Argumentative Essay Sample: An Innocent Guy Character in Literary Works

One's behavior and choices are governed by a set of rule that they consciously or unconsciously set. Consequently, individuals often differ between that which is right or wrong under certain circumstances. When a person battles with this type of judgment, it is inevitable to question their existential purpose as in the case of 'An Innocent Guy' in the short comic story starred at the finale of Batman: The Killing Joke. In this story, the innocent guy states: 'Anything done out of fear has no moral value' (Moore, Bolland, and Starkings 67-69). Albert Camus' 'The Outsider' storyline centers around the issue of choice in that the main character decides not to satisfy people's expectations Camus (4-76). In a similar light, the movie called 'The Vanishing (1988)' presents one altruistic character who on the surface appears to be a hero. With these premises in mind, this paper argues for the innocent guy's sentiments. It agrees that those who are faithful to themselves and act according to personal convictions embody courage and morality.

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The innocent guy's remark paints the picture of a person who questions their morality. He wants to know whether he is good or evil and acknowledges that such a determination is impossible unless one has been accorded the freedom of choice. According to the innocent guy, the liberty to explore sound and bad things forms the basis of a ruling on good and evil (Moore, Bolland, and Starkings 69). Importantly, the protagonist suggests that individuals have the capacity of belonging to either side of the divide. One's choice to be a bad person should be independent of the standards that the society has set. Also, such an option should not be governed by the fear of any form of punishment that has been prescribed for wicked deeds. If external factors are influencing one's morality and character, then the acts of such an individual are cowardly. Even if they were to choose to be good, they have no moral standing. The innocent guy is influenced by nobody and has no motivation for killing Batman. He does so out of his own free will hence embodying courage. His evil action makes him realize that he would rather be a right person whose intention with clear intentions: graduate from college, have a family, and lead a blameless life. These resolutions are personal convictions that have been influenced by his actions. As such, he meets the threshold of the morality that he defines.

An innocent guy is similar to the protagonist in Camus' 'The Outsider.' Here is a man with no regard for other people's expectations. At his mother's funeral, he is unemotional because that is his personality. Meursault is unaware of the details such as his mother's age and wishes that the funeral would end quickly (Camus 11-12). The protagonist will not be influenced by those that mourned bitterly over his mother's death, and he is not afraid of the lack of display of emotion on his part. When Meursault becomes friends with Raymond, he is conscious about it. He has a choice to discontinue their engagement after the incident where Raymond assaults his girlfriend, but he justifies this kind of violence (Camus 20-23). Later when Meursault kills the man who attacked his friend, it was a deliberate move. The fact that the protagonist did not blame his mother's death for his state of mind when committing the crime qualifies his actions as courageous. He did not kill out of fear or influence. According to him, he was avenging the beating that his friend received from the Arab guy hence his action was justifiable. Further, the fact that he was willing to serve jail term means that he was honest with himself and this is an example of morality.

In the movie titled 'The Vanishing (1988),' Raymond epitomizes the innocent guy's stance that one needs to test the excellent and bad waters before deciding where they belong. According to public opinion, Raymond is a hero based on the incident where he saves a child from drowning. Despite this good deed, he has already made up his mind, without coercion, to be an evil person. In fact, Raymond questions whether his charitable acts are beginning to interfere with his quest for evil doing. He sharpens his luring skills by voluntarily using his children as a specimen (The Vanishing). This character is convicted and believes that he is blameworthy of his actions.

Dissenting opinions indicate that personal views are not always right especially when they infringe on other people's rights. Take for instance the case of the story 'Batman: The Killing Joke' where Commissioner Gordon respects the law and intends to arrest his tormentor, the Joker, by the book. He does so even when the Joker shot his daughter rendering her paralyzed. Additionally, the Joker terrorized and tortured Gordon, and it is expected that the Commissioner avenge these deeds. He goes against the public's expectations but for a good cause and ensures that no casualties will result from his actions. This act exemplifies courage and morality.

This contrary opinion holds. However, the emphasis is on the motivation and not the type of action, whether good or bad. In fact, 'anything' in this context is all-inclusive to mean that whether good or evil deeds, these should not be done out of fear. The innocent guy, Meursault, and Raymond were not motivated by fear when they choose to act as they did. Theirs were conscious decisions with no external stimulation. Conclusively, real actions symbolize courage and morality. Free-thinking individuals do not live by the ethical and moral standards that are set by the society. Instead, the exude courage by developing their ideas and disconnecting themselves from those of the masses.

Works Cited

Camus, Albert. The outsider. Penguin UK, 2013.

Moore, Alan, Brian Bolland, and Richard Starkings. Batman: The Killing Joke: The Deluxe Edition. New York, NY: DC comics, 2008.

The Vanishing. Directed by George Sluizer, performances by Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu, Gene Bervoets, Johanna ter Steege, and Gwen Eckhaus, Argos Films, 1988.