- Intro:
Mob or group mentality continues to influence the participation or consideration of various actions that are deemed as of importance and necessary. However, with the participation in such activities, there are realities that people tend to ignore and even forget that have a huge impact on the long-term.
What is the argumentative question you are exploring based on an element of the literary piece that is reflective of society?
What is the extent to which poor judgement and lack of reason due to the influence of mob mentality affecting the ability of the society to grow?
- Hook: One of the literary pieces from Arguing about Literature is ‘The Gospel According to Garcia’ by Ariel Dorfman, which is set in a classroom setting. The students are having a replacement of their teacher and since they are frustrated with the change in the teacher, they prefer staying quiet even when the replacement teacher is trying to connect with them. Their actions reflects the resistance to change in a normal life setting where people start judging others once a change is being suggested or introduced. When they consider an individual unworthy to fill out the role of their other role model, he or she is rejected. Another piece is by Abdelkader Benali ‘From Teenage Angst to Jihad.’ This is a story of a Moroccan teenager getting to learn and identify himself in relation to his religion and community. As part of the Muslim society, he feels trapped in the bubble created that portrays the Muslim as in support of violence. He embarks on a journey to learn and know more about his faith, his options as a Muslim, and the identity that makes him same as others in the society. This story also presents the concept of judgement. Just because he is Muslim, it is assumed that he would turn out to be part of an extremist group. Many Muslims are killed and this angers him to the extent that he lashes out at his teacher for teaching derogatory concepts about his faith. With the negative judgement in the society, people are seen as unable to fit into the particular environments or settings.
- Background information:This section of your paper gives the reader the basic information he or she needs to understand your position. This could be part of the introduction, but may work as its own section. Stereotypes in the modern society continue to be a concern that gradually is affecting the ability of the community to develop. People have different opinions of others, that triggers judgmental aspects and actions with the argument that nature and predispositions informs on various aspects.
- Thesis:Mob mentality continues to affect the ability of individuals within the community to see to reason due to fear of judgement.
- Develop Your Argument with Primary Sources:
- Make a claim 1: Conforming to practice is seen as positive no matter the consequence
- Evidence 1a: People are promised of being given preferential treatment if they comply. In the story, Warner (Old Man) mentions that the Lotter in June is a symbolic of good harvest of corn, which will be soon (Jackson 25).
- Make a claim 2: There is no regard for the negative consequences of bad judgement with arguments purporting unseen benefits
- Evidence 2a:Actions are considered positive even when the outcome was negative with the promise that any action no matter the extent was to the benefit of the many. The death of Tessie, Bill’s wife is seen as a cleansing of the community to increase harvest.
- Evidence 2b:No matter the extent of an action or decision, leaders expect people to move on and forget the negative outcomes of an action. Even with loss of life, the community is forced to start thinking that the ritual was a cleansing of the land in preparation for the planting and harvest.
- Develop Your Argument with Secondary Sources: Any well-written analysis must be supported by other scholars. Find academic evidence to support your stance. Generally, this takes the form of a paragraph that can be placed either after the introduction or before the conclusion.
- Secondary Source 1:On New Year’s Eve of 2016, mob violence occurred in Cologne, Hamburg with a group of men attacking, harassing, sexually assaulting, and robbing hundreds of women. Their action is perceived to be influenced by the negative treatment that targeted the group or the race. According to a report by Cikara and Jenkins for the Time Magazine, ‘a mob mentality is where people may behave in ways that violate the moral standards of each individual in that group leading to destructive behavior and brutality’ (3).
- Secondary Source 2: The herd mentality also called mob mentality continues to affect the ability of people to make wise decisions in politics. Hoodbhoy (11) mentions that, ‘it is not easy to resist group conformity anywhere in the world. Our desire to somehow fit in molds attitudes.
- Conclusion: Mob mentality continues to be an element that many are not aware of have come to terms with the different impacts it has on everyday decisions and even the ability to connect with others. In the modern society, mob mentality continues to influence a large part of our everyday lives, which makes it a concern to evaluate the aspects within the society that are influenced by mob mentality.
Works Cited
Cikara, Mina and Adrianna Jenkins. “The Role of Mob Mentality in the Cologne Attacks.” 20 January 2016. Time Magazine. http://time.com/4181807/cologne-attacks-mob-mentality/. 27 April 2018.
Hoodbhoy, Pervez. “Herd mentality in politics.” 8 August 2015. Dawn. https://www.dawn.com/news/1199044. 27 April 2018.
Jackson, Shirley. The Lottery. New york: The New Yorker, 2008. 25-28. Imprint.