The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo Dialectical Journal

The Girl With The Lower Back Tattoo

By: Amy Schumer

“I’m pretty sure that’s why I officially became a woman that day. Not because of the dumb ancient ceremony where children are gifted bonds they can’t cash until they’re twenty-five (by which time they have lost them). No, I became a woman because I turned a solemn, quiet room into a place filled with unexpected laughter. I became a woman because I did, for the first time, what I was supposed to be doing for the rest of my life” (65).

Amy Schumer recounts her transition into womanhood through a story about her bat mitzvah. Contrary to Judaism’s belief that Jewish girls become women on their thirteenth birthday by having a bat mitzvah, Amy found that she became a woman through a specific experience, not a ceremony.

Being the dramatic girl that she was, Amy adored the spotlight. As a result, she utilized her bat mitzvah ceremony as an opportunity to showcase her stage skills and read her Torah segment for her temple debut on stage. Amy sung those Hebrew words with an immense amount of passion and zeal, even though she had no idea what she was actually saying. She recalls the two main things she was taught in Hebrew school: how to read Hebrew and how to read Hebrew. Amy’s Hebrew school teacher was a passive, slightly scary man, named Mr. Fischer. Amy learned the hard way after being sent to the principal’s office that asking for the meaning of the Torah was not allowed in Mr. Fischer’s classroom. As a grown-up, Amy feels womanly that she can ask whatever questions she would like to.

    On the day of Amy’s bat mitzvah, a rising star made her first Broadway debut at a Jewish temple. Although Amy’s performance was spectacular, her dream suddenly came crashing down when she hit the final note and her voice cracked. Then came silence. Moments passed, but then came the first laugh. Soon after, the whole audience was laughing, even Amy was hysterical. It was in that moment, with every single person in that room laughing together, that Amy became a woman. She didn’t become a woman because she completed the Torah portion of her bat mitzvah, but because she did what she would do for the rest of her life: make people laugh.

    Amy’s definition of her transition into womanhood brings readers a sense of optimism, warmth, and inspiration. She does not consider herself a woman based on society’s standards or customs, such as having a bat mitzvah, getting your first period, or your first kiss. Amy considers the transition into adulthood to be a unique experience for each individual who finally finds their purpose in life. Amy’s purpose in life is to make people laugh, and on her bat mitzvah, she made that happen.

    As a teenager, a predominant source of stress to me is making sure I keep up with my friends in the stages of growing up. I fear that if I fall behind, I will always be seen as a child when everyone else around me is growing up and accomplishing what life has to offer. Especially in high school, the process towards adulthood is very specific and taken seriously socially. I used to put in a lot of effort into completing steps towards womanhood in high school standards and I would flaunt my accomplishments in order to fit in. After reading Amy’s passage on growing up, however, I realized that accomplishing feats that my peers have does not qualify as me growing up. My transition into adulthood cannot be measured by (in Amy’s words) “cliched shit”, but in moments that define my character and force me to take charge of my life. After reading Amy’s chapter on defining womanhood, I realized that I am a woman today because I can reminisce on defining moments in my life that showed the true person I am inside and how I can change the world.

“One of the things I’ve learned as a boss myself now is to have high expectations of people, but also to keep it realistic. You can’t expect someone to work past their potential. If you’ve hired someone with the mathematical aptitude of a pet rock, and she eats all your hot dogs and doesn’t know how to make change, try to figure out how and where she shines, and let her excel in that area instead… I always think of that goldfish quote often attributed to Einstein: ‘Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.’ Let that goldfish go someplace where it can join a school- and then hire an actual climber instead” (125).       

    When Amy was fifteen years old, she worked a 5 a.m. shift before school at a little bodega by the train stop. Although she was supposed to ring up hot dogs, coffee, and newspapers, she instead ate the hot dogs herself. In addition, she did not know how to make change. As a result, her paycheck took a hit with every hot dog she consumed. Amy’s bosses at the time were two Indian men in their late forties who knew that Amy was not well equipped for the job. To make themselves feel better, they belittled Amy by trashing her, but Amy did not blame them because she knew that she was an awful employee. She was just thankful that they never fired her. As a result of this job experience as a fifteen year old, Amy learned how to evaluate a person’s potential and place individuals in situations that will allow them to thrive, rather than beat them down.

