Ace Joyce Carol Oates Analysis

Patricia Owens
Professor Amy Dallmann-Jones
HUM 2250
05 August 2014

Ace vs News Today

“Power and violence are opposites; where the one rules absolutely, the other is absent. Violence appears where power is in jeopardy, but left to its own course it ends in power 's disappearance -Hannah Arendt.” After reading the story Ace by Joyce Carol Oates it is very clear to seek out the message behind the story. What Oates writes is a story of a violent act that is unnecessary, and gives and inside look into how the victim feels going through each step. News today lacks the type of emotion truly needed to understand what is happening. The way the violence is described in Ace is heartfelt and emotional. This paper will compare how news today has
such a different outlook and perspective then a story such as Ace. Ace describes a scene of young men who gather together at park you can even assume that it is a type of gang; a group of young adults who for the most part are avoided for their look or for the vibe that they give off.
When the leader is grazed with a few bullets she paints the picture of mass chaos that you can visualize greatly. What Oates does that is truly amazing is she continues the story from the point of view of the victim, she describes the horrific aftermath that the victim has to face on his own. The way she describes how his heart is beating, how he is weak in the knees, the way he feels as the doctors and nurses are trying to help him. Not only is it important to know what the violent act is but I believe it is very important to understand the effect that it has on the person who experiences the event. Every detail that is written is almost as if you were side by side during Ace’s entire journey from beginning to
end. Newspapers and televisions today have no problem describing horrific violent acts; in fact it is almost what they thrive on. Every time you turn on the news, or open the newspaper you are immediately thrown into story after story about violent acts that have taken place across our nation. What our media lacks when it comes to these stories is sensitivity, and passion. The stories are nothing more than the terrible things that happen, there is no follow up there is no view from the victims point of view. For example: In the news you may read a story of a mother of two being shot and killed, as devastating as this article is there is no follow up on it. They give us the small details, the gruesome facts not anything that would tie emotion into the story. Can you imagine if the story went into detail on how it affected the children, what the aftermath clean-up was like for the family? Nothing about violence is entertaining yet producers make millions out of taking gruesome acts of violence and turning them into hit movies which we all buy into and in some twisted way enjoy. Americans seem to thrive off of the drama and violence that takes place on a daily basis but what they seem to lack is the care of what the aftermath is. When you take into consideration a story such as Ace it is very easy to determine what that story describes and what news today lacks, and that is an emotional connection between the horrific act and the victim itself. Sure they share some similarities they discuss the violent act that take place but what they share is less substantial than what they differ. We have to ask ourselves every time we pick up the newspaper or every time we flip on the news and hear about some violent attack or some gruesome story how it affects that person’s life. Every time you buy a movie ticket to something that is based on a true story you are in fact contributing to the violence that takes place and not so much the victim who was affected by the trauma. Oates does distill the meaning of violence in a very emotional way throughout the story.
Oates does not focus on the violent act as much as she focuses on the after math of the violent attack. She describes the attack in more of an emotional matter than a gruesome bloody act. Her follow up with how Ace feels as he is walking looking to find help but afraid to accept it is almost hear wrenching. She paints a picture of this strong man who is a tough guy, someone who doesn’t need help, someone who can do anything on his own. When this man is faced with a violent attack he has no idea what to do or how to handle it, that the very thought of people helping him panics him even more. Everything leading up to his tachycardia attack at the end is a pure picture of the types of emotions one would feel after such a traumatic event. The best part of the story is Ace being back at the park overcoming his fears, ignoring the laughter and critics and being able to take a step forward in life. Something as simple as knowing that he is ok and is heading in the right direction is something our news articles lack. Oates did a wonderful job by putting emotions and violence together in this story, giving a true perspective on how most news articles should be. Why should it always be depressing? Why not follow up with how well someone is coping, or how an act of violence is overcome by strength, love and
dignity? It is very clear how the story of Ace and how news today compare but it is also very clear how they contrast. The news needs more emotions with the stories because it gets extremely difficult reading horrifying act after act on a daily basis. Newspapers and television broadcasters could learn a lot from the story of Ace, I know I did.

References

Fiero, Gloria K., Gloria K. Fiero, and Gloria K. Fiero. Chapter 37 The Humanistic Tradition,
Sixth Edition. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2006.