Abstract This paper explores Hannah Arendt's theory which she called "the banality of evil." Arendt's hypothesis is critiqued and studied through the example of Adolf Eichmann, a figure responsible for orchestrating the Nazi Holocaust. A disturbing facet of Arendt's argument is based on the belief that Adolf Eichmann lacked intrinsically evil psychological makeup. It is debated in this paper whether a human being could willingly devise a scheme that was the most sadistic and systematic killing in world history. A brief portion of the paper examines common instances where the 'banality of evil' could excuse wrongdoing.
From the Paper "The term 'banality of evil' can be explained in a variety of ways. Literally, the word 'banality' translates as "dullness". The word evil can be defined as "something that brings sorrow, distress, or calamity" . On the surface, a basic analysis of the phrase implies that sadistic behavior does not always have a starting point. Arendt's use of this phrase offers an alternative explanation to our traditional perceptions of evil. She refutes the notion that an ulterior motive must exist to commit sinister acts such as the Holocaust. In Eichmann's example, this would imply that he was not motivated by Anti-Semitism or inner-resentment towards any race. Instead, Arendt proposes that some individuals' capacity for evil derives from their superficial character. Their superficiality dulls their ability to make informed and moral decisions."
Discussion of the Holocaust centering on Hannah Arendt's "Eichmann in Jerusalem" examining both age old anti-Semitism in Germany and the banality or ordinariness of Hitler's bureaucratized system of annihilation.
1,535 words (approx. 6.1 pages), 3 sources, 2002, $ 50.95
Abstract This paper is based on Hannah Arendt's "Eichmann in Jerusalem". It discusses two views of the Holocaust: one that the perpetrators were Germans nurtured on a centuries old anti-Semitism tradition; and another that the perpetrators were ordinary people, caught up in a bureaucratized system of annihilation that encouraged unthinking complicity that made this evil seem banal or ordinary because everyone was going along with it. That these two views are easily reconciled is the thesis of the paper. Elie Wiesel's "Night" and Michael Dobkowski's "Genocide and The Modern Age" are used to supplement discussion of Arendt's treatment of the trial of Adolf Eichmann.
From the Paper "It is true that the Holocaust was perpetrated by Germans with a long history of pervasive inhumane anti-Semitic views. It is also valid to say that the Holocaust was facilitated by banal acceptance of a bureaucratized system of annihilation. With centuries of hatred, and barbarous treatment of Jews as precedent, it was easy for the Germans to move on to state sanctioned systematized slaughter. Those whose upbringing had taught them to hate Jews, might move quickly into positions of power in the Third Reich. Others who weren?t capable of thinking for themselves, saw everyone else, including those they respected and admired supporting Hitler's answers to the Jewish question. A long tradition of anti-Semitism joined with unthinking complicity to escalate the banality of evil. As evil progressed through stages of classification, ghettoization, deportation, and concentration to eradication, it was just another step in the progression of dehumanization for those who had forgotten the unity of the human community."
This paper reviews political theorist Hannah Arendt's book "Eichmann in Jerusalem", which is based on the trial of Nazi Adolf Eichmann in Israel in 1961.
1,025 words (approx. 4.1 pages), 0 sources, 2005, $ 36.95
Abstract This paper explains that Hannah Arendt's "Eichmann in Jerusalem" follows the trial chronologically, dealing primarily with the trial, Eichmann as a person and especially the treatment of Jews to "solve" the Jew issue in Germany during the rule of Hitler. The author points out that Arendt asserts that the primary driving force of Adolf Eichmann, who had no personal hatred against Jews, was his wish for a career in the Third Reich; therefore, on this premise, Arendt suggests that a holocaust such as the one in Germany could have happened anywhere, and could happen again. The paper relates that the subtitle of the book, "A Report on the Banality of Evil", gives the reader an interesting idea that Arendt's view of evil is banality, which can be prevented by rational thought.
From the Paper "Of particular interest is the section dealing with Eichmann's personality. What makes this interesting is that Hannah Arendt does not assume the role of psychoanalyst when writing about him. She merely presents him as he is through his actions and his words. Thus, the reader is introduced to an unexceptional man who willingly became involved in the merciless killing of millions. It is similarly interesting and also horrifying to note that even while on trial, Eichman showed absolutely no remorse for his actions. His main regret is his inability to further his Third Reich career."
Abstract This paper examines this story, which is about the lives, loves, and dreams of two sisters, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood. The plot of the story centers on the possibility that both sisters may have to put up with the banality of country life, which is full of gossip and superficiality, rather than being loved by the men of their dreams.
