional trauma that leads them to that point. Many extremists side with people who do extreme actions such as the bombings in Boston, but I do not believe that anybody in their right mind actually thinks that harming inoccent people is the right way to solve problems.
1). I think that Willy is both Detrimental and beneficial to his children. He is beneficial in the sense that he wants what is best for his children. He tries really hard to have his kids become successful. Although neither really ends up successful, I think his perseverance benefit his kids. I think also, because his children see him work hard and have a family, they see that it is a possible future for them. Willy is a good example for the boys. But at the same time, Willy is very detrimental to his boys. He wants the best for his children, but what he thinks is happiness differs from his children’s views. To Willy money and image mean everything and will make you happy. But, the boys learn that there are many different criteria for what makes someone happy. Willy instills false information to his boys, and pressures them to do things that don’t make them happy.
ReplyDelete2). Willy’s intentions are definitely good. Although in the end he ends up ruining everyone’s lives, he did not mean for it to happen. Ever since his children were born, he wanted them to have money, be successful and be popular. His intentions were good, but the way he acted upon them and the fact that he believed money was the only way to be happy was wrong.
3). I believe that man is inherently good. It is the same thing as Willy. Men and Women only want the best. They want the American dream. Some get the American dream by hard work, others cheat. Some are satisfied with family and friends as a definition of happiness, while others believe money and image define happiness. Everyone normally has good intentions, but the way people act on them determine if that person is good or evil.
4). I believe the Happy is definitely defined by his father and Biff is only a little. Happy did exactly what his father told him, get a white collar job. He let his father’s views steer him in the direction Willy wants, not what Happy wanted. In Biffs case, Biff recognizes that a corporate job is not for everyone. Yes, at one point Biff believed what Willy told him and Biff did try to do business with Oliver. But, in the end Biff realized that what his father had told him was not true. Happiness is determined by a person. It is not the same for everyone. Biff does not allow Willy to define him and his life.
5). I think that there could not be good without evil, or vice versa. Without good there is nothing to define evil. If all people did was be nice to each other and complement each other, then that would just be normal. Not good or bad. You need to ends of the spectrum in order to define something as good or evil. I think people like the Boston bombers do bad things because in their mind they believe it is good. Everyone has their own view on what is good and what is evil, some more extreme than others. You can’t tell someone how to define their ideals.
I believe that good could not exist without evil, and vice-versa. They contradict each other to the point that they both exist in almost all of us, depending on the balance of each that we exhibit. People that commit attacks like the Boston Bombings shouldn't necessarily be seen as inherently evil, but as products of their environments. It recently came to light that they MAY have terrorist connections from their lives in Chechnya, as well as the influence that their mother forced on them, to dislike the United States and such. In their minds, based on the mental pressures forced on them, what they are doing is seen as good. It all depends on their perception vs. the reality of the situation. They have their own view on what is good, drastically different to what we typically think as good.
ReplyDeleteGood could not exist without evil. Good is measured by evil, so without one the other would not exist. Some people are more "evil" or "good" based on perception. One person could seem good to one person and evil to the next. In the Boston bombings, the bombers thought that what they were doing was good, while the rest of us thought it evil. In comparison, in the movie, Rampage, a boy decides to go on a killing spree because he and his friend believe that the world houses too many people and they must do something before it gets out of control. As he mindlessly shoots anyone in sight, he thinks he is doing a service to the rest of society, when in actuality, he is conducting an act of extreme evil.
ReplyDelete[1]: Willy and his methods for the growth of his sons are detrimental to them, as expressed by both of their unhappy futures. Although Willy's misguided ideals became a setback for the boys, he had good intentions, and wished they both would amass great fortune and prosperity.
ReplyDelete[2]: Again, Willy's intentions are good natured, but his efforts to construct his sons and himself backfired; his legacy will not be remembered as great, and his superficial efforts to instill success and happiness in his sons have failed.
[3]: For the most part, man is inherently good-natured. Although evil actions can be found in many crevices in civilized life, the main piece of evidence that man is inherently good, is that society seems to keep on advancing; the men and women who do good deeds may not be as recognizable, but leave the greatest impressions.
[4]: The Lowman sons are variably impacted with their father's impression. Happy engages a career in sales, rents an apartment, buys a car, etc. to gain the respect of his father. Biff, on the other hand, has a lesser impression from his father, and relays to him and his family that he does not want to engage a career in sales, but rather a career of a craftsman/tradesman.
[EX]: Looking at good and evil relative to each other, good cannot exist without the benchmark of evil, whether it be side-by-side, or from memory. If all actions are cataloged without any tag of good or detriment, they may only appear as events. The perpetrators of the Boston bombing series have committed an evil deed, but (however variable) their motives are, they might strive for a virtue they see as good outweighing their act of violence. This notion may not be guaranteed, for the chance exists they only wanted to commit the murders for its negative impact.
