Re: Vonneguttian Victims -- Mimetic Theory and Literary Study

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Date Posted: 19:28:41 04/06/08 Sun
Author: Caitlin
Subject: Re: Vonneguttian Victims
In reply to: CS Holden 's message, "Vonneguttian Victims" on 16:20:26 04/05/08 Sat

I'm interested in what you had to say about guilt. I think it's a tricky subject. I think that what commonly happens, especially in a case like Dresden's is that he feels guilt at the small things (i.e. having been associated with the Nazi's at all) and there might be a feeling of having to make up for that mistake, so he suffers the guilt of even larger things to which society has scapegoated him for. Now, I have not read this story either, but if what I get from your post is enough, the idea is that guilt tends to perpetuate itself.

I also think that Dresden's case and also Deadeye Dick's might have something to do with constantly hearing that he is guilty. Each has to deal with being the scapegoat of a community that needs to place blame somewhere in order to come to a conclusion. I know that psychologically, this kind of constant abuse will cause the victim to actually believe that they are in the wrong. If everyone else is so steadfast in blaming him, and he is the only one that doesn't believe, there must be something wrong with him. He must be wrong. The majority is always right. It's an interesting view of the victim mechanism and it's effects.

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