From the Paper "The distinction between "sense" and "sensibility" is one of the main themes of this novel, and is best seen in the psychological contrast between the novel's two main characters, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood. Elinor, the older sister, epitomizes the word sense, as she is reserved, socially responsible and concerned with the well-being of others. Her younger sister, Marianne, epitomizes the word sensibility, as she is ruled by emotion, spontaneity, impulsiveness, and devotion. According to Austen, men "came to look at Marianne and talk to Elinor (p. 142).? "
Tags: dashwood, elinor, marianne, victorian, country
Abstract This paper looks at the theme of the poem, "The Uses of Passion", considers its intended audience, and critically reviews the poem for its banality and lack of poetic voice.
From the Paper "Angie Estes? poem on "The Uses of Passion" proposes to deal with the way in which passion affects the human experience. Each line or two describes the way in which passion will change one's life, as in the third line which claims ?It tells you what to wear.? (Estes) The thesis of this poem appears to be that passion lends meaning to life, but this is presented in the most mundane fashion imaginable so that one is actually led to suspect that passion actually saps the mind of its independent creativity while creating an illusion of meaning and purpose."
Abstract This paper explains that sensationalism often replaces real news within the American media; thus, if a story, on the surface, seems banal and uneventful, the story will often be "tweaked" in such a manner as to provide viewers with a more dynamic and exaggerated sense of dramatics. The author points out that the proliferation of news bias often distorts consumer's views of what is actually occurring in the world because major world events typically are blown out of proportion in an effort to entertain and captivate viewers. The paper relates that, rather than focus on bland subject material, news reporters more often highlight news stories that entail criminal activity, death, and violence; this type of subject matter is much more dynamic and often causes viewers to tune in and stay actively involved in news broadcasts.
From the Paper "Glassner also points out that Americans view television as reality, which is a crime in and of itself. People don?t necessarily "reap an impression from television but rather take what is presented on TV as reality". Glassner also argues that media moguls won?t cover legitimate news issues such as the prevalence of uninsured Americans, because broadcast agents claim their would be no public interest in such matters. Rather, media agents create interest around such topics as violence and raw passion."
This paper is a critical analysis of Edmund Morris' "Dutch: A Memoir of Ronald Reagan", a wild revision of the biographical style combining both fiction and non-fiction.
Abstract This paper explains that, in Edmund Morris' "Dutch: A Memoir of Ronald Reagan", Morris introduces himself into the narrative both as a true eyewitness and as a fictional one, who is both older and more American than the authentic Morris and lives a life oddly paralleled to Reagan's life. The author points out that, while "Dutch" clearly is not a traditional biography, it adheres to the most important aspects of the fundamental biographical style in that it provides the reader with ample information about Reagan through the most significant moments of his life. The paper relates that Morris developed this style because, despite having been paid more than $2.9 million to write an official biography, Morris found himself deterred by a calculated silence on Reagan's part, which left the author grappling to find who Reagan really was as a man.
From the Paper "Throughout the course of the book, Morris again and again refers to Reagan in physical form, noticing his "deep-chested" strength as a youth, his elegant aging as a 30-year-old actor, and his stiff comportment as a President. At times the descriptions slide into the sensual: "That hard, splendid body, those bruising arms and knees, the prickle of wet wool..." describes the young lifeguard Reagan. Later, "that quiet, palpable mass, at once majestic and unthreatening. It's not simply an aggregate of height and breadth....he [crowds] one's horizon." While these descriptions may seem to be the result of literary license, emphasizing the body rather than the man, they have the distinct effect of creating a character who is almost a paperboard cut-out. By focusing on the two-dimensional, this effect iterates the importance of Reagan's "acting" rather than his authentic "feeling"."
Abstract This paper examines the semiotic references that are found in Dennis O'Rourke's film "The Good Woman of Bangkok." The writer defines semiotics as being primarily concerned with how meaning is generated and conveyed and explains how the director used this form of communication to confuse his audience. The film, which is reviewed in this paper, discusses the prostitution industry in Bangkok and the director's goal to find the bond between the banality and the aesthetics of love. The writer also explores the semiotic codes used to define the signifier/signified relationship between prostitution and its meanings which are initially the typical codes of contemporary culture.
From the Paper "Of course the code that these men use to interpret themselves and their own behavior is of a mostly deceptive nature. It could be argued that the filmmaker uses his own interpretive code in the same manner to deceive himself. Some argue that the true reason for the film was to indulge in gratutous sex only to justify oneself afterwards. The rice farm is seen as a reward, or a payment, for Aoi to provide her services as a prostitute."
Abstract The writer of this paper examines the mood and atmosphere of the 1920s as depicted in Hemingway's collection of short stories "Men Without Women." This paper focuses on the central male characters in 6 of the 14 stories from the author's novel. This paper explores Hemingway's obvious obsession with small-time athletes and bullfighters past their prime. This paper also discusses the author's practice of writing about men rather than women, which is appropriate considering the era in which these stories were written. The writer analyzes the following short stories: "The Undefeated", "In Another Country", "The Killers", "Fifty Grand", "A Simple Enquiry" and "Banal Story".
