Question

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Workshop Notes for Essay #1 – Legitimate Violence

Definitions of violence (remember, you do not have to find acts of violence for each definition):

Legitimate violence is violence done in self-defense or defense of others.

Illegitimate violence is violence done out of a desire for revenge.

Valourous violence is violence done with an expectation of self-sacrifice.

Mercy-killing is violence done to hasten death and shorten pain and suffering.

Proving the definitions will be your primary argument. Your secondary argument will be to answer

the question: what is the effect of using this violence on the character? Does the character

become degenerated (become too “other” to return back to civilization as a member of the

establishment) or regenerated (reconnect to the values/morals of civilization)?

Quick Reminders for Doing Analysis in Secondary Argument:

1. Phallic symbols and technology connect a character to the power of civilization or the

establishment. Using phallic symbols usually connects a character to the power of the

establishment or civilization. However, using primitive phallic symbols or low tech phallic

symbols shows the character has a weak connection to civilization or the establishment.

Using high tech phallic symbols or high tech symbols shows the character has a strong

connection to civilization or the establishment.

2. Yonic symbols usually connect a character to the power of the “other” or the wilderness.

Thus, a character who uses yonic symbols becomes more “other.”

3. Characters can become degenerated through violence even if they are using legitimate

violence. A character who kills sadistically or who kills by attacking the face or the eyes

(windows to the soul) or dismembers the monster’s body is dehumanizing the monster and

that sadism or dehumanization can show the degeneration of the character.

You could say something like the following: “Although Sarah uses legitimate violence when

she kills the child monster, there is a sadistic/problematic aspect to her violence because she

connects to passion and becomes too “other” in her kill. Thus, Sarah degenerates despite

using legitimate violence and will have trouble returning to civilization because of her

degeneration.”

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Introduction – Follow the below template as precisely as possible. Do not worry if it seems like you

are copying the same words or phrasing. The most important thing is to learn the analytical format

you will have to follow when writing an essay by following the model phrasing given. Your ideas and

analysis in the body paragraphs will be where you can be more insightful.

I am using Marshall’s The Descent and the character of Sarah. You could also use Juno from The

Descent. You could also use Goddard’s Cabin in the Woods and either Marty of Dana for your own

essay. The bolded sentences below are the model you will follow in your own introduction.

Sample Introduction:

In Marshall’s The Descent, Sarah demonstrates legitimate and illegitimate violence in her

attempt to survive in the cave. [Remember, the 1st sentence gives the director’s name/title of movie

and makes a general connection to essay question OR gives first part of thesis].[Now, state the

definitions of violence you will analyze for the character. Use the definition phrasing given above.]

Legitimate violence is violence done for self-defense and defense of others. Illegitimate violence is

violence done out of a desire for revenge. [The definitions become the first part of your thesis and

then you will do the thesis breakdown – the three actions you will analyze and what you will prove

with each example.] First, Sarah demonstrates/shows/uses/illustrates (pick 1 of these verbs)

legitimate violence when she stomps three times on the child monster’s face. Then, Sarah

demonstrates legitimate violence when she gouges/pokes out the monster’s eyes with her

thumbs. Finally, Sarah demonstrates illegitimate violence when she stabs Juno in the leg with an

axe. Ultimately, Sarah becomes too degenerated to return back to civilization as a member of the

establishment and remains in the wilderness. [The last sentence is the general conclusion or

secondary argument. It will be different for different characters].

Examples of possible secondary arguments to give in the last sentence of the introduction:

Ultimately, Juno becomes reconnected to morality which causes her to sacrifice herself instead of

returning to civilization OR Ultimately, Dana becomes connected to both morality and passion which

makes her unable to return back to a civilization which she sees as corrupt OR Ultimately, Marty

becomes too degenerated by passion to return back to civilization so he dies in the wilderness.

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Body Paragraph – You will write 3 body paragraphs for your actual essay– 1 paragraph for each

sentence from thesis breakdown above in sample introduction.

Sample Body Paragraph:

First, Sarah demonstrates legitimate violence when she stomps three times on the child

monster’s face. [Now, you must prove the definition of violence given in introduction]. The child

monster attacks Sarah from behind and tries to rip out her throat to kill her. Sarah throws the

child monster onto the ground and stomps three times on the child monster’s face. [These two

sentences are plot summary so now you need to bring in plot analysis]. Since the child monster tries

to kill her, Sarah acts in self-defense when she kills the child monster to save her own life. [This

sentence of analysis connects back to the phrasing of the definition of legitimate violence]. Thus,

Sarah demonstrates legitimate violence when she kills the child monster. [This sentence connects

back to proving your topic sentence/thesis. If you are NOT writing a secondary argument, you would

end your paragraph here. However, if you are writing a secondary argument, you bring it up now].

However, there is a problematic (sadistic) aspect to Sarah’s use of legitimate violence. Sarah uses

her foot, a primitive weapon (a primitive phallic symbol) which shows Sarah has a weaker

connection to civilization when she kills. Also, Sarah’s attack on the child monster’s face also

shows her attempt to dehumanize the monster she kills. [You could bring up number symbolism or

phallic symbolism if you understand how to use it here]. Thus, despite using legitimate violence,

Sarah starts her process of degeneration with her problematic killing. [The last sentence connects

back to your secondary argument given in the last sentence of your introduction].

For the next two body paragraphs on Sarah, the last sentence of my body paragraph would change

slightly as she continues to degenerate. E.g. for 2nd body paragraph’s ending: “Thus, Sarah moves

deeper into her degeneration OR Thus, Sarah becomes more “other” when she gouges out the

monster’s eyes with her thumbs.” E.g. for 3rd body paragraph’s ending: “Thus, Sarah becomes too

degenerated to return back to civilization and remains in the wilderness."

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Conclusion: You may not have time to write a sample conclusion for your workshop but you will

need to write a conclusion for your essay.

Sample Conclusion:

In conclusion, Sarah uses legitimate and illegitimate violence in her attempt to survive the

monsters in the cave. [1st sentence just sums up what you have done in essay]. Sarah uses

legitimate violence when she kills the child monster and gouges out the male monster’s eyes with

her thumbs at the cave’s exit. Then, Sarah uses illegitimate violence when she stabs Juno in the leg

with an axe out of revenge. [These two sentences sum up the main actions analysed and what you

proved with them. Because you proved two different types of violence, the actions that prove each

type were summarized in separate sentences. If you had only proven 1 definition of violence, then

all 3 examples would have been summarized in one sentence]. Ultimately, Sarah becomes too

degenerated by her problematic acts of violence and ends up remaining trapped in the wilderness

and unable to return back to civilization. [This last sentence just sums up your secondary

argument]. [I didn’t give a forward-looking statement because they are not necessary to do for your

conclusion. However, an example of a forward-looking statement might be as follows: Since Sarah

degenerates because of her problematic use of violence, it might be interesting to examine other

female characters in horror who kill problematically and see if they also become too degenerated

to return back to civilization.].