Partner / Rhysa

Is evil ingrained in human nature? That is, are some people just “born evil,” or is evil caused by circumstance or environment?
People are not “born evil”. The places and people that surround that person affect the way they
behave. As the great and thoroughly remembered Mr. Pasquil would say, each person is a tabula rasa; latin for “blank tablet”. Each person makes their own decisions or is influenced by the decisions of others. If such decisions/choices are ones that shed a positive light relative to what society thinks is morally right, then that person would appear to be good. In contrast, those who make decisions or live under the influence of negativity, those individuals would then appear to be evil. Though, nobody is “born evil”.

Are our lives determined by fate, or by the acts of our free will?
The choices we make in life determine what will happen to us next. Nothing (except the past) is truly set in stone. We get to choose how our life will play out. There is a theory in science of an infinitely vast multiverse. For every single possible decision; whether it’d where an atom chooses to move or what breakfast a person chooses, a new universe is created off of that decision. If it was possible to know the location, movement, and interaction of everything in the universe, theoretically, we could tell all possible futures. However, the exact path the universe will indeed take is impossible to predict. Our free will exists.

Is redemption truly possible? That is, is it possible to commit an act of genuine evil and truly recover from it?
Truly successful and pure redemption is impossible to achieve. Once someone has committed an act of genuine evil, it’s like a criminal record; it will stay with that individual for the rest of their life. What that individual decides to do in order to mask that scar is entirely up to them. Some individuals work hard towards redemption, as they genuinely seek it. Some are capable of being seen in an entirely different light from when they committed their evil acts, while some don’t make that effort. Regardless, partial redemption is certainly possible. But, like scars, they remain forever.

Is it possible to admire or respect a person whom you know has committed acts of genuine evil?
Much like how redemption is partially possible, wholly respecting or admiring an individual whom one knows has committed act of genuine evil is impossible to achieve. It becomes very difficult to respect or admire an individual if they’ve made no effort to show that their character is not intrinsic of their past evil acts, while, of course, those who have made the effort can become much more admiring and respectable than those who haven’t.

Do “the ends justify the means”? That is, if one uses morally evil methods to acquire a goal, is that goal forever tainted or polluted by the actions one has taken to achieve it?
If one uses “morally evil methods” to reach their goal, that goal will always have a hint of evil behind it. Not everyone may know that there were evil actions taken to achieve that goal but that doesn’t mean that the goal is justified. It’s very subjective and varies from situation to situation. If an individual is forced to make a decision and takes the lesser of two evils to achieve a goal, is that goal tainted just because one was forced to make that decision? Meanwhile, if an individual out of their own free will chooses to achieve a goal with evil means, is that goal tainted? See; it’s subjective, and can vary heavily from situation to situation.

Macbeth Anticipation Guide

Directions: This is an individual assignment. Read the following statements. Write if you agree or disagree. Write two sentences AND a personal experience to support your thoughts about each statement. There are no right or wrong answers! Post your answers as a post on your own website/blog and title it Macbeth Anticipation Guide.
1. Behind every great man is a great woman (every great man is supported, guided, helped and even pushed by a great woman).

I disagree to the above statement. I believe that, although it is true that men who have a spouse/significant other are being supported by them, it is certainly not something that is necessarily required. For example, millions of single parents (such as my mother previously) were able to support themselves solo. Of course, this statement discusses the concept of great men being supported by great women, to which I argue that men can be great and capable of great things regardless whether they have a woman supporting him or not. Male students such as myself are entirely capable of retaining a consistent grade without having a relationship with another individual.

2. Witches, demons, and evil spirits actually exist.
I disagree to the above statement. Personally, much of this is superstition, but I will definitely not argue against someone who does believe that they exist, as it is their belief; not mine. This is somewhat applicable to religion; although someone such as myself might not necessarily share the same religion as their peers, parents, etc., it’s not their place to attempt to convert everyone else who have already chosen to follow a particular path/belief.

