The Lottery and Young Goodman Brown

The Lottery and Young Goodman Brown Thesis sentence: Jackson encourages her readers to question their beliefs, their actions, and the world by creating inner struggle with a barbaric act that is accepted by the townspeople in The Lottery, but Hawthorne takes a different approach by delving into the inner struggle of his character in Young Goodman Brown. In The Lottery, Shirley Jackson uses third person narration to describe how accepted events can lead to barbaric consequences when people do not stop to consider their actions. Nathanial Hawthorne also uses third person narration in Young Goodman Brown, but he does so in a very different way. The essential difference between the ways that these two stories work is that Jackson attempts to produce a reaction inside the reader while Hawthorne attempts to explain inner conflict by delving into his characters thoughts. Both authors use their stories to encourage readers to question their beliefs, their actions, and the world around them, but they achieve this goal with differing techniques. Jackson never overtly states that the townspeople in her story are nervous about the approaching lottery. Instead she uses subtle hints that slowly create a sense of apprehension in the reader. In the third paragraph of The Lottery Jackson describes men as they gather in the town square. The children have already begun stacking stones. The men are talking about everyday matters such as planting and rain, tractors and taxes, but Jackson writes that the men stood together, away from the pile of stones in the corner, and their jokes were quiet and they smiled rather than laughed (par. 2). This short passage shows that something about this day is different than the typical town meetings. Jackson, however, has not revealed the reason that the people are nervous. Jackson continues this game with the reader by increasing the fear when the lottery finally chooses the Hutchinsons and Tessie begins to physically express concern for her life. The only thought that the reader gets about the lott ery, though, is Tessies scream that it isnt fair, it isnt right (par. 80). This moment only occurs at the end of the story as the townspeople prepare to kill hers. Hawthorne takes a less subtle approach to describing the nervousness of Goodman Brown. As Goodman Brown makes his way through the woods, he wonders what if the devil himself should be at my very elbow! (par. 9). This is a rather unambiguous expression of fear. After meeting his traveling companion, Brown even begins to talk about his inner struggle by mentioning how their quest conflicts with his scrupples. As they continue walking, they continue their conversation. Goodman reveals his doubts about the initiation that he approaches, but continues on his way at the bequest of his companion, who explains that even the goodliest people in his town have done the same. These two stories describe fear in very different ways, so it is fitting that they also use different methods to question morality. Goodman Browns moral questions are laid before the reader during his conversation with the companion. At times he feels heartened by learning that other people in the community have performed the same rites. At other times, though, he questions whether this can be so. These questions approach the very nature of human beings. In this way, Hawthorne is somewhat more ambiguous than he is in his descriptions of fear. After all, he follows Browns thought process as it bounces back and forth. Still, his approach to the question of morality is far less ambiguous than Jacksons. By the end of the story, Hawthorne writes that it was a dream of evil omen for young Goodman Brown (par. 73). This statement comes directly from the narrator. Had a character said as much, then there would be some ambiguity about the moral position of the story. Since it is written by a n arrator who has remained reliable throughout the story, the reader can only accept it as truth within the context of the story. Jackson, however, uses a different approach to questioning the morality of the townspeople. She creates tension throughout the story that culminates with Tessies scream that it isnt fair, it isnt right, but the writer never comes forward with a solid endorsement of Tessies feelings. The reader has the impression that these barbaric events are certainly unfair to Tessie, but that the other people might have a different opinion. After all, what are they to do? They must choose a random sacrifice to ensure the health of their crops. Questioning the morality of this event is similar to a modern person questioning the morality of socioeconomic classes. In some respects, they feel immoral because they randomly put certain people into unfortunate circumstances. On the other hand, what is a person to do? It is simply the way that the world works. Morality and fairness are beside the point in this context. If a moral certitude exits, it does so in the reader, not the story. The Lottery provides an inner struggle within the reader with its shocking ending and question of fairness. Young Goodman Brown, however, provides a more involved, direct line of thinking about morality by describing the inner struggle of Goodman Brown. The effect is completely different: Hawthorne essentially tells his readers what is and is not moral while Jackson creates an event that asks the reader to question his or her own sense of morality. For Hawthorne, a moral certitude exists that he can share with readers through the struggles of his title character. Jackson does not approach morality in this way, though, because her story does not have a concrete moral lesson to teach. Instead, it asks the reader to question beliefs, the morality of actions, and the way that the world functions without providing a definite answer. This ambiguity presents a more accurate perspective of the way that todays world works. Even though Jackson chooses to set her story in a town that feels torn from modernity, it none-the-less approaches group and individual morals from a post-modern perspective that lacks definite answers.