From the Paper "Hemingway was obsessed with the small-time athletes- bullfighters who had their moment in the sun, prize fighters who had their hands raised but, when the really big fight came along, would find themselves on the canvas, stretched out like so much dead meat. Hemingway knows and repeats the callous conversations, the religious and ethnic slurs that come from the mouths of these, usually uneducated, and carefree men who occupy the lower rungs of our society. In "Fifty Grand" Jack, the mediocre fighter, worries about his wife, the property he has in the Bronx and in Florida."
Abstract This paper discusses aspects of the Holocaust with particular focus on Karl Adolf Eichmann (1906-62), a Nazi official responsible for the execution of millions of Jews during World War II. The paper looks at how his decisions about which Jews would be allowed to emigrate (and later, which Jews would be sent to their deaths) affected society and how his eventual capture influenced the way in which the world thought about horrible war crimes and the people who committed them. The paper explains that Eichmann forever changed the course of history for millions during the war, and his trial changed the way sociologists, psychologists, and historians would think about Hitler's executioners.
From the Paper "Eichmann could not have impacted history on his own: that is one of the facts that caused such an impact. It had been commonly thought that only powerful men and women, either by great or by infamous deeds, could influence their communities and the world. Eichmann disproved this theory. He was a mild man who followed orders to the best of his ability and loyally attempted to serve his country well in a time of war. In effect, he acted according to accepted values and standards. When he was finally captured in 1960 and tried in Jerusalem, the world awaited the trial of a madman whose inherent evil nature would be revealed by the court. His years of hiding were over, and his mild nature was expected to drop from him like a curtain, exposing the moral corruption that allowed him to send millions to their deaths. Sociologists awaited a monumental event; survivors awaited answers, admissions of guilt before the law, and justice. None of these were forthcoming from the trial."
Abstract This paper explores Eugene Delacroix's best known work of political romanticism, "Liberte Leading the People", attending to its iconographic, allegorical appeal, and the iconology of symbols and connected meanings. Like all art of the kind, the canvas appeals to human emotive tendencies and beliefs, as opposed to the more banal and disputed facts of July 1830 that saw the house of Orleans brought to power.
From the Paper "Iconography addresses the meaning of works of art, as compared to their form, towards exploration of iconology, as opposed to the viewer's merely intuitive recognition of what a work represents. Panofsky outlined the iconographic approach's focus on images and allegories as compared to more symbolic values obtained through iconological interpretation. (Meaning 40-41) James Rubin's article on Eugene Delacroix's work of the 1820s describes a young man whose career coincided with the rise of French romanticism, in the dissatisfaction preceding the revolution of July 28, 1830."
This paper takes a look at Christopher Browning's 'Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland', which discusses a mass killing during the Holocaust.
Abstract In this article the writer explores Christopher Browning's controversial 1992 text, 'Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland'. The writer both summarizes the text's salient points as well as discusses the opinion of the academic community as to its veracity and merit. Every bit as importantly, this paper examines the methodology employed and looks at why Browning's text, if not a great book, can at least be described as an important one. In the end, by looking at the psychology of the killers as he does, the writer maintains that Browning forces the reader to confront "the banality of evil" which made the Holocaust possible on such an unimaginable scale.
From the Paper "The book is, simply put, a vivid portrayal of a horrifying event. It begins with the first mass-killing at Jozefow in the early morning hours of July 13, 1942. On that day, the members of Reserve Force Battalion 101 were roused from their bunks - they were effectively sequestered in a school building in the town of Bilgoraj - and ordered into waiting trucks. After a short time, they stopped at the small, aforementioned town of Jozefow and were ordered into a semi-circle around their 53-year old commander, Major Wilhelm Trapp. At this point, the first bit of horror in Browning's narrative unfolds. As he describes it, a tearful and badly-shaken Trapp tells his troops that the 1800 Jews in the small community were to be rounded up and separated into two groups - males of working age and everybody else."
Abstract This paper explains that the SIMUVAC (Simulated Evacuation) episode in Don DeLillo's novel "White Noise" serves as a pivotal turning point in the narrative. The writer then points out that much of the rest of the narrative is haunted by the main protagonist's (Jack) obsession with his own impending mortality. The paper also investigates the concepts of reality and simulation in real life and concludes that the ultimate significance of the SIMUVAC episode in "White Noise" is that it effects the transformation of death from an abstract sphere to something that is very real in Jack's perceptive field.
From the Paper "This episode confirms Baudrillard's characterization of the mass media's deceptive role. While the media generates a strong desire in the masses for knowing the absolute truth, of attaining total objectivity in relation to information, it is actually the "truer than true which counts or, in other words, the fact of being there without being there. Or, to put it yet another way, the fantasy." The tabloid media can be thought of as an extreme representation of this desire for a truth that goes beyond truth, until it ultimately satisfies our hidden desire for escape from reality - i.e. fantasy."
