All Quiet On The Western Front
I need a break.. from my homework.
The other day in class, we were talking.. English Studies that is (yeah, I must have been out of my brains to take the hard English.. the one with the exams!) but I have Mr.Brayshaw as a teacher so I think its well worth it. He's amazing. And we're reading All Quiet on the Western Front... regarding the book, there was a question held up in the middle of the lesson... something i thought i wanted to write more about...
Soldiors dont react the way we do to death, because they've seen it happen so many times. Does that mean Violence on TV affects us?
My 1st reaction was... "i dunno?!" till obviously i decieded to think about it after a few people gave their answers. Such as "No because their acting," or "No because its not as real as real life i had my friend slowly die in a hospital and one of them commite suciside as someone walked in on them doing it but they still died.. so nothing wil ever be as affective as that. Defenately not TV"... yeah, someone actualy said that! I wasnt sure if they were trying to prove a point or get sympathy. Surley didnt get any of it from me. Oh there was a girl who also said, "No it wouldnt... i mean, we see small violence here every now and then. someone punching someone. it happens all the time but everytime it happens we get just as effected as the one before..." I seriously just sat there going 'o-k...' Fine i understand trying to "bring your messege across" but god has anyone ever heard of THINK before you SAY it.. maybe try and form a SENTENCE in your head too and see how it might come out? Try it. It can help.
As for me, i didnt say anything then because if I would have, I'd have ended up contradicting myself. Or saying something and then going... but then again... ... and I'm not sure we had time for that. I couldnt just sit there and go "yes" or "no". I dont see things as Black and White all the time. Theres more to it then that.
But, has anyone ever cried during a movie? yeah? (dont worry, so have I.) Do you have a 'favourite' movie?.. or a favourite scene? or have you ever had a situation in life that is simmilar to a movie you saw, and you think back at what they did?.. and why is that? Would it be because it affected you? Knowing the person was just purley acting, not dying in real life or not in pain in reality and not feeling any of those emotions off stage... it still got to you. It made you cry or made you think enough for it to be in your Favourites. Anything you think about, affects you... you remember it. Its in your memory, and you will think about it time to time. Anyone reading this who's done Psychology will know that if you think or observe something over 60 seconds, your more likely to remember it later. Movies, they go on for hours! And yes they do affect us.. our favourite actors movies scenes... they all get to us. We watch them to be entertained... but thats not the only thing it does. It teaches us things too. Same with books, stories... everything you think about or notice becomes a part of your life, like it or not.
So the same way, if your walking to school and you see 2 men fighting. Not with words, but hands and physically fighting. You will freak out a little and keep walking hoping they dont hurt you. You might even think about it for the whole day, or more. Think about having the same morning walking to school seeing them fighting for another month. The same thing... and "majority" of you will stop reacting to it. You will just avoide any contact and walk away without really thinking anything but "here we go again!" or for all you know, you might not even notice. But suddenly if the next day oneof them cuts the others' hands off... you will react compleatly different.. because its something your not use to seeing. Something you havnt seen before and once again you will freak out! Get scared too.. maybe get help if your a nice person. So that just means your not yet use to the blood and pain, just them fighting like maniacs.. But you did get use to something after watching it happen for a month, didnt you?
But then again, If I saw someone die.. and then a new person die every day for a month (I hope that never happens to anyone) would I be use to seeing them die? Are doctors use to it? What about those people in the 'funeral business'? I dont know. But I'd love to find out... It's just I'm not sure there's a single answer to it. I really dont know if its as easy as Yes or No.
But going back to the Soldiors.... they saw it happen not a month but months and months infront of their eyes... so they did get use to it... do those facts point to a yes we get use to something no matter how bad, if we see it long enough?' Does violence really affect us in such a way?
The other day in class, we were talking.. English Studies that is (yeah, I must have been out of my brains to take the hard English.. the one with the exams!) but I have Mr.Brayshaw as a teacher so I think its well worth it. He's amazing. And we're reading All Quiet on the Western Front... regarding the book, there was a question held up in the middle of the lesson... something i thought i wanted to write more about...
Soldiors dont react the way we do to death, because they've seen it happen so many times. Does that mean Violence on TV affects us?
My 1st reaction was... "i dunno?!" till obviously i decieded to think about it after a few people gave their answers. Such as "No because their acting," or "No because its not as real as real life i had my friend slowly die in a hospital and one of them commite suciside as someone walked in on them doing it but they still died.. so nothing wil ever be as affective as that. Defenately not TV"... yeah, someone actualy said that! I wasnt sure if they were trying to prove a point or get sympathy. Surley didnt get any of it from me. Oh there was a girl who also said, "No it wouldnt... i mean, we see small violence here every now and then. someone punching someone. it happens all the time but everytime it happens we get just as effected as the one before..." I seriously just sat there going 'o-k...' Fine i understand trying to "bring your messege across" but god has anyone ever heard of THINK before you SAY it.. maybe try and form a SENTENCE in your head too and see how it might come out? Try it. It can help.
As for me, i didnt say anything then because if I would have, I'd have ended up contradicting myself. Or saying something and then going... but then again... ... and I'm not sure we had time for that. I couldnt just sit there and go "yes" or "no". I dont see things as Black and White all the time. Theres more to it then that.
But, has anyone ever cried during a movie? yeah? (dont worry, so have I.) Do you have a 'favourite' movie?.. or a favourite scene? or have you ever had a situation in life that is simmilar to a movie you saw, and you think back at what they did?.. and why is that? Would it be because it affected you? Knowing the person was just purley acting, not dying in real life or not in pain in reality and not feeling any of those emotions off stage... it still got to you. It made you cry or made you think enough for it to be in your Favourites. Anything you think about, affects you... you remember it. Its in your memory, and you will think about it time to time. Anyone reading this who's done Psychology will know that if you think or observe something over 60 seconds, your more likely to remember it later. Movies, they go on for hours! And yes they do affect us.. our favourite actors movies scenes... they all get to us. We watch them to be entertained... but thats not the only thing it does. It teaches us things too. Same with books, stories... everything you think about or notice becomes a part of your life, like it or not.
So the same way, if your walking to school and you see 2 men fighting. Not with words, but hands and physically fighting. You will freak out a little and keep walking hoping they dont hurt you. You might even think about it for the whole day, or more. Think about having the same morning walking to school seeing them fighting for another month. The same thing... and "majority" of you will stop reacting to it. You will just avoide any contact and walk away without really thinking anything but "here we go again!" or for all you know, you might not even notice. But suddenly if the next day oneof them cuts the others' hands off... you will react compleatly different.. because its something your not use to seeing. Something you havnt seen before and once again you will freak out! Get scared too.. maybe get help if your a nice person. So that just means your not yet use to the blood and pain, just them fighting like maniacs.. But you did get use to something after watching it happen for a month, didnt you?
But then again, If I saw someone die.. and then a new person die every day for a month (I hope that never happens to anyone) would I be use to seeing them die? Are doctors use to it? What about those people in the 'funeral business'? I dont know. But I'd love to find out... It's just I'm not sure there's a single answer to it. I really dont know if its as easy as Yes or No.
But going back to the Soldiors.... they saw it happen not a month but months and months infront of their eyes... so they did get use to it... do those facts point to a yes we get use to something no matter how bad, if we see it long enough?' Does violence really affect us in such a way?
posted by Tina at 10:59 AM
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