How to Read Literature Like a Professor Chapter Analysis Essay

Chapter 1: Every Trip Is a Quest (Except When It’s Not) In Chapter 1 the author explains the symbolic reasoning of why a character takes a trip. They don’t just take a trip they take a quest. Structurally a quest has a quester, a place to go, a stated reason to go there, challenges and trials en route, and a reason to go there. Quests usually involve characters such as a knight, a dangerous road, a Holy Grail, a dragon, an evil knight, and a princess. The quest also involves the character to gain self-knowledge out of taking the adventure to the stated place where he or she is going. Chapter 2: Nice to Eat with You: Acts of Communion Chapter 2 tells of the symbolism that takes place while characters are eating a meal together. The author states that when people eat together it is saying â€Å"I’m with you, I like you, we form a community together.† The meal also shows how a person feels towards another person. It can show whether you like or dislike the person. The author explains how the description of the food isn’t just to inform you of what is being eaten. It is to draw you into the moment and help you feel the realism of that moment. Chapter 3: Nice to Eat You: Acts of Vampires In Chapter 3 the author explains in Chapter three how vampirism isn’t always about vampires. Vampirism is a characteristic a character can portray, such as selfishness, exploitation, and rudeness. The character takes advantage of people, like a vampire would to his prey. Many authors actually use vampires, ghosts, or doppelgangers to portray vampiristic qualities instead of letting the reader infer those qualities into a human. Chapter 4: If It’s Square, It’s A Sonnet Chapter 4 tells about how sonnets are formed and how to identify a sonnet. Sonnets are in a square shape and they always have 14 lines in them. The author says that sonnets may be challenging to understand, but they are the most interesting poems because they are able to say what they have to say in only 14 lines and 10 syllables. Chapter 5: Now, Where Have I Seen Her Before? In chapter 5 the author explains how stories overlap in a way. Book are never totally original. They all use similar characters with similar personalities. Authors use other authors to influence their style of writing and what they write about. Chapter 6: When In Doubt, It’s from Shakespeare . . . Chapter 6 is all about William Shakespeare. The author believes that almost all stories written were somehow influenced by a play or sonnet or some sort of Shakespeare’s works. Some of even the most famous stories ever written were somehow connected to a piece by William Shakespeare. Chapter 7: . . . Or the Bible Chapter 7 is similar to the chapter that refers to Shakespeare. It states how every piece of literature is somehow related to or referring to the Bible. They all involve things such as temptation, betrayal, denial, etc. Also, writers refer to the Bible because almost everybody knows at least some of the stories from the Bible. Chapter 8: Hanseldee and Greteldum In chapter 8 the author explains how many stories are connected to fairy tales, like a parallel. Fairy tales are easy to connect to because they all have a plot and solution, so there is always a way to connect a story to the fairy tales. Chapter 9: It’s Greek to Me Chapter 9 is about myths and how they are related to Greek mythology. There are three types of myth: Shakespearean, Biblical, and fairy tales. There are many things connected to Greece. Many things are named and based off of Greek characters. Mascots, towns, and some people are even named after some of the greates heros of Greek times. Chapter 10: It’s More Than Just Rain or Snow Chapter 10 is about the symbolism of weather. The author talks of the uses of weather such as rain, wind, snow, etc. The uses are plot device, atmospherics, democratic element, cleansing, and restorative. The weather is a very critical detail in setting the scene for stories. Chapter 11: More Than It’s Gonna Hurt You: Concerning Violence Chapter 11 is about the significant meaning of violence. There are two categories of violence in literature: the specific injury and the narrative violence. Specific injury causes characters to visit on one another or on themselves. Narrative violence cause the characters to cause harm in general. Chapter 12: Is That a Symbol? Chapter 12 is about symbolism. The author says that not everybody will think a symbol will mean the same thing and it won’t. The symbol is whatever you think it means. Some writers make their symbols direct, but most let you use your own imagination. Chapter 13: It’s All Political Chapter 13 was about how most writing is political. It was about how writers secretly put their political point of views into their stories. Usually political writing is boring and vague. Some writing is more political than others, but nearly all writing is political on some level. Chapter 14: Yes, She’s a Christ Figure, Too Chapter 14 is about how almost