I believe that evil could not exist without good, and vice versa. The reason for this comes from the two terms relativity. Their concepts rely on each either to exist, hence the cliche of good vs evil in almost every superhero movie. Since the two terms have developed into what they have, people believe what they do should exemplify good and not evil. The problem at hand though comes from the ideas that people have of what good and evil are. Once again, relative. Which leads into the reasoning that people similar to the boston bombers are actually doing what they believe to be good. They might be following a religion or an idea, but they do believe it is necessary and good.
ReplyDeleteWithout an opposite, no clear idea can exist. Without discord, harmony cannot exist. Likewise, without the concept of evil, good cannot be conceptualized. Does this make evil a "necessary evil?" No, regardless of motive or cause, evil is still evil. Regardless, for all that is dark and dismal in this world, the light of goodness still shines in the hearts of Americans. To love thy neighbor as one loves thyself isn't a concept that has been forgotten. Clearly, human cruelty will probably exist until the end of time, or until everyone is lobotomized. But without evil, there can be no true good. Only pure neutrality. So does that mean we should be okay with evil? No, of course not. But being aware of it's existence isn't the same thing as trying to counter it with goodness and human decency. -C.T.Dobeck
ReplyDeleteI believe that there can be evil without good and vice versa because these evil people believe that they are doing the right thing. These delusional people think that they are promoting their cause by blowing up innocent citizens in an American city. These cowards have a quarrel with the government, not the people, but instead they attack civilians at a marathon. They justify themselves by believing that they are doing it for their cause or nation, but their perception is evil because they hurting innocent people. These people have not justification for what they did and will be held accountable for their actions. They are evil in nature, but they believe they are doing the right thing.
ReplyDeleteI dont think there can be good without evil because there would be no difference. If good existed then evil would have to as well so one could tell the difference. Otherwise, if one is good then what is another if they are not? The bombers from the Boston Marathon did what they did to send a message to tell people there is evil or in there case "good" and that people besides the americans have power to stand up for something one believes in. Unfortunately the execution of their message took lives and hearts of many around the country. If we didn't have evil then the americans in this case which are not all good cannot be differentiated between good and evil, everyone would be the same neither good nor evil or vice versa. -Nick Lenart
ReplyDeleteI believe that all of the good and evil in the world coexist with each other. I feel that they create a balance with each other, however there are some forms of extreme. The Boston Bombers on the evil side, and lets say, Mother Theresa on the good side thus. Issac Newton's third law of motion did state: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction, which I feel like I can apply to good and, evil, the "equal" part of the law representing the level of extreme in the action. But I do think that every one, or most people, have their own idea of good. In society, we see terrorists who think they are doing God's will by killing others, and that is what they were taught as right and good. I can't say for certain what went through the bomber's heads, but what ever it was, was their own interpretation of good, or amusement.
ReplyDeleteEvery person has the capability of good and evil. Even Hitler did charity work. A person must decide for himself what is good and what is evil as well as how much to do of both. People like the Boston bombers rationalize their actions with their beliefs. It must be remembered that some people consider these people as heroes just like we do for people like Mother Teresea. There is no clear cut line between godd and evil. A person who does what they believe is right may be wrong in the veiw of others. Contrastly, Huck Finn believed he was doing evil for helping a run away slave when in our veiw he was doing the right thing. It is rare for a person to do something that they regard as evil and not warrented. The Boston bombers believed the killing of children was a justified mean for achieving an end that they regarded as good. I use my definition of good and evil to define people like the bombers or Hitler evil, but everyperson has unique definitions.
ReplyDeleteI believe Willy had good intentions for his children, although his definition of success was rather selfish he did desire a better future for his children. Unfortunately his desire for success and his children’s passions and talents did not correlate thus causing a large amount of physical and emotional distress. I believe that, as humans, we cannot be defined as good or bad, I believe those adjectives are of a comparative nature, what would one be without the other? Also we must look at taboos among other cultures. Our morality is affected by our environment. Although this is true I believe that some people are more capable of horrible deeds. When we look at the chemical composition of our mind and see that some people think mainly with the portion of their brain that controls are more primitive instincts , those people are more dethatched from sympathy and empathy, allowing them to act in a behavior unthinkable by many of our standards. Looking at this I believe that society has corrupted Willy and his family, the constant desire of Biff and Happy taint them. They are constantly bombarded with the fact that they feel unfulfilled, like children they crave the positive attentions of their father and neglect their own personal pursuits. In this way I do believe Biff and Happy are defined by their father, and their generation
DeleteUnfortunately, due to the world we live in I believe there will never be good without evil, and vice-versa. In my opinion, 'good' and 'evil' are creations of the human psyche. They are "guidelines" which aid in decision making and help make logic of chaos. Thus, one cannot exist without the other; similiarly to Harry Potter and Voldemort in the Harry Potter series. Evil is a spawn of good, and good is a spawn of evil. Now, as for the reasoning behind people committing heinous acts, such as the Boston Bombings, I cannot be certain. Many people act on emotion which can lead them to make very rash, irrrational decisions. No matter what the case is though, there is NO excuse for harming innocent people.
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