The Thematic Paradigm Analysis

Nature versus nurture is one of the most controversial debates in contemporary psychology. The debate concerning whether or not humans are born with the preset characteristics that will shape lives for years to come or whether actions are a result of the events and the environment that pave the way for our behavioral characteristics. Capote’s “In Cold Blood” gives the audience a detailed look into the upbringing of the character Perry Smith, creating a sympathetic outlook towards his past and attempting to bring a sense of understanding as to how a seemingly harmless young man could brutally murder four innocent people. In the case of Perry Smith, nurture was the cause of his actions in regards to the Clutter family murders.

Within this paper, there are two different pieces writing that will be compared. Those writings are The Epic Poem of Beowulf and A Hero’s Journey Archetype. This paper will be discussing this question: How does Beowulf follow the Hero’s Journey Archetypes?

A simple act of violence can genuinely affect an individual's state of mind. Through violence, individuals feel empowered and are tempted to prolong their violent nature. This results in one heinous act, following with worse violence. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Ishmael Beah’s A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of A Boy Soldier, both authors effectively highlight a theme, that violence will ultimately lead to more violence. Both of the protagonists endure massive shifts in character that are induced by violent acts. Their first act of murder is what begins this vicious cycle and with the introduction of heavy influences, their characters dramatically change for the worst. As the protagonists enter this endless spiral, they become trapped with no point

Based on the article “The Thematic Paradigm” by Robert B. Ray, there are two kinds of heroes that are America’s favorite. The official hero and the outlaw hero and, both heroes have mirrored the American significance in many ways. The official hero is the one who behaves within the law. The official hero includes the law in their tasks and, helps create new laws for the future. The outlaw hero is the type of hero who takes matter into their own hands. The fictional superheroes Superman and Batman are two classical examples that are in accordance to Ray 's meaning of an official hero and an outlaw hero. The Thematic Paradigm makes it simple to understand the characteristics Americans look for in their heroes, Superman as the official and Batman

Truman Capote wrote the nonfiction novel In Cold Blood with the accounts from the murderers and investigators of the Clutter family. As Capote grew up, he found himself neglected by his mother and father. Because his mother and father often neglected him, he spent much of his young life with his mother’s relatives. While Capote was young, his mother often made fun of him for being “different” than other children. Although Capote faced many hardships throughout his early life, he was able to overcome them and attain a successful writing career. Because Capote’s strength came from himself, he has a mindset that the benevolence of a family does not determine the life members of a family endure. While writing In Cold Blood, Truman shares this

After watching multiple television shows, I noticed a connection of deviant behavior portrayed within fictional television. For example, the Dexter show. The Dexter show is about a man that is a blood analyst for the Metrolina police Department. Who has a family, yet is a serial killer at night targeting proper traders that has never been caught for their crimes by the law. For instance, in episode “Hello, Dexter Morgan”. I noticed that Dexter embedded himself in a man name Arthur’s life who is also known as the Trinity killer. The Trinity killer is a murder that target four people that remind him of his family’s deaths every year. While Deba Morgan a detective at Metrolina police and sister of Dexter Morgan try to get the true about who shoot her and her detective boyfriend. Deba realized a connection between the woman shooter has with the suspect murder in her case that she is the Trinity’s

If anyone can be a hero, then why isn't the world full of heroes? Who wouldn't want to be a hero? I don’t disagree with the theme, but truthfully I think that although everyone has the potential to be a hero, heroes are a rare and unique minority. Not everyone can be a hero, if this was false the word hero would hold little meaning, a hero is something special, something out of the ordinary. But back to my original question, why isn't everyone a hero? This leads to my topic, which is about what stops people from being heroes, which includes our moral choices, circumstances and ability to sacrifice. Specifically, I want to discuss what makes a hero, but more importantly why most people are unable to become heroes.

In Andre Dubus’ short story, “Killings,” a question of morality is brought up, can killing be justified. Richard Strout in an act of passion kills Matt Fowler’s son. Fowler plans his own justice by killing Strout. Are either of these killings justified? What are Fowler’s consequences for his actions?

A hero can be represented as an icon of an idea desired by the rest of the world, but when a hero is only romanticised as one it shields the true person behind the mask. Chris McCandless is such a hero, who has been published as a hero and phenomenal adventurist through Krakauer's book, "Into The Wild." Through Krakauer's writing, McCandless has since been elevated to a stature of an American hero, while underneath the story we can see McCandless not as an American hero, but under the more appropriate title of an American Idiot.

Many people would describe a hero to be someone with a cape on their back saving the world from its terrors, but let's face it that isn’t reality. A hero is a person of any race, upbringing, wealth income, age, and so forth that has a good heart and does deeds purely for the help of others rather than the show of it. An example of this would be Ponyboy Curtis, Johnny Cade, and Darry Curtis from the so called “hood” in a gang called the Greasers. Although they all have been through a lot and seen a lot in their years of living this has definitely shaped their minds and hearts on their actions. All in all, these young men have proven throughout the chapters one through six that they have these characteristics fit to be a hero.

“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” (Helen Keller). Just as Helen Keller said, people cannot mature and develop character without experiencing life.

Heroes in our society are revered and respected as Joseph Campbell reminds us: “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself” (Joseph Campbell). Heroes exist in all societies and throughout history. Maybe they are not always on the news or from the movies, but their words and their actions never fail to resonate across their feats. A hero gives of himself and dedicates himself to causes which better others and their society unlike individuals who are self serving, greedy, and cruel.

Although everyone on the planet cannot conform to what Delaney’s invisible presences, that is how Delaney invisions perfection in his world. For instance when delaney doesn;t like something he gets mad and upset, “‘Because it was true,’ I replied firmly. ‘I wasn't going to tell him a lie. ‘‘What lie?’ ‘That I was at Mass.’ ‘Then couldn't you say you had to go on a message?’ ‘That would be a lie too’” (O’Connor 211). This shows that even if it got him in trouble Delaney would tell the truth, because he also wants to do what the “invisible presences” tell him to do. Another example is towards the middle of the book where he says, “‘I didn't take anything, sir,’ I said in a low voice. ‘Did you see someone else do it?’ he asked raising his brows

This is another moment that further confirms Dexter’s profiling in being a psychopath since once again of his inability to or lack of emotions. This also supports Burkley’s idea of the successful psychopath in the article “Is Dexter a Successful Psychopath”; the article defines a “successful psychopath [as one] who fits the criteria of a psychopath, but is largely successful in their exploitations and so is able to avoid getting caught” (Burkley, 2010). To add on, Dr. Judy Ustina states that psychopaths have the ability to read and respond accordingly to social situations (“How accurately did author Jeff Lindsay portray a psychopath?”, 2007). Particularly, even though Dexter is unable to cry, he still tries to “fit in” or conform to social norms; in this case, he feels that since his partner is crying, the ultimate norm is for him to cry too, especially since he needs to be accepted to maintain this persona as husband and a father figure to her children to hide his true self, his reality. The text also continues to affirm evidence that psychopaths have the ability to manipulate the criminal justice system (“Psychopaths and Serial Killers, 171), surely Dexter using everything he has

society's beliefs, regulations, and restrictions. There are heroes for both men and women of all ages. Every society has their own heroes, whether they are heroes because of their wealth, political career, war triumphs, athletic achievements or social leads.