Man's Inhumanity to Man
Throughout history, the inhumane acts committed by men towards each other have shaped
society and defined periods of time. Man's inhumanity to man, that is definition, has played a
large role in the lives of billions of people who have inhabited the Earth over time. Events such as
gladiator fights, crucifixions, medieval torture sessions, lynchings, wars, genocides, and mass
murders have left such a mark on humanity that they will never be forgotten. This is partly due to
the works of literature and media that have chronicled these atrocious events, and is also due to
the fictional works that have been based on actual events or even those that simply capture the
essence of what drives men to act so cruel towards each other. Man's capability to be so devoid
of humanity towards each other is obvious in (Bible chap-verse) Biblical account of Jesus'
crucifixion, a photo from the Vietnamese War, the short story "The Hole That Will Not Stay
Filled," by Kathryn Wyndham, the novel Misery, by Stephen King, and the movie Schindler's
List, directed by Steven Spielberg. The mastermind of inhumane acts, especially their state of
mind, can be portrayed in a variety of ways, which may or may not affect the degree of
inhumanity involved. The majority of masterminds hare portrayed as sane and rational, but this
does not mean that the acts committed are more or less humane because of their state of mind. In
the story of Jesus' crucifixion, soldiers followed order but enjoyed what they were doing,
indicating sanity. In the Vietnam War photo, soldiers were again carrying out orders to bomb
innocent children, orders that were given by a rational and sane commander. Sane members of a
community lynch one of their own in "The Hole That Will Not Stay Filled," while an insane
woman tortures a crippled man in a variety of cruel w...