On The Waterfront

In On The Waterfront, the characters struggle with the difference between a traitor and a whistle blower. Many want to inform the police of the mob’s activities, but are afraid to be considered a traitor because they might get hurt. Only a few people are strong enough to risk going against the mob. Joey, Doogan, and Terry are a few insiders willing to stand up and tell the truth about the mob. In the beginning, they seem to believe that telling the police anything would label them as a traitor and could result in their deaths, which does happen to Joey and Doogan. By the mob setting the definition of traitor as anyone who spills information on them and punishing traitors with death, the workers do not want to inform the police of the criminal activity that is occurring on the waterfront. As the movie goes on, people like Doogan and Terry learn that the only way to fix the injustice that is occurring is to inform the police and stand up to the mob. Even though it is difficult, these men learn that because they are working for the greater good they are whistle blowers, not traitors. Even though Doogan is killed, Terry is not deterred. He realizes that being a whistle blower is a good thing when it will help him and all of his friends. In the begining, the workers are afraid for their lives and are not willing to be considered "traitors" by the mob's definition. As the movie goes on, a few men such as Doogan and Terry learn that they are not traitors, they are whistle blowers, which is a good thing because they are helping make better lives for all of the workers.

I think that there is a fine line between being a "tattle-tale" and speaking up about improper behavior. However, I basically believe that being a "tattle-tale" is when you purposely point out when someone is doing something wrong just to get that person in trouble. Generally, this occurs when the person's actions are not affecting anyone else but the tattle-tale just wants to get them in trouble. A person who speaks up about improper behavior is someone who looks out for the good of all people involved. They do what they do to keep people safe and make the world a better place, not just to see someone get in trouble. Basically, they are working for the "greater good". I think that whether one is perceived as a tattle-tale or whistle blower depends on the person doing the labeling. People have different opinions and look at motives in different ways. I could speak up against something I think is wrong but I could be seen as being a tattle-tale if the action isn't very extreme. There is no definite line between being a tattle-tale and whistle blower, in my opinion. I think it changes depending on situations and the people involved.

A Million Little Pieces #3

Thus far in A Million Little Pieces, James Frey has woken up on an airplane all beat up. He is a drug addict and alcoholic, and has been since elementary school. He is taken to a treatment center in Minnesota and has been forced to endure a double root canal without any pain medication. He is finding rehab to be very difficult and wants to leave. He stays, however, for his friend Leonard and more-than-a-friend Lilly. Even though male-female relationships are off limits, James realizes that love is worth the risk and continues with his relationship. Also, James has been enrolled in the family program. He has never had a good relationship with his parents, and is furious that they would come. When his parents come, James originally has a hard time but as they go through the program, the family grows closer together. A bump in the road for the family is learning that James has to go to jail. It is difficult, but manages to bring them together and realize how much they need each other. James does experience some tension with the staff by outwardly rejecting the 12 Steps. He sees it as replacing one addiction with another, and does not want to be addicted any longer. The counselors doubt him, but James continues with his journey.

One thing that really struck me about this part of the story is how the tragedy of James having to go to jail brings the family together. I would have thought it would tear them farther apart, but it does the opposite. James describes it saying, “We hold each other. We are a Family. Though I have been their child for twenty-three years, we have never been a Family. We are now” (Frey 285). I think at this point the family realizes they need each other to get through such a hard time. Hopefully the support of his family will help James through his treatment.

Another quote that stuck out to me is said by James after another man in treatment tells him about how his girlfriend, Lilly, was sexually mistreated. He says, “Did it make you feel like you were different from her, even though you know you’re not, or did it make you feel good, even though deep inside you feel like a piece of sh*t?” (Frey 322). I was shocked at how real this is. It is human nature to want to put others down so you can feel better than yourself. I am also happy that James stood up for his girlfriend while not denying her past. It shows how he is getting his life back together.

In the beginning of the book, James had awful ethics. He only cared about getting his next fix; not who he would hurt or abuse in achieving his high. He himself says to his parents, “I f*cked up your life, all of our lives, and I’m truly truly sorry.” (Frey 284). He is talking about his past and he didn’t care about the impacts of his actions. The fact that he even apologizes shows how his morals have improved. Also, as previously quoted, James protects Lilly. He now cares about others and how they feel. He no longer only fixates on feeding his addiction, but on friends and family. Getting off of drugs and alcohol has helped James see life and his morals change for the better to accompany his new world view. It will be interesting to see the improvements in his morals by the end of the story.

Source
Frey, James. A Million Little Pieces. New York: Anchor, 2005.*A Million Little Pieces should be underlined, but BlogSpot won't let me

All My Sons 1

In All My Sons, by Arthur Miller, the characters are consider the decision whether to put family or society first. The book seems to be split up between those who believe family should come first and those who believe society should come first. What is interesting to me is that the older characters, like Joe and Kate, believe that family is the most important thing, while the younger people, like Chris, Larry, and Anne, stress the importance of society first. When Joe first admits to knowingly shipping out faulty engine cylinders, Chris is outraged. To try and explain himself Joe says, "Chris...Chris, I did it for you, it was a chance and I took it for you. I'm sixty-one years old, when would I have another chance to make something for you?" (Miller 70). Joe thinks that because he did it for his family, his actions are justified. He strongly believes that his family and leaving his son with a good future is worth the twenty one lives of the dead pilots. Kate's denial of Joe's guilt displays how she puts her family before society. She is in such strong denial that she gets to the point of shouting, "Because if he's not coming back, then I'll kill myself!" (Miller 22). She tries to deny her husband's connections with her son's disappearance so that she knows the decision to ship out the parts really did help the family, not resulting in the death of a son. She does not seem to deeply care about the twenty-one pilots killed by the cracked airplane parts, but only that her son was not killed with the parts. Even though Joe and Kate are greatly loved by their children and Anne, they share different ideals on the importance of family versus society. The children really believe that society should come first. After Joe admits to selling faulty parts and being responsible for the deaths of twenty-one pilots, Chris bursts out, "What the h*ll do you mean, you did it for me? Don't you have a country? Don't you live in the world?" (Miller 70). Through this exchange and quote, Chris shows how he puts country first. He directly asks, "Don't you have a country?" (Miller 70). He is trying to get across to his father that there is a whole world out there and that it should be thought of along with family. Chris does not seem to completely disregard family, but he definately believes that society should be thought of just as much as family. He himself talks about wanting to have kids and raise a family. Chris thinks that one of the best things his father could have left for him was a good country and world. By thinking of society, Joe would be thinking of his son and creating a better future for his son. The role of impacts to society and to family when making decisions is questioned in All My Sons with parents generally thinking of family while the children (young adults) think of society as a whole.

I am personally a mix between Chris and Joe when it comes to what impacts decisions. I think that family is very important, but one of the best ways to help out children of a family is to create a better world for them to live in. In order for them to have a good world, one must consider society as a whole when they make decisions. Making good decisions for society results in a good society. I think that family should take precedence when the decision does not effect people outside of the family. In Joe Keller's case, he caused the death of twenty-one people trying to help his family. If Joe's decision hadn't effected all of those people, he should have done what was best for his family. I also believe that it is best to put society before family when the choice effects many people. If Joe had chosen to help society, the pilots wouldn't have died. I think when deciding what decision to make one should consider who is impacted by the decision. If the party impacted is the family, then family should take precedence, but when people outside of the family are effected, then society should be thought of before family. In most decisions, a healthy mix of both results in the best decisions.

Source Cited
Miller, Arthur. All My Sons : A Drama in Three Acts. New York: Penguin Classics, 2000.

*all of the "All My Sons" should be underlined