Criminology does not always limit itself to the “whodunit”. In many cases, criminologists analyze the motives of individual criminals and often ascertain (identify) the level of the “thrill factor” involved with a crime. Offenders are frequently inspired by the stimulation of danger and welcome the exhilarating challenges they find in outwitting others. Michael Crichton’s The Great Train Robbery illustrates Edward Pierce’s ability to employ his intellect, manipulative nature, and personal wealth to satiate(indulge in, fill) his unquenchable thirst to mastermind the greatest theft of the Victorian era. The confidence Pierce has in his intellectual ability stimulates his hunger to conquer the heist. When Richard Burgess informs Pierce of the railway’s change of rules, Robert Agar and Miriam question Pierce’s continuation of the pull. Pierce’s replies of “trust me” and “nothing beyond repair” demonstrate his confidence in his ability to outwit the new system (Crichton 190). When Scotland Yard was hot on his trail, Pierce brilliantly diverts attention to Greenwich (Crichton 173-176). Pierce’s exceptional wit allows him to passionately continue his pursuit. …show more content…
He enters the lives of his victims, ruthlessly uses them to his own advantage, and rejoices in the benefits gained from his gullible acquaintances. Pierce questions Henry Fowler, showering him with compliments until he unwittingly divulges all the bank’s gold shipment precautions (Crichton 13-16). After Pierce manipulates Elizabeth Trent into disclosing information that leads to the discovery of a key, he exclaims how happy he is with her (Crichton 83-84). Anyone was fair game to
(1) Toni Morrison’s Beloved takes place after the Civil War during the Reconstruction era, when the violent oppression of the black race continued, with flashbacks to the horrific trauma of the early 19th century slavery period. In Margaret Atwood’s review of Beloved in
Taught only to acknowledge what he is told to, the conforming individual will not realize his surroundings until somebody deliberately makes him. The rich control the poor and the intelligent control the ignorant. Edward Pierce’s heist was in response to the rampant manipulation of society by those in power. Throughout The Great Train Robbery, Pierce realizes that the power of perception is vast. Used to test how far this power could take him into a manipulator’s mind, the robbery was Pierce’s challenge to the societal ladder.
Pierce concocted this elaborate scheme to make himself notorious,which as the reader finds out, he becomes so notorious that even Queen Victoria wanted to witness his hanging. Pierce went through great lengths to reach that level of notoriety. In the second part of the book, the reader witnesses Pierce’s dedication to obtain all of the keys, even “spending eight months” (Crichton
Pierce uses fear to get people to bend to his will. He walks through slums with self assurance, an attitude that makes the other criminals afraid of him (Crichton 35). He also tells a gruesome story about buffalo hunting in order to scare off Emily Trent (64-5). The story is unnecessary to achieving his plan, but the Trents’ emotions come under his power. Furthermore, Pierce
Criminology is the study of why individuals commit crimes. Several sociologists and criminologists have developed theories that attempt to explain criminal behavior and why it occurs. In earlier times, theories such as biological determinism and phrenology were often used to explain criminal behavior. Those theories have since been proven to be unreasonable and unrealistic. As time passed, sociologists and criminologists created more plausible theories including the rational choice, classical, conflict, labeling, life course, critical, strain, social disorganization, routine activity, social control, and positivist theories. In attempts to better understand these criminological theories, an individual could apply one (or more) of these theories to real-life events or things he/she has seen on television. I have chosen to apply the rational choice theory to the popular movie Taken starring Liam Neeson and explain the many examples found throughout the movie.
Despite many Western countries having strong law systems and firm roots in Christianity, it might seem peculiar to think they also are obsessed with murder. From Nancy Drew to the TV shows Murder, She Wrote and How to Get Away With Murder, murder and crime investigation have become bestsellers in Western societies. There is just something intriguing about a good “whodunnit” crime, a good mystery that cannot be solved or explained, regardless of how many people and years have been spent speculating on it. In England, one of the most popular unexplained homicide cases is none other than the infamous 1888 murders of Jack the Ripper. While the killer was never found and convicted of the murders, several conspiracy theories have emerged over the years concerning Jack the Ripper’s identity and the motive behind the gruesome slayings.