everything, in some form, is a Christ figure. The chapter gives a list to relate characters to. The list is 1. crucified, wounds in the hands, feet, side, and head 2. in agony 3. self-sacrificing 4. good with children 5.good with loaves, fishes, water, wine 6. thirty-three years of age when last seen 7. employed as a carpenter 8. known to use humble modes of transportation, feet or donkeys preferred 9. believed to have walked on water 10. often portrayed with arms outstretched 11. known to have spent time alone in the wilderness 12. believed to have had a confrontation with the devil, possibly tempted 13. last seen in the company of thieves 14. creator of many aphorisms and parables 15. buried, but arose on the third day 16. had disciples, twelve at first, although not all equally devoted 17. very forgiving 18. came to redeem an unworthy world. Chapter 15: Flights of Fancy Chapter 15 is all about the symbolism of flying. Flying is freedom. That’s what it symbolizes. Usually stories are fiction when you see a character flying, but when you do the person is either a superhero, ski jumper, crazy, a circus act, suspended on wires, an angel, or heavily symbolic. Chapter 16: It’s All About Sex . . . It’s All About Sex, or Chapter 16, is about the symbollic meaning of sex in a story or movie. The author says that usually sex isn’t even about the sex or things that have nothing to do with sex are usually about sex. Chapter 17: . . . Except Sex Chapter 17 is about how sex is never actually used in literature. Authors always describe the scene before and the scene after but never the inbetween. There is really only one way of writing about sex, of course the characters can do different things but in the end it’s still the same thing. that’s why it’s ok to just leave the actual physical part out of the book and only describe the before and after. Chapter 18: If She Comes Up, It’s Baptism Chapter 18 is all about the significance of water. When a character goes under water and comes back up, it usually means that the character was renewed or reborn. Then after that the character will be a whole new being. Sometimes the character goes under and doesn’t come back up, but the only significance this has is that the character dies. Chapter 19: Geography Matters . . . Chapter 19 is about the geography. The geography symbolizes the mood of the characters. Such as if a character is on the beach they are usually relaxed and calm. Hills can symbolize journeys or difficult tasks that the character has to overcome. Chapter 20: . . . So Does Season Chapter 20 is about the effect seasons have. Most teenage movies are set in the summer because that is supposedly the prime of their lives. Winter signifies age and the characters are usually moody or gloomy. When it is fall the characters are probably changing is some ways. Spring the character is probably renewed in some way. Chapter 21: Marked for Greatness Chapter 21 is about how defaults in a character mean more than just some sort of handicap. Everything has a meaning. Take for instance the scar on Harry Potter’s head. It has a story of its own. It reminds him of his parents and what happened to them. Chapter 22: He’s Blind for a Reason, You Know Chapter 22 is about the symbolic meanings of blindness. Not all the time in stories is the person who is literally blind actually the blind one. Blind people can be the people who have sight but are greedy and selfish. Chapter 23: It’s Never Just Heart Disease . . . Chapter 23 tells about how when an author mentions heart disease in a story, it’s never just heart disease. Since the heart represents practically all emotion, when the heart has troubles it could be interpreted as lonliness or pain. Usually the characters with heart disease are never happy with life. Chapter 24: . . . And Rarely Just Illness In chapter 24 the author suggests the use of illnesses. He states that when writing a story, you can’t just use any illness off the top of your mind. The illness must be picturesque, meaning that the illness should affect the physical appearance of the character. Also the illness should have strong symbolic or metaphorical possibilities. Chapter 25: Don’t Read with Your Eyes Chapter 25 is called â€Å"Don’t Read With Your Eyes.† The chapter is basically a restatement of previous chapters, just repeating that readers need to think of the story in a different perspective and that they should see the author or maybe the characters point of view. Chapter 26: Is He Serious? And Other Ironies In chapter 26 the author states that even though we went through the entire book learning about all of these new symbolic meanings in literature, sometimes irony will come and mess things all up. He says something that helps me remember: â€Å"irony trumps everything.† Even though we spent hours reading about all of the symbolic and metaphorical possibilities in stories, there only has to be one, tiny ironic thing that could come along at the end of the story and completely wipe out all of the symbols and metaphor we just read.

