In Chapter 16, we are told that during the war Helga “was captured and raped in the Crimea” (80). Later, “She was shipped to the Ukraine by boxcar” and “was put to work in a labor gang.” Human history is packed with similar stories of violence. Any investigation of what it means to be human should probably offer an account of the prevalence of such stories in the human experience. Presumably, some humans believe the road to happiness involves raping others, treating them like commodities, and enslaving them. Can we simply dismiss these behaviors as anomalous? Or does their commonality tell us something important about what it means to be human?
No we cannot dismiss this behavior in the human race, because by ignoring what has happened in the past the human race allows history to repeat itself. Slavery was practiced in the United States and is still practiced in other countries whether it is legal there or not. By enslaving other human beings, cruel people obtain power, and humans get a kick out of having power. By having complete power over the slaves, it can make the person more power hungry and can drive them to insanity. The human race is a greedy species and in my opinion this violent means of obtaining power is a very sick thing. Rape is another one of the sad and awful things that people do to gain happiness. To victimize another person in that way is despicable, because that person could be haunted by it for the rest of their lives. The human race will always have flaws, but the happiness that some get by victimizing others is not a flaw of the general population, and hopefully it will remain that way.
ReplyDeleteI think that the actions of victimizing people can be classified as out of the ordinary. Like I said in another comment, I believe that humans have a natural tendency for care and compassion. I think this question ties in closely to the question posted for chapter 28. Like soldiers who cut down their enemies to the level of beasts, I think that those who take advantage of and scar other people must think of their victims as animals as well. I'm pretty sure we've all been exposed (whether in real life or in pop culture) to those who are overcome with guilt over their crimes.
ReplyDeleteOf course, there are people who go out there and rape people just for the thrill and the sense of power, but they are far outnumbered by those who committed atrocious crimes because they were tricked, or forced, or persuaded by money, acknowledgement or were simply under the influence of peer pressure.
Agreeing with Brittany, I think that vicious crimes, such as human trafficking, are because some people want that feel of a sense of power. While some of us tend to believe that we humans should automatically be familiar with tenderness and care for one another, we have to remind ourselves that there are a lot of people out there who were not born with such a “human” trait. However, along with our nurturing characteristics, also comes selfishness and deceit. I believe that our freewill is the answer to what it is to be human, even if it not always toward positive outcomes.
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