    Amy realized that although she was not the best cashier, it did not mean that she was a worthless employee with no potential. The fact that her bosses did not fire her for eating all of their hot dogs and her inability to make change, made Amy realize that people need to regard others with patience and understand that every individual has their own area of expertise. As an employer now, she makes a greater effort to be forgiving with the employees she hires because they put up with her and all of her mistakes and ineptitude, so she should reciprocate that respect towards them. When she comes to the realization that an employee does not have the capacity to fulfill their job duties, she lets them go so that they have the opportunity to go someplace else where they can thrive and succeed. 

   This quote was inspiring because I find myself being stretched, bent, and molded to fit into society’s standards if I wanted to be successful. After reading Amy’s experience failing as a cashier but growing up into a successful employer, I realized the importance of understanding one’s own potential. I have a fear of failure and rejection, but when Amy said that she let her employees go if they were unable to successfully fulfill their responsibilities, it opened my eyes that failure is necessary in order to find one’s forte. This quote also changed the way I perceive my peers. In school or work, I sometimes find it difficult to better a colleague in their job, and I used to waste time trying to teach them something beyond their aptitude when I could have assigned them to a job that they had the potential to successfully complete. In life, it is hard to get everyone on the same page. Amy taught me that everyone has their own potential to succeed in different fields so that when we are placed in the right spot, greatness can be achieved.

The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo Book Critique

Schumer, Amy. The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo. New York: Harper, 2016. Print.

    If you think your life is a joke, do not fret because Amy Schumer’s biography will make you laugh so hard that your life will seem dull in comparison. Just kidding. In her book, The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo, Amy Schumer gives you a candid, hilarious recount of the highs and lows of her life that are not only relatable to readers of all ages, but infused with humor that makes even her darkest days seem brighter. Through her adolescent years, relationships, mistakes, and comebacks, Amy bares her soul while taking her readers on a night out in town for an unforgettable adventure full of rib-aching laughs and cries. I would genuinely recommend this book to those seeking laughter in the midnight hours or those simply trying to find their way because Amy’s wit and refreshing writing can shed light onto anyone’s path.

    In this book, Amy Schumer introduces us to everyone important in her life and strangers that helped her on her journey of accepting herself. We are introduced to her loving parents, her brother and sister whom she loves most in the world, and her boyfriend, Dan. Most of the book takes place in New York City, where Amy currently lives. Each chapter in the novel covers different aspects of Amy’s life, ranging from childhood crushes, hate lists, work experiences, and embarrassing moments. Amy writes from her present point of view and looks back at all her mistakes from a more mature state of mind, and candidly acknowledges the difference between her past and present thinking.

    Amy artfully wove the theme of learning from your mistakes into her stories of joy, disappointment, and enlightenment. As the title of the biography states, Amy got a random tattoo on her lower back when she was sixteen. She does not remember why she got it or what it means, and regretted it for many years. Now, she sees her tattoo as a reminder of her past mistakes and how she has grown from them. She intertwines this constant reminder to learn from her mistakes in all of her stories, and she looks back into her past feeling optimistic of how far she has come. Amy’s honest stories of growing up taught me that every failure and setback has a positive reciprocal in my life because I can only grow with each obstacle I persevere through.

    My only critique of Amy is the fact that the messages in her stories sometimes came across too feminist. Although I applaud Amy for being confident in being a woman, I found that she would try to force feminist slogans and values when in reality, she may not have had those empowering thoughts in the actual situation, “I know my worth. I embrace my power. I say if I’m beautiful. I say if I’m strong,” (143).  I would have preferred if she was more candid about the negative feelings that all women go through, and then upon later reflection, address the situation from a more feminist viewpoint.

    I thought Amy did a magnificent job recounting her stories with such honesty and sarcasm, that I could see myself telling these same stories to my own friends with the same humor, emotion, and language that she used. Her writing style is very informal, like she is talking directly to you, a close friend, at some coffee shop, “...we still hope that someone who is killer with a guitar or puck will hold the key to eternal self-love at the tip of their tip. No? Just me?” (193). When Amy goes on tangents and releases the crazy contents of her mind, she lowers herself onto the reader’s level, and together, we delve into her mind and try to make sense of that one friend with the unbelievably absurd stories.

