Help with a school assignment... "Evil"

[harleyquinn]

This is one for your poem criteria. It's one I read in college and stuck with me. It's called Riddle, by William Heyen

From Belsen a crate of gold teeth,
from Dachau a mountain of shoes,
from Auschwitz a skin lampshade.
Who killed the Jews?
Not I, cries the typist,
not I, cries the engineer,
not I cries Adolf Eichmann,
not I, cries Albert Speer.
My friend Fritz Nova lost his father -
a petty official had to choose.
My friend Lou Abrahms lost his brother.
Who killed the Jews?
David Nova swallowed gas,
Hyman Abrahms was beaten and starved.
Some men signed their papers,
and some stood guard,
and some herded them in,
and some dropped the pellets,
and some spread the ashes,
and some hosed the walls,
and some planted the wheat,
and some poured the steel,
and some cleared the rails,
and some raised the cattle.
Some smelled the smoke,
some just heard the news.
Were they Germans? Were they Nazis?
Were they human? Who killed the Jews?
The stars will remember the gold,
the sun will remember the shoes,
the moon will remember the skin.
But who killed the Jews?

[Barry the Sprout]

Originally posted by Sir Kenyth: quote: Originally posted by Barry the Sprout: American Psycho, both the film and the book. TThe quote from the beginning sums up where I think its coming from: And as things fell apart Nobody paid much attention - Talking Heads

Very good example for a movie, although it was a very strange movie. Anyway, it certainly fits the kind of movie he's looking for. The end centers on the apathy and moral laziness of the average person allowing evil to thrive. [/QUOTE]I agree, but I also think its about the general numbness of feeling towards our fellow man. Bret Easton Ellis' work in general is directed against the dangers of a sort of emotional nihilism that seems to have overtaken a certain section of society. Bateman is evil, but he doesn't feel evil. He doesn't feel good. he doesn't feel anything, despite being completely carrying out every whim, however horrible.

And the film has some hysterical moments...

[pritchke]

"The Pearl" - A Pearl diver finds a large Pearl that is suppose to end his families poverty. But it only brings disaster, and evil. It is also a complex book on the evil and greed of man, and how a little stone can cause so much chaos because the hearts of men are weak. A lot of symbolism in it as well and I can't remember the end but I don't think it can be summed up as "they lived happily ever after".

[ 10-31-2003, 03:20 PM: Message edited by: pritchke ]

[Boutte]

Anyone here ever read a book named "Hiroshima Joe"? I read it a long time ago so I don't remember the author. It's about an English soldier captued by the Japanese at Singapore, he suffers through the hell of Japanese prison camps and survives. After the war ends his true hell begins. This book will haunt you long after you finish it.

Of course this doesn't help much since Shadowhound already has his book. Now he needs a movie. How about the Undefeated? I think that's the name. You know, the Clint Eastwood movie that won him the Academy award. There's also "The Treasure of The Sierrea Madre.(WE don't need no stinking badges.)And worst but not least "The Ring".

[Stormymystic]

movie..the ring, in the end, the evil won [img]graemlins/1ponder.gif[/img] will never watch that movie again

[Jerome]

"Perfume" by Patrick Suskind.

It's a nice shortish book, so you won't be overwhelmed by text (*cough* Milton *cough* [img]tongue.gif[/img] ) , but it's got a tonne of the kind of stuff you're looking for. The protaganist is as evil as they come - though in the end he's not "triumphant" (debateable) but only because of the evil that exists in other people.

Great wee book. [img]smile.gif[/img] Dunno if you could get away with calling it a short stoy though.

[ 10-31-2003, 04:00 PM: Message edited by: Jerome ]

[HolyWarrior]

Originally posted by Boutte: How about the Undefeated? I think that's the name. You know, the Clint Eastwood movie that won him the Academy award.

I think that's "Unforgiven". And I don't really see that as applying.

[Father Bronze]

I don't know if it's cheating taking recommendations from an English Teacher, but here's a suggestion:

"The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson is a creepy short story that comes to mind. It's about a town that selects people in a lottery and then stones them to death. I'm sure there's some critique of modern society in there somewhere.

http://www.underthesun.cc/Classics/Jackson/lottery/

[Boutte]

Originally posted by HolyWarrior: quote: Originally posted by Boutte: How about the Undefeated? I think that's the name. You know, the Clint Eastwood movie that won him the Academy award.

I think that's "Unforgiven". And I don't really see that as applying. [/QUOTE]You're right it is Unforgiven. In the end he reverts back to his evil ways and kills half the bar.

[Nerull]

There was an actual hour-long documentary on the nature of evil. I saw it for the first time on the USA network, but cannot for the life of me remember the name. It did a great job of talking about evil in myth, but also how it is a reflection of evil in people. I wish I could remember the name, but it was two years ago when I saw it (big time parental advisory on it, too).

Maybe an internet search might yield something (or USA network's sight). Sorry!