Critical Analysis of "Frustration"
Critical Analysis of
“Frustration”
By
Isaac Asimov
Name: Joshua Hilstad
Thesis Statement: Wars can never be justified by one person, or group, thinking they are better than someone else, but unfortunately the human characteristic of self-righteousness never changes.
The concept of this story is that war can never be justified through self-righteousness. That is, if a person is trying to start a war because he thinks himself to be better than his target, there is no just reason for him to do it. Most, if not all, wars are primarily begun by one man believing himself to be better than is target. This is proven through the history of Rome and other nations. But what makes war justified? Is there ever a reason to destroy another’s life? The answer is no. Starting a war can never be justified. This story proves that. In “Frustration” a man is trying to find proof that a justified war is indeed possible. His advanced technology allows him to run through computer simulations which, in theory, would find a series of events that would make this man’s war, right. The main issue that is brought up is that a computer, in itself, lacks self-righteousness, meaning that it places a much higher value on human lives than the average human does. But how does this make any difference? Humans naturally believe that they are in some way better than each other. If a man thinks that he is better than another man than what is to stop him from attempting to subdue and enslave the lesser man? It is this self-righteousness, unchanged by generations, that causes all wars.
All through that ages humanity has stayed the same in their behaviors and characteristics. This story implies this even at the very beginning of it. “The whole meal has been prepared by computer. Untouched by human hands”. With these words we know that this story takes place in the future. Herman Gelb, the
“Frustration”
By
Isaac Asimov
Name: Joshua Hilstad
Thesis Statement: Wars can never be justified by one person, or group, thinking they are better than someone else, but unfortunately the human characteristic of self-righteousness never changes.
The concept of this story is that war can never be justified through self-righteousness. That is, if a person is trying to start a war because he thinks himself to be better than his target, there is no just reason for him to do it. Most, if not all, wars are primarily begun by one man believing himself to be better than is target. This is proven through the history of Rome and other nations. But what makes war justified? Is there ever a reason to destroy another’s life? The answer is no. Starting a war can never be justified. This story proves that. In “Frustration” a man is trying to find proof that a justified war is indeed possible. His advanced technology allows him to run through computer simulations which, in theory, would find a series of events that would make this man’s war, right. The main issue that is brought up is that a computer, in itself, lacks self-righteousness, meaning that it places a much higher value on human lives than the average human does. But how does this make any difference? Humans naturally believe that they are in some way better than each other. If a man thinks that he is better than another man than what is to stop him from attempting to subdue and enslave the lesser man? It is this self-righteousness, unchanged by generations, that causes all wars.
All through that ages humanity has stayed the same in their behaviors and characteristics. This story implies this even at the very beginning of it. “The whole meal has been prepared by computer. Untouched by human hands”. With these words we know that this story takes place in the future. Herman Gelb, the