Friday 7 March 2008

Stealing

Explain Wright's moral dilemma concerning stealing. Is he justified in what he does?
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He has never considered stealing before because he didn't think that stealing was an effective way to get anything. He views stealing as behaviour that makes blacks seem less equal to whites, because it's something whites can despise about blacks and so he also doesn't want to act as if he is inferior. However, after the incident at the eye people, he decides he has to leave the South or else he knows he'll slip up and get killed. However, he needs money. He isn't making enough money on his own. After his moral barriers break down a little after he smuggles liquor like everyone else, he finally does decide to take part in doing some illegal selling of tickets to get enough money to leave. I think he is justified in what he does. Getting killed and/or remaining miserable helps nobody, least of all him. Compunctions against stealing are all well and good when one isn't struggling for one's very existence. I think it's commendable that Wright held out as long as he did. I don't know that I would have. And since the white people were apparently practically encouraging blacks to steal, it might be what they deserve.

1 comment:

Mei-Mei said...

I would have done the same thing as Wright, but I'm not sure it's 100% justified. Yes, he was desperate to get out of the South and he did hold out for a long but, but he probably could have earned that money in a legal way even though it would have taken longer. He was struggling, but it wasn't a true life or death situation in my opinion. I agree with you somewhat that maybe whites got what they deserved, but I don't think it's all that acceptable to steal to get them back.