    I wholeheartedly would give this book a thumbs up. If I could see myself writing a biography, it would be a lot like Amy’s. Our stories would not be the same, but in order to share the truth, I would write in the sarcastic and humorous way Amy did, because sometimes saying personal, serious, intimate moments of your life to strangers is hard. I found myself in Amy Schumer, and I am glad I did because she told me that everything is going to be okay. I think this biography is best suited for women of all ages because it was written by a feminist comedian with a deep love for her body, which might gross out some men when she shares intimate details about her femininity. The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo has the power to uplift and brighten anyone’s day with its satirical humor and honesty. Everyone has regrets and makes mistakes. The only difference between us, is whether or not you view these mistakes as scars on your body or symbols of growth. (809) 

Weekly Letter

👣 💭 👓

Allison Roth

December 12, 2016

“Invictus”

By: William Ernest Henley

Out of the night that covers me, Black as the Pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul.	Beyond this place of wrath and tears Looms but the Horror of the shade, And yet the menace of the years Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.
In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed.	It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll. I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.

My dearest  _______________________,

                For us seniors, second semester is only two weeks away. Two weeks! I know, I know, the sophomores reading this are probably groaning and sinking further into their seats, envious that we can slack off in school because we will be “second semester seniors” soon. Trust me, sophomores, you will get there faster than you think. If I gave you the advice to enjoy your high school days while they lasted, I know you will all roll your eyes in feigned disbelief as to how I could possibly think you are enjoying yourself at Costa. But once again, trust me, your days at Costa will soon become the “good ol’ days” when you are older and suffering from chronic nostalgia. In all seriousness, I ask you sophomores to please try and make the most out of your high school career because honestly, despite the plethora of ups and downs I have had to overcome these past four years, I miss it already.

               For the seniors reading this, don’t worry, I am not crazy. I am obviously ecstatic to become a second semester senior; however, I am just not currently squirming at the edge of my seat ready to graduate. I sometimes feel disoriented and lost- feelings that leave me with sweaty palms and an urge to duck tape myself into my chair. If you feel this way as well, you are not alone. College applications haunt my dreams and my once relaxing showers have turned into “unearthing the unknown mysteries of life” time. I spend my nights in bed pondering what I am going to do with my life after Costa. My current plan is to follow what my parents and society have told me would be the best way to succeed (go to a four-year university, attend graduate school and later become a loyal member of the workforce), but I cannot help but wonder if at the end of this pre-paved road, would I end up happy?

This past week in Mr. Brown’s class, I have noticed that many song lessons have shared the common theme of “identity”. These lessons touched on topics regarding stress in school, success, and future goals. After these lessons, I would leave class with mercurial feelings of both optimism and total confusion. My classmates empowered me to follow my own dreams, yet I would have internal battles with ancient dogma bestowed upon me by society from birth that there is only one path to achieve success. If my dream is to be successful, then must I follow society’s path? I felt that if I did, I would no longer maintain my identity as a unique individual and I would become just another pawn in a game.

I distinctly remember a particular lesson by Danielle Gonzales on identity. She artfully directed the class through an insightful activity where we folded a piece of paper into thirds and labeled each section “society”, “parents” and “me” respectively. In each third we drew images regarding what each title defined “success” as. As I drew these images, I struggled to differentiate what images I wanted to put under “me” and what images I wanted to put under the other two categories. I knew there were supposed to be at least some distinct images in each section, but my own opinion of success had been so heavily influenced over the years by others that it was difficult for me to find what I truly defined “success” as. After completing this shrewd activity, I remember Danielle saying, “Isn’t it dumb that society’s and our parents’ ideals of success take up two-thirds of our own paper?” And that’s when it hit me. If I am to live my own life, I cannot have society’s and my parent’s viewpoints overpower my own dreams of success. My epiphany did not make me go completely rogue and totally disregard any of the opinions I knew my parents and society had for me to succeed, but it definitely changed how I was going to go about making choices in the future.

           At the start of the school year, I had to make some pretty big decisions that would affect the entirety of my college experience. I had to choose between committing to play Division I soccer at an Ivy League school and not playing soccer anywhere and just applying to schools based on my academic abilities only. You probably read that last sentence and immediately came up with the choice you would have easily taken. I bet you chose the guaranteed, safe option of committing to an Ivy League. I did too at one point. But then my choice changed. And changed again. My dream has always been to attend an Ivy League school but I kept changing my mind when I asked myself if I would be happy having to juggle a soccer career and a rigorous course load for another four years.  