Compare and Contrast Poems

The Underlying Truth about War War—sometimes portrayed frivolously—may be more that the human expects it to be. It is filled with gruesome and intolerable scenes that may not even be appropriate to discuss. Wilson Owen, in transforming the mainstream ideas, branches out and discusses the horrific side of war that people would not expect. In â€Å"Anthem for Doomed Youth† and â€Å"dulce et decorum est,† Wilson Owen strategically manipulates diction to illustrate the theme of the reality of war, and in doing this, sheds a light on the dreadful impact that war has. Wilson utilizes strong connotations of words in both of his poems. In â€Å"Anthem for Doomed Youth† the title says a lot about its content. The title itself has significant use of assonance. The expression is intended to be drawn out, and set a depressing mood which parallels to the subject of war itself. The title also indicates that this is a national thing, everyone is a part of it: â€Å"Anthem†. The word signifies a national anthem, where everybody joins in and takes pride from it. The poem does not parallel that the soldiers took pride to fight in the war. The word anthem connotates a sacred song or song of praise; which alludes to church where anthems are sometimes heard, and where funerals take place. This then shows that the poem in itself is an anthem as well. Wilson then goes on to further question the â€Å"passing-bells for these who die as cattle† (1). The use of the word cattle suggests a mass amount or a collection of people in a group. It also implies that the men in the war were treated like cattle, basically dehumanizing them as people. â€Å"Dulce et decorum est† also has words with connotative meanings. The repetition of blood implies the dangers that are on the battlefield. Owen writes, â€Å"†¦blood shot† / â€Å"the blood came gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs† (6, 21-22). The blood paints a gruesome picture of life in the war. The first four words of the second stanza, â€Å"Gas! Gas! Quick, boys†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ are disjointed, fractured and monosyllabic (9). This connotes a feeling of panic and terror. The use of such verbs like â€Å"flound’ring† adds a sense of helplessness and inability. Owen is trying to illustrate the simple truth to the audience; war does not make men, it breaks them. The strong connotation of words lends way for imagery to unfold. In â€Å"Anthem for Doomed Youth,† Wilfred Owen tells that â€Å"only the stuttering rifles’ rapid rattle can patter out their hasty orisons† (3-4). The poet starts to reveal the realism of war through alliteration. As readers, one can visualize the sounds of the rifles as clearly as Owen intended us to. The rifles emphasize that the opposing troops did not take pity on the individuals they are trying to kill. In â€Å"dulce et decorum est,† Owen uses imagery by writing, â€Å"His hanging face, like a devil’s sick of sin;† (line 20). In this part of the poem, Owen talks about his â€Å"fallen† friend. Here, we see how graphic his friend looked, thus confirming the fact of the gruesome nature of war. Sickening language is used to invoke the shocking image of a man literally drowning in his own blood as the blood came â€Å"gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs† (22). This grotesque language is used to express the distasteful nature of the war. In his two poems, Owen highlights the fact that war is not all that it is chalked up to be. He does this by using strong connotative language which in turn reveals the imagery to the readers. In doing this, he wants the readers to get even a bird’s eye view of what he had to deal with every day. Certain phrases that the poet uses reflect Owen’s own disgust of the war. It show the anger that he has about how the press illustrates the war to mislead people. The descriptions that he gives shows the darkness of war that he bore witness to; therefore recreating the images and showing the destruction of purity through war.