Society today is captivated with the very nature of crime as evidenced in everything from newspapers, radio, crime shows to movies and more, we have embraced the concept that the crime sells. With crime shows depicting investigators solving cases with little or no clues or within some unrealistic time span, society has come to believe that this should be the norm.
Viktor Frankl argues that “man must decide, for better or for worse, what will be the monument of his existence.” Individuals agonize over how they will introduce themselves and make a mark of their existence. In Michael Crichton’s The Great Train Robbery, Edward Pierce organizes the crime not for the money but for the renown.
At first, the Ripper murders were a source of fascination to the public of Whitechapel and even more so in the rest of London. In her book The Invention of Murder, Judith Flanders found crime and murder can be a form of entertainment for people. She says, “Crime, especially murder, is very pleasant to think about in the abstract…It reinforces a sense of safety, even of pleasure, to know that murder is possible, just not here.” Those who were at a distance from the crimes lapped up the news reports like serials of fiction; their pleasure greater because the horrible stories were real. In Whitechapel, citizens visited the sites of the murders out of curiosity. The crime scenes became exhibits, and sometimes they returned to and retraced the path of blood the Ripper spilt. At first, it was a game to the public—a form of entertainment. Some members of the public attended victims’ funerals or traveled in groups seeking out the Ripper. Later, these groups became mobs on the hunt for the killer the police were unable to catch.
For centuries, murder cases have captivated the lives of individuals. From news station broadcastings to the media creating films and documentaries, homicide cases have gained the interest and popularity of many. This begs the question as to what lies in the fascination of murder? The basis of this can be found in the psychological state of individuals including the experience of thrill, curiosity, the need for answers, and fear.
Crime is an unfortunate part of many people’s lives - both for the victim of the crime and also the suspect. There are many theories as to why crimes happen, who commits the crimes, and why crimes happen to certain people. Not all crimes can be solved, or questions answered but these theories give a peek into the thinking or background behind some crimes that are committed.
The purpose of this essay is to discuss the meaning and validity of the label criminology has as a ‘rendezvous discipline’. To do this, this essay illuminates where criminology originates from and what its primary focus is. The Chicago School, Lombrosian Theory, Positivist and Classical criminology, are discussed. Other disciplines namely Sociology, Psychology, and the Criminal Justice Sector are examined and applied to the broad subject of criminology, to show the network of how this subject came to be recognised as such a discipline. Exposed are main issues that occur for the likes of criminologists and other
This essay will outline how crime theories are able to assist in recognizing the causes of criminal activity, as well as demonstrating two criminological theories to two particular crimes. Overviews of trends, dimensions and victim/offenders characteristics of both crime groups will be specified. The two particular crimes that will be demonstrated throughout this essay are; Violent Crime (focusing on Assault) being linked with social learning theory and White Collar crime (focusing on terrorism) being linked to General Strain theory. In criminology, determining the motive of why people commit crimes is crucial. Over the years, many theories have been developed and they continue to be studied as criminologists pursue the best answers in eventually diminishing certain types of crime including assaults and terrorism, which will be focused on.
Criminology has evolved over history into becoming a discipline all its own, along the way it grew and developed from a multiple sources of disciplines to become an integration of various theories. Reasons that seek to explain crime and deviant behaviors has mirrored the time in which research was being conducted and as time continues to change it is to be expected more theories will arise to incorporate past theories to become ever more inclusive. It is important to understand this development from the formulation of theories, the evolution of, the determining factors in testing, particular process such as social learning that are upheld as strong empirically sound theories in order for scholars to continue to advance further studies. But
Figuring out why people commit crimes is one of the central concerns of criminology. Do most criminals act rationally after weighing the costs of crime? Is society ever to blame for an individual to commit a crime? Do mental diseases or even genetics factor into whether a person will live a life of crime. Over the years, many people have developed theories to try to answer these questions. In fact, the number of theories of why people commit crimes sometimes seems to equal the number of criminologists. I explore these questions and much more in the paper that follow.