I have played soccer for the past fourteen years of my life and I could not imagine my life without it; however, I felt that in order to grow and succeed in my future career, I would need to break away from my beloved sport. My friends did not understand why I would give up playing soccer in college and a definite spot at an amazing school. I was unsure of my decision as well, but I knew that playing soccer for forty hours a week would not make me happy if I valued a college experience full of study abroad and internship opportunities over playing soccer. Growing up playing competitive soccer, the soccer community raised me to believe that success was committing to play Division I soccer. I still feel that pressure right now. But what my classmates have taught me over this past semester is that I have to be courageous enough to choose the path that I want to take.

           Maintaining your own identity, whether it is following your own dreams and not someone else’s or creating your own definition of success, is critical to leading a happy life. Although the pursuit of happiness may be a difficult journey, it is one worth taking.

Thank you for taking the time to piece together my detached thoughts on the world and trying your best to empathize with me. I invite you all to try Danielle’s activity because who knows, you may find your definition of success in the five minutes you spend doodling on a piece of paper.

Smile! You’ve finished reading,

Allison Roth

Instructions: Write a letter to your parents explaining what your dreams in life are. Don’t worry, you are not required to give them your letter; however, please write at least one paragraph describing what you see yourself doing in the next year, five years, or ten years. Do you want to go to college, continue playing your sport, try a new hobby? What is your dream job or what college would you like to attend? In a second paragraph, address any differences between your personal aspirations and those that your parents or society would like you to have. Be your biggest advocate and fight for your dreams in this paragraph. When you are finished and feel brave enough, please give your letter to your parents or read it to them. If you are not yet ready to share with them, post this letter in your room as a reminder to follow your dreams!

Allison Roth 

October 26, 2016 

Period 4 

Wallace, Danny. Yes Man. New York: Simon Spotlight Entertainment, 2005. Print. 

 

Keeping a Closed Mind is a Disease 

"But there were also people who knew... pain. 

The pain of missing something; the pain of not knowing what could have happened; the pain of discovering that sometimes, opportunity really will only knock once; the pain of knowing where a No had brought them and realising too late when a Yes in its place could have led them. 

The pain not necessarily of having said no, but of not having grabbed a Yes" (360). 

At the end of his novel, Danny Wallace reflects on his year-long journey of only replying "yes". He realizes that the life he led before his expedition was one of pain. He recalls the feeling regret when he later realizes that he should have said yes to a said offer. After gaining a more positive outlook on life, Danny realizes that many people feel this same pain and should say yes more in order to take the few opportunities offered in life. It is only at the end of his journey, that Danny is able to feel empathy towards those, like his old self, who regret always turning down opportunities.

This passage reflects the overall theme of the novel that life is full of limited opportunity. Many men and women in the world feel a sense of regret every time an opportunity passes by and he or she doesn't catch it. Danny learns that during these times, it is important to say yes and embark on the new journey rather than shy away. He notes that the pain does not arise from rejecting the opportunity and being negative, but from not seizing an opportunity. In the beginning of the novel, Danny was full of pain and sorrow from the "what-ifs" in his life, but after going a year of saying yes to every opportunity, he learns that the pain he felt was for not being audacious enough to go outside his comfort zone and try something new.  

"I realised now all too clearly that you can't live life as a total optimist... At some point you have to grow up, move on... Responsibility comes to us all. Life can't just be about fun. We have to sacrifice our freedom sometimes, so that we can progress" (243).  

At this point in the novel, Danny receives a promotion to "Head of Department".  Even though he is escatic and initially blames it on his "yes" phase, he realizes that it is the total opposite. Danny sees this promotion as a way of telling him to focus on life and not live like a child- carefree and reckless. He sees his promotion as an anchor to tie him down and live life like an adult. He now believes that saying no gives power and a grip on one's life while yes opens doors that have no end to the mercurial outcomes. 

Danny's new job as Head of Department causes him to rethink his yes expedition. He realizes that saying yes, a freedom we all share, does not always bring luck or opportunity. He now understands that not saying yes may give up our freedom but it allows us to move forward and onto more stable things. Danny also notes that when saying yes to something he didn't want to say yes to, that he was actually saying no to himself. Saying yes gave him freedom, but with that freedom came room to be taken advantage of or obligation to do something he didn't want to do. His new job with moe responsibilities was a reminder that Danny cannot live efficiently by saying yes to everything, and must say no sometimes in order to move on in life.

“An Honest Confession by an American Coward"

"I had come to a conclusion about my country that I knew then in my bones but lacked the courage to act on: America is good enough to die for even when she is wrong" (My Losing Season by Pat Conroy).

