Scarface: Masculinity And Violence

But I assure you, this is not the case. If you need evidence of glorification of Mob, one would need to look no further the back cover of the book, “René ‘Boxer’ Enriquez grew up in East L.A., where gang fights and drive-by shootings were everyday occurrences fueled by rage, drugs, and alcohol. Sent to prison at nineteen, he was recruited by La Eme, the near-mythic Mexican Mafia, arguably the most well-armed and dangerous gang in American history. A young man without fear who would kill without hesitation, Enriquez's loyalty and iron will drove him quickly up the ranks, from mob enforcer to the upper echelons, where he would help rule for nearly two decades. Seeking respect, he devoted his life to a bloody cause, only to find betrayal and disillusionment” (Blatchford back cover). The specific syntax and diction of this quote gives the impression that the reader is going to have an experience like that of an action movie. Phrases like “the most well-armed and dangerous gang in American history” would imply blazing gunfights, guts, and glory. Which is not only glamorizing the gangster lifestyle, but also misleading the reader into thinking that the book is an adrenaline filled adventure, rather than the tedious test of endurance that it is. Diction like “betrayal” and “disillusionment” would lead the reader believe that the book is filled to the brim with dramatic twists and turns; when in reality, this book has the complexity of a coach from

From a young age, boys are engraved with the idea of masculinity. They are taught that violence is an acceptable way of solving issues that they might

Many who are against guns and want them unpurchasable to the public don't realize that people who want to kill (with guns) will find a way to get a gun, legal or not. They don't realize that it isn't the gun that pushes the person to commit the crime, it is the person's damaged mental capacity that makes them do so. Charles Whitman, an ex-Marine, went on a killing spree at the University of Texas in 1966 due to his unstable mental health. He repeatedly sought out help for his health, even telling his psychiatrist about wanting to go up to the UT Tower with a rifle and shoot people, but was blown off by his doctor. He ended up shooting 41 people, killing 16 and injuring 31. After his death, being brought down by brave Austin police officers, he wrote in his death note: "After my death, I wish an autopsy on me be performed to see if there are any mental disorders." This is a prime example of someone compelled by their own urges to seek out a weapon and inflict pain on others. Now let's re-evaluate this story, but

Metzl, Jonathan M., and Kenneth T. MacLeish. “Mental Illness, Mass Shootings, and the Politics of

It’s the beginning of the 1950’s. The citizens of Chicago are awaken by gunfires of mobsters of the “Chicago Outfit's,” lead by Al-Capone. Al-Capone was one of the best mobster kings in America, he got away with multiple murders, bootlegged alcohol during the prohibition era, along with numerous other court cases.

There is no doubt that the results of a rampage can be tragic, But the media tends to exploit the drama and leave out the context.Aside from the group of severely ill individuals, multiple studies have shown that mental illness alone does Not incline a person to violence.

Each day, violence is pushed on children, teenagers, and adults. Yet we as a society continue to overlook the issue. We fail to ask ourselves the important questions. Why are there so many mass shootings, why are there so many unjustified murders, or why are men using masculinity as an excuse to become more aggressive towards woman sexually, and also towards men who don’t display what our modern cultures and movies tell us is manly? I believe that we don’t ask these questions not because we don’t want to hear the answers, instead because glorified ferocity has become a normal part of our everyday lives. So much so, that we think it’s just the way life is. After watching Tough Guise 2 it becomes clear that although violent action is the end result, our true problem lies within the horrible messages our movies present to us.

"I'm angry someone would do this to us. There are lives ruined, families ruined, and our whole school year is ruined" (Brackely 1). Casey Brackely, once a student that attended Columbine High School, remembers the tragedy of the horrific Columbine shooting that killed and injured many students. Mass shootings in the United States have been on the rise since the 1980’s, especially in the last decade. These shooters motives and profiles are almost all terrifyingly alike. Many of these shooters try to imitate and parallel the tragic shooting of the Columbine High School in 1999. These shootings have made peaceful organizations, such as an elementary school; become a place of violence and death. Currently, in the United States, an epidemic of

Racketeers and gangsters competed for business, spawning a wave of violence across the nation” (Hanson 35). No place was more evident of this than Chicago.

When looking at the events at Columbine High School most Americans have reached one of two conclusions as to Why they did it. The first being the pair were outcasts of “Trench Coat Mafia” and were taking revenge against bullies what had made school miserable for them. The second conclusion is that this massacre is inexplicable and we will never be able to understand what drove them to such horrific violence. However the FBI and world renowned mental health experts such as psychiatrist Dr. Frank Ochberg and supervising Special Agent Dwayne Fuselier of FBI have come to very different conclusions.

The Columbine shootings occurred because two individuals who were mentally unstable and were prone to committing acts of violence had access to weapons. In addition to this the staff and parents did not report any suspicious behavior that was seen prior these crimes. The combination of social, psychological, and anger problems triggered a violent and deadly response. This could have been preventable if the initial warning signs were taken seriously. The video essay “trench coat mafia” should of lead to psychological evaluation that questioned and analyzed the mentality and perception of Eric and

In August of 2013, 13 year old “Joey”, whose name was kept concealed because of the policies of the YCJA, shot and killed his father with a 30/30 Winchester rifle on a remote reserve in northern Alberta. Joey claimed to have given his father three seconds to leave, or else he was going to pull the trigger and kill him. Joey then shot his father in the leg. This proved to be futile, as his father was still alive, who was rolling around, blood-soaked and became very angry. Joey fired another shot. This time, it would hit his father in the abdomen, finally killing his father. At first glance, this seemed to be the case of a psychotic son with the intent of killing his father just because. However, this doesn’t seem to be the case, as Joey claimed that it was in self-defense.

Chuck Palahniuk’s Fight Club is the story of a man struggling to find himself. The main character, a nameless narrator, is clearly unhappy with his life. He obsessively fakes diseases and attends support group sessions as a way to deal with his hopelessness. Obsessive behaviors often lead to unfavorable events if they are interrupted (Lizardo). Just as it seems the support groups have brought him to a form of equilibrium, they are interrupted by a fellow faker. His inability to treat his restlessness by attending these support groups drives the narrator to shocking extremes.

Since the late 1970’s, there has been a strong correlation between mental health disorders and the perpetrators of mass shootings. “Up to 60% of the perpetrators have displayed symptoms including acute paranoia, delusions and depression before committing their crimes” (Metzl & Macleish, 2015). In the case of Adam Lanza, infamously known for the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting, the history of his mental illnesses is quite extensive. However, it has been discovered that when it comes to mental illnesses, it is not influenced by one factor, but rather many factors that have integrated into the individual’s life (Sue, 2014). These factors began affecting Lanza’s life at only two years old, continuing throughout his lifetime until his heinous act of murder at the age of twenty. Throughout his

During this period the rise of urban gang rule and mobsters was unprecedented, mainly emerging from minority immigrant groups (Jewish/Italian/Irish). Initially the gangsters of the period were seen as high achievers as they were associated with the proletariat and seemed to be capable of rising above there roots, even during hard times in America, and achieve wealth. When considering the socio-economic factors it is easy to understand why such men were considered as "gangster-heroes"[3] who represented the people, however the only way that gangsters could achieve this wealth, subsequently fulfilling the American Dream, was by stealing it. " Accruing capital meant accruing power over others"[4].