Capital Punishment is Costly - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 1996 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2019/03/11 Category Law Essay Level High school Topics: Capital Punishment Essay Did you like this example? Introduction Martin Luther King Jr. once stated, â€Å"The old law of an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.† In this quote, he is referring to the ancient Babylonian law, the Code of Hammurabi. Hammurabi’s code justified the death penalty by reasoning that if somebody kills another, then they should be killed for their actions. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Capital Punishment is Costly" essay for you Create order Hammurabi’s Code was the first death penalty law established, and it dates back to the 18th century B.C. The death penalty is still in place today and is a barbaric, severe, and irreversible punishment. The death penalty should be abolished because it does not deter future murderers, there is no crime that justifies taking a life, and it is applied unfairly. To begin, the question of whether capital punishment, in the manner it is being imposed now, deters criminals from committing murder anymore than sentencing them to life without parole. While most criminologists, an overwhelming 84%, agree that the death penalty does not deter crime, it is very difficult to determine if it does or not, statistically (â€Å"Arguments for and Against the Death Penalty†). Proving the death penalty as a deterrent has been a burden on opponents of the death penalty since the debate began. Studies such as those conducted by Isaac Ehrlich determined a clear relationship between the death penalty and deterrence of crime. In Ehrlich’s studies, he found that for every execution, seven lives were spared. Studies like these have been imitated and followed up, but have been widely discredited. The National Research Council of the National Academies Deterrence Report claim that studies on deterrence are flawed in three ways. Firstly, studies do not factor in the deterrence of noncapital punishments on the population (â€Å"DETERRENCE: National Research Council Concludes Deterrence Studies Should Not Influence Death Penalty Policy.† ). Secondly, they do not properly calculate in the perception of potential murders’ to the use of capital punishment. Lastly, these studies are invalid because they use estimates and assumptions that are not credible. The Wilson Quarterly states that there are not enough executions to base a study off of and the murder rate varies dramatically from year to year, which makes it even harder to statistically conclude the validness of deterrence in the argument for capital punishment (Does the Death Penalty Deter?). While it is statistically very difficult to conclude whether or not capital punishment serves as a deterrent against future crime, there is more â€Å"obvious† evidence that it does not. In the United States, 30 states still practice the death penalty. Comparatively, the states who do not practice capital punishment generally have lower murder rates than those who do. In 2016, the average murder rate for states that employ capital punishment was 5.4, but the average for those who do not was only 3.9 (â€Å"Murder Rates Nationally and By State.†). It is also evident nationally that capital punishment does not serve as a deterrent. Canada abolished capital punishment in 1976, and since then the murder rate has decreased by 25% (Lamperti, John). The American Civil Liberties Union also states that police chiefs, when asked, rank the death penalty as the least effective way to reduce violent crime (â€Å"The Case Against the Death Penalty†). Capital punishment is costly. It costs taxpayers money. The death penalty has cost California $4 billion dollars since 1978. Of that, $1.94 billion of the $4 billion went to pre-trial and trial costs alone (â€Å"Costs of the Death Penalty†). According to Safe California.org, abolishing capital punishment would save taxpayers $150 million each year (â€Å"How Much Does Californias Death Penalty Cost?†) In summation, it is mostly inconclusive as to whether or not capital punishment actually deters crime, but a majority of elite criminologists agree that it does not. Most evidence refutes that capital punishment has no real effect on the murder rate, and because of its costly natures and the unethical nature of the practice, deterrence of murder is not a valid justification for capital punishment. Secondly, it is argued that a just society must take the life of someone who takes another. Those who support capital punishment argue that when a person kills another they upset a balance, and this is how they justify allowing state sanctioned murder. This is the idea of retribution, and is essentially the same as vengeance. It is argued that this vengeance provides closure to families and closure to the murderer’s crime. However, retribution does not justify taking one’s life in response to taking another. Retribution is rooted in the doctrines of Hammurabi’s code. These doctrines such as â€Å"an eye for an eye† should not be applied to the modern judicial system. These are not ideals of a progressive society because vengeance is a purely instinctual and emotional response. Punishing a person completely out of emotion is not appropriate, particularly with the risks involved. Also, justifying capital punishment by arguing that it provides more closure for families is invalid. As stated by B. Jones, the prolonged legal process associated with capital cases makes capital punishment less closing for victims’ families. In most cases, life without parole provides just as much closure without condoning violence and it avoids the risks of wrongly executing a defendant. In summation, retribution does not justify capital punishment. It is not progressive, nor does capital punishment necessarily provide more closure to victims’ families than what life without parole would. It is obvious that life without parole would satisfy the innate need to accomplish retribution by taking the defendant’s rights away for life, but it does so in a more suitable manner for modern society with the consideration of ethical treatment of humans. Lastly, the death penalty should be abolished because it is applied unfairly. Some argue that because every case is unique, then it is applied