The moment I read this quote, I felt an unusual feeling towards America. As a liberal and open-minded kid with no true experience with war, it is easy for me to look down on America for all the wrongs and injustice within her. However, after reading this quote, I no longer put that blame on America. Instead, I saw a soldier fighting for her people, even though she is bleeding and full of scars. I am patriotic towards my country; however, I do not realize how lucky I am to be an American citizen compared to living in another country. I see my rights as fundamental and irrefutable, but in many nations, man's most basic rights are not taken into consideration or given freely. I chose this passage because it moved me, as an American, to be grateful for my country and not see her scars as evil and violent, but marks of perseverance and change.

Earlier this week I wrote that, although I will patriotically stand during the Pledge of Allegiance or National Anthem, I do not object to other citizens sitting. I felt this way because I thought that some citizen's rights were not being protected by our country and that they could justly not show America respect if she didn't respect them. After reading this passage, I no longer so vehemently agree to my past sentiments. I believe that despite rough parts in history, America has given her citizens a life more free than one could receive elsewhere. In addition, it is the freedom that America grants her citizens that allows people to object to standing during the Pledge of Allegiance. I now believe that America rightly deserves respect, even when a citizen is not happy with the American government,  because at least life's most fundamental rights are protected by the thousands of men and women who risked their lives for yours.

Nature’s Innocent and Nurtured Killers

A seed needs tender care in order to bloom into a flower. One must give the seed water, sunlight, and air so that it has the necessary nutrients to grow. Like a seed requiring nurture, a child must be cared for in order to grow into a healthy adult. When a child grows up in an environment that does not properly nurture the adolescent for healthy growth, a good-natured child becomes susceptible to sin and evil. In Montana 1948 by Larry Watson, a man named David reminisces about a time in his childhood where his idol, Uncle Frank, turns into a murderer and rapist. Throughout the telling of the events that change David’s family and his own outlook on life, David sees the true identity of his uncle and unravels the truth about his town and how it shaped his uncle into a criminal. In the movie Platoon, directed by Oliver Stone, Chris Taylor, a young adult born into a privileged family, enlists in the Vietnam War. Through the blood covered jungles of Vietnam, Chris witnesses the brutal war of good and evil between his superiors, Sergeant Barnes and Sergeant Elias. In order to survive, Chris fights against the enemy and his own morality, in the end shooting his traditional values and becoming a killer. Both Larry Watson’s Montana 1948 and Oliver Stone’s Platoon show that environments can transform good humans to evil through Frank devolving into a criminal and Chris devolving into a killer.

In Montana 1948, Frank Hayden is idolized by all of Mercer County. However, underneath Frank’s past achievements and handsome facade, is a troubled man who uses his likeability to take advantage of Indian women.

In the beginning of the novel, David remembers Frank as the golden child of the Hayden family and idolized him, “He was handsome… as tall and well built as my father, but with an athletic grace that my father lacked. He had been a star athlete in high school and college, and he was a genuine war hero, complete with decorations and commendations” (36). As a young man, Frank worked hard in athletics to please his community. During the war, Frank left the hospital and courageously assisted casualties on the battlefield. Under heavy fire from the enemy side, Frank bravely carried three wounded soldiers to safety. 

Despite these achievements, Frank was always regarded as superior because of his family name, “I was a Hayden. I knew, from the time I was very young and without having been told, that that meant something in Bentrock. Because my grandfather was wealthy and powerful… we were as close as Mercer County came to aristocracy… it gave me a measure of respect that I didn’t have to earn” (126). Due to the Hayden name, Frank was always regarded highly in his community. Even though he worked hard and was a good man, he did not need to be a war hero to receive the same respect that he would have being a Hayden. Over time, Uncle Frank understood that whatever he does, his town would support him whether or not he acted properly.

Next to Mercer County was an Indian Reservation. In the predominately white town of Bentrock, Indians were regarded as inferior to the white members of the community. Uncle Frank offered his services as a doctor to the reservation’s BIA school giving Indian girls athletic physicals. When he gives these girls physicals, he rapes them and forces them into indecent positions. When David’s caretaker, Marie Little Soldier, tells David’s mother about Frank’s actions, Frank kills Marie Little Soldier. When Frank confesses his misdeeds to Wes, Wes is appalled, “I tell you, if you could hear him talk. As if he had no more concern for what he did than if… if he had kicked a dog. No. He’d show more remorse over a dog” (150). Frank regards Indians with such contempt, that he no longer treats them humanely. He believes that he is so superior to them, that he can do whatever he wants to an Indian woman and not get in trouble for his actions. Due to Frank’s high status in Bentrock, he does not fear retaliation from his community. Not only does he find his race superior to that of an Indian’s, but he believes he is more superior than the authority of his town.

