An Account of Hardman's Argument: Kinkade's Perspective on Violence - Essay Example

English Account of Hardman’s argument: Kinkade’s perspective on Violence Hardman argues that language is one of the key reasons that we have wars in the world today. In the argument, the author argues that the use of words that justify the existence of war. In her argument, she presents that the use of certain metaphors have been widely used in the contemporary day language justifying the happening of war, and even advocating for war one way or another. Regardless, in her argument, she adopts a biased approach where she presents all her arguments from a pacifist’s perspective, showing how, regardless of whatever that might have contributed to the need to fight, that violence is never justifiable. Kinkade’s perspective however is different. The poet presents an argument showing or relaying the messages of violence, justifying violence and showing the beauty of violence in all her poems. This brings in a contrary perspective to that presented by Hardman, in that Kinkade argues that it is okay to be violent, showing in a number of her poems the beauty of violence, the justification of violence and the perspective in which a violator views violence. Most of her poems are written from a perspective of an individual who has been terribly hurt or who has serious emotional issues within her, showing why most people advocate for violence in a majority of the countries where war still exists to date. An analysis of one of the poems presented by Kinkade shows her belief about the issue of war and what ways people who advocate for war reason. Kinkade attempts to justify the various reasons as to why people become violent. The poem titled, "A trail of Blood and Silver Dollars” shows why people become violent, with the main subject or representation of violence being Durand. Durand has been portrayed as a person who is misunderstood by the rest of the world. Kinkade explains Durand’s personality in a metaphor, describing him as a woodland creature walking in this barefoot world. A woodland creature is a creature whose sexuality is not understood, compared to a mythical elf. Viewing Durand as a woodland creature in this barefoot world is a metaphor that tries to justify violence through the illustration that people with violent thoughts are different from anyone else and also need to be understood. In the poem, Kinkade’s argument revolves around people with emotional issues that drive them to find solace in violence. The aspect of emotion has been magnified where the character, Durand, kills himself. This poem justifies not only violence but robbery and suicide. In the poem, the poet shows that Durand’s entire team had a role to play in the robbery from Chuck Lewis to Johnnie Gawthrop – which shows that murder is justifiable since teamwork is a virtue. The title itself depicts robbery as a thrilling, interesting and justifiable means, provided the end means is achieved, which in this case was the trail of silver dollars. It is possible to understand Kinkade’s perspective, since she provides the logic behind violence, showing that people in this category of emotional perception, view violence as a way to overcome or avenge for all the pain they feel, by inflicting this pain on others. Kinkade’s also presents an argument that logic can be used to determine the nature of violence among people, from their upbringing. For instance, in the poem Durand started engaging in violence as early as 12 years, when he was hunting for sparrows and injured his heart. This part of the poem can be analyzed from two perspectives, where the literal meaning can be taken that he literally shot himself when he was twelve, or the statement can also be assumed as a violent metaphor which shows that his emotional problems started when he was as young as 12 years old – his heart or emotions were destroyed then, which explain his currently violent behavior. Additionally, Kinkade shows that suicide has glory, where she shows that by Durand killing himself, he would be viewed as a hero – a legend. In another poem, Christmas Eve & Death, Kinkade shows that at times vengeance could drive people into murder. In the poem, the poet analyzes a situation where two children die in a trailer fire. She shows what perspectives the parents of the children might feel about the death of their son and their daughter, and the perspective in which they would feel if their children had died. The poem is also metaphorical showing that even in the happiest times, some people also undergo too much pain and if this is the case, then violence can be justified for such people. People who are opposed to violence do not carry any emotional scars, but owing to the fact that not all people are happy all the time, and when most people are happy a significant other is in pain, the violence is just a way of the people in pain to fit in the world. Christmas Eve & Death shows how innocent people still die in this world, and that it is impossible for any given individual to view the death of an innocent person as an aspect of fate and a situation that does not call for vengeance. Arguably, another main perspective that is exhibited in the poem is the peace people find in death. Kinkade shows that even in death, through the use of Santa as an angel, and the souls of the dead children rise to his open arms, where they are welcomed into a world of peace, unscathed by "the disguise of death." With such a perspective any violent person would not view killing another individual as a bad thing, since they are sending these people to a place of peace, hence justifying war and violence using the poet’s language. This is one of the clear examples of how Hardman shows the use of metaphors that advocate for violence, and in this case, death or murder. Kinkade’s justification or violence mostly lies in vengeance. For instance, in Wounded, the poet shows how people undergo pain due to the mistakes made by others. In the poem, the subjects grandfather, had killed their grandmother. Justice was not served and the death of the grandmother led the children into suffering. After murdering the grandmother, the grandfather was not sent to prison but rather was left to raise the children, the same children who felt the anger of their father’s actions. The children were raised in a terrible environment and eventually they had to work three jobs just to make ends meet. Such pain ferried by these children drives them to have little if any pity for their grandfather. In Wounded, the metaphor – wounded – does not represent physical pain, but rather emotional wounding where the subjects feel that the pain they felt in the world was solely caused by their father, and the killer, the child who decides to avenge the suffering the parents underwent from their grandfather needs to be avenged. Her justification for death lies on the fact that the killer does not show any remorse. "There’s restraint in his eyes, and I want to believe. Pity, I have not seen him again." (Kinkade "Wounded"). The fact that all the children and their mother are forced to work three jobs, the aftermath of one man’s actions felt by two generations, is a painful fact that justifies the murder of the killer. The most graphic of Kinkade’s poems is Skinning. In the poem the poet shows a variety of reasons why people engage in violent activities. In this poem, the violence in the language used depicts a misguided person who ultimately finds beauty in blood and killing. The poem shows that it is very easy to slice a throat and feel the blood rush through one’s hands. The metaphorical aspect of this poem shows how a serial killer or a murderer feels about killing another person. In the perspective presented by Kinkade, for some people, murder is beautiful. The graphic aspect of this poem, advocates for violence. The language used not only shows how violence might be beautiful to the violator but also paints a clear picture of how a violator feels about killing people. What might appear to other people as inhuman is beautiful to a person whose personality is tailored in this manner. Violence as portrayed by both authors has a variety of perspectives. From Hardman’s analogy violence cannot be justified in any given instance. From Kinkade’s perspective, violence is justifiable from various perspectives, if one only was open minded to view violence in the perspective of the violator. The language used by Kinkade not only advocates for violence but also justifies. Humanism is relative, since as Kinkade presents, murder for some people is not only good, but rather a peaceful release of the pressures of life. Kinkade’s analogy ranges from homicide to suicide justifying it through the use of history or the violator’s past, his or her intentions and the upbringing as well. Works Cited Hardman, M.J. & Taylor, Anita. War, Language and Gender, What New Can be Said? Framing the Issues. Women and Language, Vol. 27, No. 2. (2000): 3 – 21. Print. Kinkade, Martha. A trail of Blood & Silver Dollars – for LT. Ed. Kinkade, Martha. Winter’s Light. Indiana: Montezuma Pub., 2011. Print Kinkade, Martha. Christmas Eve & Death. Ed. Kinkade, Martha. Winter’s Light. Indiana: Montezuma Pub., 2011. Print Kinkade, Martha. Wounded. Ed. Kinkade, Martha. Winter’s Light. Indiana: Montezuma Pub., 2011. Print. Kinkade, Martha. Skinning. Ed. Kinkade, Martha. Winter’s Light. Indiana: Montezuma Pub., 2011. Print. Read More