fairly. Those who support the death penalty acknowledge that discretion is a significant idea within our justice system, but they fail to recognize the racial biases that occur, the biases created when choosing a jury for capital cases, and the geographical disparities that occur. Those who support the death penalty believe that justice must be achieved for whoever, despite their race, where they live, and the jury who decides their fate. Supporting the death penalty means wanting justice for all, even if punishments are not applied proportionally to everyone. Despite, the death penalty is arbitrarily dulled out. Justice should be achieved for all, but it should be achieved proportionally. A defendant’s race, town, or lawyer should not determine if they live or die. This should not be an issue at all. Taking one’s life in order to achieve justice, and not considering if that person is executed fairly is immoral. There are biases that are created within the jury of capital cases. Courts can eliminate certain jurors if they are not willing to sentence someone to death. This is called the death qualification process, and does not occur in normal juries. Jurors are questioned extensively on their views regarding capital punishment, and often asked to consider the different sentencing options. If they believe that a person can be executed for certain crimes, that juror becomes death qualified. The judge can also eliminate jurors if they believe that one’s views may affect their ability to properly choose the punishment f or capital cases. When a judge eliminates a juror, this is called a â€Å"for cause dismissal.† A judge can eliminate an unlimited number of potential jurors under this. The jurors who are not dismissed by the judge, can be dismissed by the lawyers for no reason at all. This is a peremptory dismissal, and it is obvious how this could cause a jury to be very biased. Lawyers have a limited number of peremptory dismissals, and are not allowed to dismiss anyone solely on the basis of their gender, race, or religious beliefs. These eliminations cause juries for capital cases to not be an accurate representation of the general population. White male conservatives are more likely to be in favor of capital punishment, and are more common on capital case juries. The death qualification process eliminates about 15% of whites and 25% of blacks (â€Å"Death Qualification†). Capital case juries are also more biased to a guilty prosecution of 2 reasons. One, it selects jurors who are more conviction prone. Secondly, the death qualification process suggests jurors that the defendant is guilty because punishment is so heavily discussed before the case is heard. In summation, death qualification makes juries more conviction prone because of the people it selects and the process itself makes jurors more likely to convict a defendant. Capital cases are also subject to being heavily racially biased. Capital punishment is used disproportionately against blacks, and seems to place more value in white lives. The American Bar Association states that â€Å"race is more likely to affect death sentencing than smoking affects the likelihood of dying from heart disease.† Marc Macdougall and Karen Williams from the American University Law Review also claim that black defendants are more likely to be sentenced to capital punishment than white defendants. They state that 26 of 61 of the inmates sentenced to the death penalty by the federal courts are black and 41% of inmates sentenced to the death penalty by the states are black. Mark MacDougall Karen Williams from the American University Law Review also state that defendants whose victims were white are more likely to receive the death penalty than those whose victims were of color. Baldus data reveals that the death penalty was sought in 70% of cases with black defen dants and white victims, but was the death penalty was sought only 19% of the time in cases involving white defendants and black victims (MacDougall, Mark J., and Karen D. Williams). It is truly heartbreaking to find that race plays such a large role in who receives the death penalty. Conclusion Also, according to Iuliano, J from the American University Law Review, geographical disparities sway death sentencing significantly . Discretion plays a large part in the justice system. Despite, similar crimes should be punished in the same manner. Cases qualifying for the death penalty are subject to review by elected officials who do not undergo any procedure review. These elected officials are allowed to dull out the death penalty to qualifying cases, at their discretion. This means that if the official in one county or state supports the death penalty, the death penalty may be given out more frequently. Vice versa applies, officials in another county or state who oppose the death penalty are less likely to sentence sentence someone to the death penalty. This means that if a similar crime is committed in 2 different areas, one defendant may be sentenced to death and the other to life without parole. In summation, life without parole is a better alternative to capital punishment. Capital punishment should be abolished entirely and such a barbaric punishment has no place in the modern justice system. Life without parole is a less permanent punishment option that does not include the risks of executing an innocent person. It also provides just as much closure to victims’ families because it does not require as lengthy of a prosecution process as capital cases do. Life without parole is also a much cheaper sentencing option, and is also not subject to the biases and disparities that capital cases are. If capital punishment was abolished, punishments would be uniform and would not differ from area to area. Defendants would also not have to rely on biased juries to decide the fate of their lives. It is never right to take another person’s life, no matter the circumstances. The state should not have the power to decide who lives and dies, especially when they do it in such arbitrary ways. Society as a whole should be weary of the laws put in place, and also be educated on their rights. At first glance, capital punishment is easily justified, but when looked at closely, it is obvious of how wrong it is. Forming personal opinions on controversial topics by educating yourself is crucial.