Natalie, Simon, Kevin
Consequences of Regret and Guilt
In the article, Mal-Placed Regret by Kimberly Blessing, she argues the beliefs between Cobb (from Inception) and Descartes differ on the topics of regret and guilt. Blessing claims "not only does the main character regret the wrong things, but he regrets things for the wrong reasons” (Blessing, 308). Descartes believes that if one acts resolutely they will have no regret. This is to say that if one is consistent with their actions and beliefs, they will not look back on anything and wish they had acted differently in a situation; their actions have always been in their best interest and therefore there is nothing to regret. Like Blessing, we agree with Descartes’ ideology on the remorse …show more content…
In Dom’s it was Mal’s death and in Edith’s it was her life of abuse. Dom Cobb in the movie stayed in his circle of pain, constantly thinking about what ifs and what could have beens to the point of having Mal interfere with his missions. He has also created his own small world in his dreams to talk what ifs with his wife and to hide the night Mal committed suicide. This is a distinction that Dom fears his regret and he refuses to face the truth that his wife is dead. In his fear he thought to “reinvent the past- turning painful memories into dreams- so that he can avoid feeling the pain of regret” (Blessing, 307). In Edith Piaf’s case despite her life of hardships and pain, she does not regret what has happened . Alternatively, she stands resolute in the face of her problems and instead chooses to live on and survive. Although Dom’s regret is misplaced, he should be allowed to feel guilt over Mal’s death, as guilt is a possible byproduct of actions resolute or
Consequences of Regret and Guilt
In the article, Mal-Placed Regret by Kimberly Blessing, she argues the beliefs between Cobb (from Inception) and Descartes differ on the topics of regret and guilt. Blessing claims "not only does the main character regret the wrong things, but he regrets things for the wrong reasons” (Blessing, 308). Descartes believes that if one acts resolutely they will have no regret. This is to say that if one is consistent with their actions and beliefs, they will not look back on anything and wish they had acted differently in a situation; their actions have always been in their best interest and therefore there is nothing to regret. Like Blessing, we agree with Descartes’ ideology on the remorse …show more content…
In Dom’s it was Mal’s death and in Edith’s it was her life of abuse. Dom Cobb in the movie stayed in his circle of pain, constantly thinking about what ifs and what could have beens to the point of having Mal interfere with his missions. He has also created his own small world in his dreams to talk what ifs with his wife and to hide the night Mal committed suicide. This is a distinction that Dom fears his regret and he refuses to face the truth that his wife is dead. In his fear he thought to “reinvent the past- turning painful memories into dreams- so that he can avoid feeling the pain of regret” (Blessing, 307). In Edith Piaf’s case despite her life of hardships and pain, she does not regret what has happened . Alternatively, she stands resolute in the face of her problems and instead chooses to live on and survive. Although Dom’s regret is misplaced, he should be allowed to feel guilt over Mal’s death, as guilt is a possible byproduct of actions resolute or