The history of violence is illustrated, not only through wars or physical violence – but in literature as well. Natural human behavior excites the idea that violence leads to more violence, which is the focal mindset of the literary theme, Blood Will Have Blood. James Hurst’s “The Scarlet Ibis” and Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” are both examples of literature with this theme in mind. Both “The Scarlet Ibis” and “The Cask of Amontillado” develop the theme of Blood Will Have Blood throughout the course of each story respectively. Hurst establishes the theme, Blood Will Have Blood, through “The Scarlet Ibis” as violence towards Doodle continues to lead to other violent acts. Near the beginning, Brother, the narrator, complains
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To discourage his coming with me, I’d run with him across the ends of the cotton rows and careen him around corners on two wheels. Sometimes I accidentally turned him over, but he never told Mama” (Hurst 556). Hurst establishes Blood Will Have Blood when Brother chooses to first, disobey his mother by endangering Doodle. Brother chooses to look past Doodle’s disability for the sake of his own comfort during his summer leisure, showing his own carelessness for the violence that he inflicts on his brother. In the conclusion, Brother abandons Doodle in the middle of a fierce storm after being disappointed by Doodle’s lack of athletic skill: “The knowledge that Doodle’s and my plans had come to naught was bitter, and that streak of cruelty within me awakened. I ran as fast as I could, leaving him far behind with a wall of rain dividing us” (Hurst 563). Blood spills further with this event, with Brother purposely leaving Doodle during a catastrophic event where both the danger of the storm and Doodle’s disability runs the risk of injuring Doodle. After Brother’s violence in …show more content…
Upon the first page, Montresor, filled with hatred for the ludicrous Fortunato, announces to the reader: “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge” (Poe 7). This illustrates Blood Will Have Blood because Montresor’s original resentment toward Fortunato’s wrongdoings turn to a desire for Fortunato’s murder. A primal human instinct exists in all people to wrong those who wrong them, and Montresor fits the bill. However, Montresor takes this natural human instinct to be violent toward a foe a step further and offers Fortunato just enough alcohol to make him a blundering, drunk man who walks to his death. This drunkenness causes Fortunato to realize the full impact of Montresor’s true intentions after Montresor has already sealed Fortunato’s fate: “I thrust a torch through the remaining aperture and let it fall within. There came forth in return only a jingling of the bells” (Poe 12). Poe typifies the theme further as Montresor’s constant, increasingly violent demands for Fortunato to consume alcohol guides the way for Montresor to set Fortunato aflame in the catacombs. Fortunato’s ludicrous drunk state does not ease Montresor’s need to see his foe pay for what Fortunato has done and leads to Montresor feeling no remorse for murdering Fortunato.
To discourage his coming with me, I’d run with him across the ends of the cotton rows and careen him around corners on two wheels. Sometimes I accidentally turned him over, but he never told Mama” (Hurst 556). Hurst establishes Blood Will Have Blood when Brother chooses to first, disobey his mother by endangering Doodle. Brother chooses to look past Doodle’s disability for the sake of his own comfort during his summer leisure, showing his own carelessness for the violence that he inflicts on his brother. In the conclusion, Brother abandons Doodle in the middle of a fierce storm after being disappointed by Doodle’s lack of athletic skill: “The knowledge that Doodle’s and my plans had come to naught was bitter, and that streak of cruelty within me awakened. I ran as fast as I could, leaving him far behind with a wall of rain dividing us” (Hurst 563). Blood spills further with this event, with Brother purposely leaving Doodle during a catastrophic event where both the danger of the storm and Doodle’s disability runs the risk of injuring Doodle. After Brother’s violence in …show more content…
Upon the first page, Montresor, filled with hatred for the ludicrous Fortunato, announces to the reader: “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge” (Poe 7). This illustrates Blood Will Have Blood because Montresor’s original resentment toward Fortunato’s wrongdoings turn to a desire for Fortunato’s murder. A primal human instinct exists in all people to wrong those who wrong them, and Montresor fits the bill. However, Montresor takes this natural human instinct to be violent toward a foe a step further and offers Fortunato just enough alcohol to make him a blundering, drunk man who walks to his death. This drunkenness causes Fortunato to realize the full impact of Montresor’s true intentions after Montresor has already sealed Fortunato’s fate: “I thrust a torch through the remaining aperture and let it fall within. There came forth in return only a jingling of the bells” (Poe 12). Poe typifies the theme further as Montresor’s constant, increasingly violent demands for Fortunato to consume alcohol guides the way for Montresor to set Fortunato aflame in the catacombs. Fortunato’s ludicrous drunk state does not ease Montresor’s need to see his foe pay for what Fortunato has done and leads to Montresor feeling no remorse for murdering Fortunato.