As an adult, Frank has drastically changed from a selfless, honorable man to a brutal rapist and murderer because of the out-of-proportion respect and leniency given to him by his community. Frank grew up in an environment where he did not need to do praise-worthy deeds in order to be praised. With his aristocratic status in his town,  Frank became overcome with superiority issues and, once presented with the opportunity to take advantage of his high status, abused Indian girls. In Montana 1948, Frank was a successful young man who became a criminal due to his environment’s blind and excessive praise towards him that allowed him to believe he was superior to Indian women and authority.
 
In Platoon, Chris Taylor is an 18 year old boy from a wealthy family who enlists in the Vietnam War. Throughout the movie, Chris struggles to keep his moral values while adapting to the jungle filled with snakes and bloodshed. Chris relies on his two sergeants to survive the war. Through Sergeant Elias, Chris learns that life’s basic morals are greater than the brutality of war. In contrast, through Sergeant Barnes, Chris learns that life is a war, and in war, morals and good cannot exist.

During the movie, Chris’s platoon raids a Vietnamese village. During the raid, a few of his comrades rape young Vietnamese village girls. When Chris sees this occurring, he begins yelling at his comrades to stop their brutality and let the girls go. He screams at one of his team members, "Do you have any humanity?" At this point, in the early onset of the war, Chris still held onto his sense of right and wrong, even when the war allowed room for wrong to roam free. After this incident, Sergeant Elias nods at Chris and gives him encouragement that humanity and morality still hold true even in war. In the beginning, Chris still maintained his virtues even though he was not required to and was surrounded by comrades who did not uphold these same virtues. 

Deeper into the war, Chris and his platoon get ambushed by the enemy line. Sergeant Elias is tasked with taking his team deep in the jungle to kill Vietnamese soldiers running towards the American camp. Although Chris wanted to go with Elias deeper into enemy territory, he was told to stay with his comrades 100 meters in. When the task was over, Chris notifies Sergeant Barnes that Elias is still out in the jungle. Barnes goes to look for Elias, and when he comes back, he tells Chris that Elias died from enemy fire; however, Chris sees in Barnes’s eyes that Barnes murdered Elias. At that moment, the person who represented moral light within the dark of the war was now dead by the man who taught Chris that war was no place for the good. This showed Chris that, in fact, good cannot last in a war.

During one of the last scenes in the film, the American camp becomes surrounded by the enemy and undergoes heavy artillery fire from American planes. At the end of all the explosions and destruction, Chris finds Barnes barely alive and asking Chris for help. Instead of helping his Sergeant, Chris shoots Barnes in the chest numerous times. Although in the beginning Chris believed that he was doing moral justice by killing the man who took away the good still preserved in Chris’s platoon, he realized after that he was now a killer and that Barnes was right- in war, there is no good.

In the beginning of the war, Chris had no intention of killing other humans. He could not even withstand the lack of humanity his comrades showed by raping Vietnamese girls. Through the unexplainable difficulties of war, Chris transformed into a killer from a boy with moral upbringing and values.

Humans are capable of transforming from good to evil with the influence of one’s environment, as seen in Montana 1948, with Frank devolving into a criminal, and in Platoon, with Chris devolving into a killer. In Montana 1948, Frank went from a courageous war hero to a rapist with no regard for humanity. As a young man, Frank was revered for his last name and his athletic abilities. The elevated status that his town gave him altered Frank’s view of his role within society. Frank began to think he was superior to the residents of his town and knew that if he took a wrong step, he would not be held accountable. Due to his environment’s praise and his spoiled upbringing, Frank became a ruthless criminal and abused Indian women. In Platoon, Chris entered the war carrying his morality in his backpack. Throughout his service, Chris is surrounded by men who have completely disregarded all values of morality under the influence of Sergeant Barnes. Chris attempts to uphold a sense of good within his platoon with the help of Sergeant Elias. When Elias dies at the hands of Barnes, Chris’s foundation of morality breaks down and he is consumed in the bloodshed and horror of war. At the end of the movie, Chris transforms from a savior like Elias, to a killer like Barnes due to the darkness of war that did not allow any light of Chris’s morality to shine through the depths of the jungle.