Analysis of Psychological Background in Rodgers Case, the character of Sykes from Sweat by Zora Neale Hurston - Research Paper Example

Taking out teens' frustration on others is their way of communication. To blame a person as solely responsible for a hate-act is the norm, ‘he/she could have coped with it better’. Looking into the reasons behind violent incidents is as much important as apprehending the perpetrator. Sometimes there are instances when mental disorder drives patients to commit murders, Elliot Roger was one such patient. Rodger’s case is one event that has shocked the whole world because he was the son of a famous director.

He could be going to celebrity parties and hanging out with girls but he was uploading hate speeches on YouTube expressing his rage and anger against girls who had allegedly dumped him (Hamad, 2014). His parents had already arranged a personal therapist for Roger. Feeling jealousy, rejection and/or depression is almost a normal thing in every teenager’s life. ‘Geeks’ or ‘nerds’ are usually prone to these feelings because they are the ones usually picked on by bullies.

But taking out this frustration by killing people is nothing but mental sickness. ‘Jeopardy’ champion, Arthur Chu appeared on Good Morning America and told the world that Roger’s emotional state was ‘normal’ for any nerd except for the murderous actions (Murray, 2014), yet he was severely mentally ill. There is hardly any doubt about Rodger’s motives for his murderous actions; he sent 107,000-word story to his parents, therapist and some others right before he carried out the shooting (Duke, 2014).

The debate about his father (famous director) giving him a nice lifestyle is unclear because in his ‘story’ he writes of his financial suffering. He wished he were wealthier. Sometimes wishes can be too far-fetched and other times they are just needs. A prisoner wanting freedom is not really wanted, it’s a need. The want for wealth, money, opposite sex and popularity is never-ending. There's no comparison between a prisoner wanting freedom and a person wanting more money.