The Sniper Dehumanization Essay

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In the articles “The Sniper” by Liam O’Flaherty, “Dehumanization” by Michelle Maise, and CYberbullying Facts by StopBullying.gov all have a common underlying link: dehumanization. In “The Sniper,” a sniper in the streets of Ireland eliminates his enemy without a second thought, “Dehumanization” discusses the science behind dehumanization, and Cyberbullying Facts is an everyday example of what dehumanization looks like. But why does dehumanization occur? It is likely that the ‘enemy’ is being dehumanized by the ‘good guy’ so that the good guy won’t feel remorse for whatever unjustifiable atrocities the good guy inflicts on his enemy. Furthermore, it is likely that the good guy feels the need attack his enemy because the enemy embodies what the good guy hates about himself. An Individual will lash out at others with the same faults as himself when the individual does not understand how to address his own faults. In “The Sniper,” the tragic story of brother …show more content…

When a ‘good guy’ dehumanizes his enemy, he will project his faults on to the enemy in order to create a more sinister and despicable image of the enemy. This image then allows for the ‘good guy’ to stomach the atrocities he inflicts upon the enemy. It is in this process of projection that the core of an individual’s faults are revealed. The good guy will project without even realizing he does. He will not realize that the enemy is merely a reflection of his innermost faults and hatred of himself. Because he wishes to deny the good in the enemy and acknowledge the enemy in himself, he will not realize that he is projecting his faults. Consequently, because the good guy cannot own up to his own faults, the enemy suffers and becomes less than human, undeserving of decent treatment, fair game for genocide, starvation, bombings of his home, simply because the good guy does not realize he is not as good as he thinks he

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