In Alden Bell’s "The Reapers are the Angels" ethical behaviour is largely influenced by the most basic instinct: survival. The protagonist Temple lives in a world of zombies and these conditions coerce her to kill “meatskins” and grieve the loss of loved ones. The basic conception of ethics “What shall I do?” (cf. Schwerdtfeger, 2005, 14) is turned into the question: “Why did I have to do that?” and most importantly “Am I evil?”. Temple is determined to answer this question with “Yes!”. However, she is not depicted as such a person.
This paper’s aim is to discuss her evilness and to conclude that she is in fact not evil at all. For that reason two basic questions follow: Why does she think so? and how is she characterised? In order to answer these questions first an ethical theory is needed which shows that Temple is living an ethical life. Seneca, a Roman philosopher, provides this theory.
Furthermore, the term evil has to be explained and defined as far as it is possible. Lastly, I will discuss Temple’s killing scenes in The Reapers are the Angels and the two fellow, major characters Moses and Maury in terms of the before assembled theories in order to evaluate her evilness and to answer the above uttered questions.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Ethics and Evil
2.1 Seneca
2.1.1 Stoicism
2.1.2 How to master fate
2.1.3 Human nature
2.1.4 Ethical behaviour and value
2.2 Evil
2.2.1 ‘Böse’ and ‘Übel’
2.2.2 Pleasure and Pain
3. The Reapers are the Angels
3.1 An evil post-apocalyptic world?
3.2 Temple
3.3 Moses and Maury
4. Conclusion – The ehtical and non-evil Temple
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper investigates the protagonist Temple’s perception of her own evilness within the post-apocalyptic setting of Alden Bell’s novel "The Reapers are the Angels," ultimately arguing that she acts in an ethical manner. By applying the philosophical framework of Seneca and concepts of moral psychology, the study evaluates Temple’s actions and character development against her own feelings of guilt.
- The intersection of philosophy, literature, and ethical behavior in survival-driven narratives.
- Application of Senecan Stoicism and the concept of "logos" to modern fictional contexts.
- Distinctions between moral evil ("Böse") and natural occurrences ("Übel").
- The role of survival instinct versus selfless, ethical decision-making.
- Symbolic character archetypes, such as the "dummy" Maury and the antagonist Moses, as external reflections of Temple's inner conflict.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 An evil post-apocalyptic world?
Temple describes the world as a ruined globe (Bell, 2011, 3), where all the colour was soaked up with a sponge (ibid. 16) but where also beauty can be found in nature (such as the phenomenon of Niagara Falls (ibid. 63)). Earth is not only populated by humans but by meatskins (zombies), as well. They are characterised by their instinctual desire such as hunger, thirst, lust and vestigial drives (ibid. 15) but seem also to be stupid (ibid. 44) and slow (ibid. 69). Temple is certain that these creatures are not evil rather in the sense of “übel” (ibid. 103). They are often treated as animals (ibid. 29, 63) but nonetheless some human beings fear them which Temple wonders about “how people could have let such a race of silly creatures push them into the corners and the closets of the world” (ibid. 256). However, this question is never answered in the novel.
She was born into that world and does not know anything else whereas many of the people living in the communities have experienced the world without zombies. Therefore, they await the day when all this is over (ibid. 121) and always suggest Temple to stay and be “safe”. Although the communities often live in fear of what is out there, which according to Seneca is not ethical, they are strongly bound together and caring for their fellow race (ibid. 213), which on the contrary is ethical.
So it seems like that this world is indeed not an evil place at least not as far as the zombies are concerned. Temple finds her own definition of evil: “Evil’s a thing of the mind. We humans got the full measure of it ourselves” (ibid. 103). This fits my argumentation in chapter 2 that evil is conducted only consciously and anything else can be called “übel”.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter outlines the paper's aim to evaluate Temple's perceived evilness by utilizing Senecan ethical theory to demonstrate that she actually lives an ethical life.
2. Ethics and Evil: This section provides the theoretical framework, detailing Senecan Stoicism, the distinction between moral evil and natural misfortune, and a model for understanding the psychology of evil.
3. The Reapers are the Angels: This chapter applies the previously established theories to the novel, analyzing the post-apocalyptic world, Temple's specific actions, and the symbolic roles of the characters Moses and Maury.
4. Conclusion – The ehtical and non-evil Temple: The final chapter summarizes that while Temple reflects deeply, her persistent, misplaced guilt prevents her from recognizing her own inherent goodness and virtuous character.
Keywords
Alden Bell, The Reapers are the Angels, Seneca, Stoicism, Ethics, Evil, Morality, Survival, Temple, Maury, Moses, Meatskins, Philosophy, Guilt, Virtue
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this research paper primarily about?
The paper explores the ethical behavior of the protagonist Temple in the novel "The Reapers are the Angels" and addresses her internal struggle regarding whether she is an evil person.
What are the central themes discussed in this work?
The central themes include the intersection of literature and ethics, the definition of evil versus natural misfortune, survival instincts, and the power of human perception and guilt.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to determine if Temple is truly evil by evaluating her actions through the lens of Senecan philosophy and arguing that her behavior is, in fact, ethical.
Which scientific methods or theories are employed?
The author uses a literary analysis approach, grounding her arguments in Senecan Stoic philosophy (such as the doctrine of logos) and psychological distinctions of evil provided by theorists like Paul Häberlin and Colin McGinn.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The main body covers the philosophical background of Seneca, the distinction between "Böse" (moral evil) and "Übel" (natural evil), and an analytical examination of Temple's specific actions and her relationships with characters like Moses and Maury.
What are the characterizing keywords of this work?
The work is characterized by terms such as Alden Bell, Stoicism, Ethics, Evil, Survival, Virtue, and the protagonist Temple.
How does the author define the distinction between "Böse" and "Übel"?
"Übel" refers to natural, non-human evil or misfortune, whereas "Böse" refers to consciously intended acts of harm committed by humans.
Why does Temple believe she is evil?
Temple believes she is evil primarily due to the deep-seated guilt she carries over the tragic death of a young boy named Malcolm, which she feels she could have prevented.
What is the significance of the characters Moses and Maury?
Moses and Maury serve as contrasting symbolic archetypes for Temple: Maury represents her repressed goodness and inner child, while Moses reflects her self-perceived violence and desire for punishment.
- Citar trabajo
- Eva Heuft (Autor), 2014, Alden Bell's "The Reapers are the Angels". Temple’s evilness and ethical behaviour, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/337469
