Michael Ondaatje's The Collected Works of Billy the Kid Essay

Humans are drawn to acts of a primal nature. Raw, passionate, and vastly entertaining; primal instincts have always been at the root of human behavior. Archeologists say that the first humans were found with spearheads embedded in their ribcage. Mankind’s curiosity will always be sparked by the thought of bloodshed. Just look at the entertainment we as a species hold most dear; violent action films, movies about war, videogames based solely on the concept of killing the opponent, the list in never-ending. The fascination around violent acts is understandable. Since the invention of society, the act of killing another human has been frowned upon by the rest of society. The contrast of the acts of violence to the norms of everyday life are hard

From infancy onward, parents and teachers have drilled into the young generation that violence should be avoided at all costs. They have preached cooperation, tolerance, and “using one’s words” as tactics to combat difficult situations. Although those lessons are valid, Gerald Jones claims there is an alternative way. In his essay, “Violent Media is Good for Kids,” Jones argues that “creative violence- bonking cartoons, bloody videogames, toy guns-gives children a tool to master their rage” (Jones). In other words, media violence, used correctly, can serve as an alternative method for powering through adolescence. By reading and writing violent stories, children are able to express

with that "somebody" being the author (Foster 95). This reveals an important element of violence in literature, because it shows how violence, unlike other elements of a story, connects the internal events of the story to the story itself and ultimately the reader and author. When reading literature one of the goals is to understand the story beyond its literal meaning, and this

     Billy the Kid was born in New York City on November 23, 1859 to William and Kathleen McCarty Bonney and given the name William H. Bonney (There are other stories of his birth but this one is the most reliable). The first recorded killing committed by Billy the Kid was on August 17, 1877. This is also where he got his nickname “Kid';. The story has it that he got

Violence is one of the most exaggerated forms of physical aggression and it can exist for a series of reasons. It involves a person or a group of persons acting against another person or groups of persons with the purpose to achieve one or several diverse goals. In many cases violence results from individuals perceiving the acts of other people as hostile and thus wanting to act against these people before it is too late. Depending on the situation, more or less individuals might get involved in an act of violence, especially when they consider that it would be essential for them to do so.

Billy the Kid was just a normal kid and then it all started he stole something."He stole some butter and sold it to a silver city store.".William Henry McCarty Jr. also known as “Billy the Kid” was caught with his brother and sent to prison for petty thief. Shortly after his mother died of tuberculosis. His father left or died and billy was orphaned at the age of 15. “Billy the Kid” was killed by sheriff Patrick Garett after he killed his two guards and escaping from prison for killing sheriff Brady. From there it went downhill he started murdering even.Whenever he was older he started working for Tunstall ranch in the city. Then Jimmy Dolan took over the business. The loss of the store made the old owner Tunstall very angry. Tunstall said “The rancher told his men to ride with there guns loaded. The war was about to start”. It’s taking a stand because he didn't just let his store get taken

Many people have different views on whether or not they are for or against violence in children’s literature. I am for children’s literature due to the fact that if one is not educated, how is one expected to know. In this essay we will look at the pros and cons of including violence in children’s literature.

Violence has become extremely prevalent in the media and continues to be a controversial issue. In today’s society, anything marginal is likely to receive a negative connotation before it receives an optimistic one. There have been multiple studies on the negative effects that violence can have on children, but Gerard Jones takes us on a journey to explore the alternative route; a self-esteem building passage for children. He creates an intense feeling of understanding through both pathos and logos. Throughout the article he makes the reader remember the benefits that violence provided for them during childhood. He examines the life of a teenage girl who endured a “chaotic family situation” by listening to “gangsta rap.” (Jones 287) For the young girl, this music served as an escape from reality, an in her mind she was powerful, invulnerable, and a “leader to among her peers.” (Jones 287) This is soft evidence that verifies violence can be beneficial. But, he also acknowledges the fact that “violent

In the first chapter of How to Read Literature Like a Professor, every trip a protagonist takes becomes a quest in the story. These quests often entail a Quester (the protagonist), a specific place to go, a reason to go to a said place, obstacles, and challenges on the way, and the Quester’s real reason to go to said place. Whatever is gained from this quest can vary from unlimited wealth to a whole lot of nothing, but the Quester seems to always be guaranteed to receive one thing: self-knowledge. In chapter 2, Foster emphasizes the point that whenever people eat or drink together, it’s communion. Basic survival states that people need food to be able to live.

In the article, “Violent Media Is Good for Kids”, the author, Gerard Jones, begins by providing background information about himself. As a child, Jones was taught that violence was wrong, and as he grew up, he learned that violent comics and stories aided him to become an action movies and comic book writer. In his article, the author addresses why violent media are good for children. He points out that it helps them transform better socially, explore and conquer their feelings, and improves self-knowledge. Jones purpose is to inform readers about the positive use of violent media on children. The author uses rhetorical appeals of pathos and ethos, and stylistic techniques such as allusions and repetitions to create his argument.

Millions of people pay to watch violence every day. In today’s society, violence is often glamorized and used as entertainment. And, it is frequently the topic of young adult literature. However, violence is not always shown in a positive light. In SE Hinton’s The Outsiders, the author uses the conflicts of Ponyboy verses other characters, Dally verses society, and Johnny verses outside forces to convey the theme that violence causes more problems than it solves.

Billy the Kid has never robbed a bank or a train. He was usually involved in rustling cattle and murder. Billy lived in a different time period than us. Yes, murder was still wrong then, but it was necessary for Billy the Kid to survive and thrive. (Andrews, Evan. "9 Things You May Not Know about Billy the Kid." 9 Things You May Not Know about Billy the Kid. N.p., 14 July 2016. Web. 27 Jan. 2017. .) (Jade. "Nine Interesting Facts about Billy the Kid." History Things. N.p., 29 July 2016. Web. 26 Jan. 2017.

They were babies, really – a teenage cousin, a brother of 22, a childhood friend in his mid-20s all gone down in episodes of bravado played out in the streets.”(paragraph.6) Staples uses personal stories of conflict and pathos to illustrate violence and the emotional/physical price it has on people and their attitudes.

“This scene not only expresses Billy’s rage, it visually represents his childhood. Billy is blocked by barriers of gender, class, and

Violence can be described as a behavior involving physical force intended to hurt, damage, or kill someone or something. Violence has been around from the beginning and can be seen through history in writing and events that occurred. In Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, violence’s jarring effects on societal members are evidenced through various relationships and partnerships, portraying society’s corrupt ideologies and ethics.