Years after WWII and the resulting economic boom of the 1950’s, many Americans rose up to protest for peace and civil rights. In doing this, this group of people went against the expectations of society to follow a lifestyle that many considered to be disrespectful and wild. Compared to the white picket fence era of the 50’s, the 60’s were completely different and unconventional. Those who became apart of this counter-culture did so because they felt trapped by the system they were born into just as those who criticized counter-culture did so because they had built their lives on more traditional or “civil” values. These two characteristics of human nature clash heavily, but at the same time, they both play a large role in human nature.
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In “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” Poe writes on the restrictions of “civil” human conventions by suggesting that this line of thinking can hinder one’s reasoning. Similarly in “Shooting an Elephant”, Orwell comments on the negatives of human conventions by proposing that preconceived societal expectations can have a large impact on one’s life. Furthermore, in “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” Poe suggests that the only difference between humans and animals is their level of savagery. Likewise, in his story “Shooting an Elephant,” Orwell asserts that a human can be seen as no more than an animal depending on their behavior. Lastly, Poe proposes that aspects of savagery have no place in a civilized society, just as Orwell suggests a major clash between these two …show more content…
The narrator reads in a police report that their were two voices heard the night of the murder and that one of the voices was that of a “foreigner”(Poe 7). In a situation where one expects to hear a man, the voice of a wild orangutan is mistaken for a “foreign” language. This suggests there are extreme similarities between humans and apes. Moreover, in the investigation, the actions of the animal are justified as the actions of crazy man. These similarities suggest that it is not one's species that determines who they are, but rather their actions. Whether one is civilized or barbaric determines more about that person than who they are or where they come
In “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” Poe writes on the restrictions of “civil” human conventions by suggesting that this line of thinking can hinder one’s reasoning. Similarly in “Shooting an Elephant”, Orwell comments on the negatives of human conventions by proposing that preconceived societal expectations can have a large impact on one’s life. Furthermore, in “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” Poe suggests that the only difference between humans and animals is their level of savagery. Likewise, in his story “Shooting an Elephant,” Orwell asserts that a human can be seen as no more than an animal depending on their behavior. Lastly, Poe proposes that aspects of savagery have no place in a civilized society, just as Orwell suggests a major clash between these two …show more content…
The narrator reads in a police report that their were two voices heard the night of the murder and that one of the voices was that of a “foreigner”(Poe 7). In a situation where one expects to hear a man, the voice of a wild orangutan is mistaken for a “foreign” language. This suggests there are extreme similarities between humans and apes. Moreover, in the investigation, the actions of the animal are justified as the actions of crazy man. These similarities suggest that it is not one's species that determines who they are, but rather their actions. Whether one is civilized or barbaric determines more about that person than who they are or where they come