3. Sometimes it is necessary to do something wrong to get what you want.

I agree to the above statement. Contrary to popular belief, there’s a lot of wrong in the world that is necessary in order to attain what the general populous seeks/wants. An easy example can be food. Many people who eat meat do not understand the process that animals go through in order to be turned into the food we eat. This doesn’t mean that I personally will stop eating chicken or steak. To claim that it’s morally right to have to kill animals for food is very subjective though, as some would say it is, and of course vegetarians would say the opposite (in most cases). The statement though, is claiming that it’s necessary to do something wrong to get what one wants; nothing to do with whether that action one is doing is right or wrong.

4. What goes around comes around (karma).
I agree to the above statement. Psychologically, arrogance and negative actions towards others can definitely lead to misfortune in one’s future. I for one, have felt it. Believing that I have superior abilities in a particular profession, I somewhat laid back because I got arrogant, thinking that what I see as an “okay job” was a “great job” in other’s eyes. The act of slacking was reflected in this profession, as the work I produced kept deteriorating in quality. So I definitely believe in karma; how one’s present actions have an effect on future events (if one phrases it that way, it’s pretty common sense).

5. Human beings are easily tempted by things they want, even if it’s wrong.

I agree to the above statement. The history of humanity can clearly portray this very concept, as there have been countless acts wherein greed, vengeance, etc. all overcome one’s morality. Humans also want more too. Personally, though it is slightly on a smaller scale, as a kid, I always wanted something from the store. Some toy, some utensil to use once and never use again; things like that. I already knew my family’s financial state, thus, I was always tempted to steal or take something out of its’ package and claim it, even though I knew it was wrong (never have stolen something however).

6. If someone feels that the ruler/s of his/her country is destroying the country, that person should try to overthrow the ruler/s.
I disagree to the above statement. Revolution is almost never the way. Think about it; children in abusive households, getting knocked out cold, and when they grow up, the abused becomes the abuser; it’s a cycle. Sometimes revolution works, but once one attains power, it’ll always do the same thing to man, and the revolutionists become another dictator, further destroying one’s country. A clear example that we’ve seen over the years is the Black Lives Matter movement. It’s something that everyone can definitely believe in; African-Americans struggling and being oppressed by police brutality. However, it’s not effective to riot stores and pointlessly vandalize individuals who have done nothing. I disagree with the statement because often times, the oppressed becomes the oppressor.

7. There are circumstances or events that justify murdering someone.

2-paragraph reflection on importance of book in terms of learning and society application.
Consider the following questions:

• What are the positive lessons of the Holocaust that Wiesel hints at in the story? 
• Is there purpose of having faith even without the existence or justice of God? (Jewish people believed in their faith even during all of the horrid events) 
• Is redemption possible for man possible, after committing actions like or similar to the Holocaust?

    In society, the Holocaust was deemed as (specifically the Auschwitz camp) literally the single largest murder spree in recorded history. Torture through lack of food, the cremation of children; the fact alone that civilian deaths vastly outnumbered military deaths around 3:2. There was massive torture and abuse; things in which, in inevitable defeat, Nazi Germany had attempted to cover up. Night by Elie Wiesel was a first-person, legitimate account of what happened. Because of all of this, it is mainly presumed that no negative lessons can be learned from the story, however, that’s incorrect.

    Remember; there were individuals who were smart enough or close to higher powers to try and cover up their horrible war crimes before impending defeat, as told near the end of the story in Night. This very action hints at the lesson of remembrance and education. There’s a saying that goes something like “history will repeat itself”. One of the most important things about this saying is that it’s been proven to be true again and again. The one that changes however, is what exactly is repeated. At times it might be the tendency for war, like the countless conflicts that have happened over recorded history. At times it might be the tendency for humans to lean toward democracy; something more common in modern days, sparked by things like the American Revolution.

    This repeating of these various events though, is entirely dependent on how generations educate the next. Darkness and cruelty in humans are poisons in humans; poisons whose antidotes remain nonexistent. As such, we as a society must educate future generations about what humans are capable of at both ends of the spectrum, so as to lean them toward the lighter, more positive end of it. We cannot forget events like 9/11, Pearl Harbor, the Holocaust, and countless other horrible events because without them, societies around the world will fall once again to the same mistakes we made before, once those events are forgotten, along with the lessons they taught us.

    In addition, the book brings up questions of faith, religion, and it’s purpose in face of events like the Holocaust. As explained by Wiesel, his faith was still there, though, he questioned his deity's actions. As such, his view began to change throughout the book as conditions grew harsher. As an individual who does not share the same faith most do in a religion (not exactly atheist but moreso agnostic), I cannot tell where I would place my own beliefs as I have not experienced such events. However, based on the book, religion, faith, and it’s purpose in events like the Holocaust clearly have significance. Hell; religion was one of the reasons why all Jews were persecuted and judged so harshly by Germans. One may question if it’s necessary. In my opinion, it depends. In the book, Wiesel didn’t give up his faith, but rather had immense doubt in his God. Others in the story held onto their faith, as it kept them alive. Others abandoned it. Although vagueness is often a disliked attribute, I believe that religion’s purpose is entirely a subjective matter, and is not confined to an absolute “yes, it matters” or “no, it doesn’t”.

    Finally, as stated before, the Holocaust (Auschwitz specifically) was the single largest murder in history. Today, after decades of separation and change, Germany has become a much reformed country, different from it’s days of olde. People today don’t oppress them because of their actions. Nor does Americans do to Japanese-Americans. Around the world, we’ve seen massive change. There’s not been a massive conflict since World War II (we passed the Cold War without any nuclear war, after all). In comparison to previous conflicts, (not attempting to downplay them at all, just comparing the numbers) World War II far outweighs the amount of cruelty and horrible actions that radicals, terrorists, etc. of today commit.

    The fact that humanity can go from something as terrible as the Great Depression, World War I, World War II, The Cold War, the Vietnam War, etc. to today with countless democracies around the world, peace, and development absolutely proves that redemption for man is possible. Short-term, it’s obviously not as tensions would still be high, with any event in history. But time heals all wounds. It’s not necessarily because humans forget about these events, but rather that we forgive each other through actions.

Thesis Statements

1. (Theme): The novel “Night” by Elie Wiesel shows that no matter how one’s background; no matter how divine and capable one is of expressing complete humanity towards others, everyone has a breaking point wherein complete loss in personal morals, values, and beliefs is their only option.
2. (Character): Despite the immense enmity that Jews faced in the Holocaust, Elie Wiesel and his story in the novel “Night” is an example of how one’s values can be absolutely teared down just due to other’s actions.

Quote Selection

Thesis Statement 1 (Theme)

1. “For the first time, I felt revolt rise up in me. Why should I bless His name? The Eternal, Lord of the Universe, the All-Powerful and Terrible, was silent. What had I to thank Him for?” (Wiesel 31)
2. “All eyes were on the child. He was lividly pale, almost calm, biting his lips..This time the Lagerkapo refused to act as executioner. Three SS replaced him.” (Wiesel 61)
3. “‘...Where is the divine Mercy? Where is God? How can I believe, how could anyone believe, in this merciful God?’ Poor Akiba Drumer...” (Wiesel 73)
4. “Felled to the ground, stunned with blows, the old man cried: ‘Meir. Meir, my boy! Don’t you recognize me? I’m your father...you’re killing your father! I’ve got some bread...for you too...for you too…” (Wiesel 96)

Thesis Statement 2 (Character)

1. “There was joy--yes, joy. Perhaps they thought that God could have devised no torment in hell worse than that…” (Wiesel 14)
2. “Never shall I forget that night...Never shall I forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live.” (Wiesel 32)
3. “I had watched the whole scene without moving. I kept quiet...What is more, any anger I felt at the moment was directed, not against the Kapo, but against my father...for not knowing how to avoid Idek’s outbreak.” (Wiesel 52)
4. “But I had no more tears, and it pained me that I could not weep. But I had no more tears. And, in the depths of any being, in the recesses of my weakened conscience, could I have searched it, I might perhaps have found something like--free at last!” (Wiesel 106)