Essay #2 copy 3

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Slaven 1 Composition I W131 11 November 2022 Essay #2 Draft Numerous individuals believe that obedience and conformity are appropriate characteristics to present to others, but that may not always be accurate. In 1992, Rob Reiner produced an American legal drama film titled, A Few Good Men . The film presents a military perspective on the concepts of obedience and conformity. In the duration of the film, Pfc. Louden Downey and Lance Cpl. Harold W. Dawson, are seen displaying these traits. Both characters are marines, therefore they have rank, but not the highest rank when they are compared to others. Dawson speaks with confidence and showcases confident body language. On the contrary, Downey is very dependent on Dawson and does not display a great amount of self-assurance. Centered around Dawson and Downey and supported by the work of Phillip G. Zimbardo and Solomon E. Asch, A Few Good Men can be viewed as an examination of two men and their ability to obey blindly to an authority figure and to be pressured easily into conforming, in order to effortlessly surpass the challenges in their lives. To begin, in the introductory scene of A Few Good Men , Dawson and Downey are seen executing a code red. Immediately, the two men are viewed as aggressive and perhaps dangerous. The directors bring intensity to the scene by including suspenseful music, and not including dialogue. Dawson and Downey were ordered by their colonel to beat and threaten another marine. In regards to Zimbardo and his “Stanford Prison Experiment,” prisoners are likely to obey their guards, solely because they are authoritative. The prisoners eventually obey the guards blindly. In relation to the film, Dawson and Downey act as prisoners, while Jessep is their guard. It is lucidly shown that the two men are brainwashed. They are still obedient to their

Slaven 2 colonel even when they were ordered to put their fellow marine through harm and danger. One may assume that a member of the military is tough, independent, and conscious of their decisions. This assumption can be proven wrong in many situations. From just the opening scene in the film, it is shown that any person, regardless of their background, location, or situation can unconsciously obey, simply because it becomes part of their daily life. This has been proven through Zimbardo’s experiment and through a military-based film. According to Asch, in “Opinions and Social Pressure,” the majority of people conform to each other because it is a natural tendency. Downey is perceived as a dependent character. Many individuals may assume that Downey does not have the same mental capacity that others do. Downey clearly conformed to executing the code red with Dawson. It can be inferred that Downey would not have done it alone, merely because he depends on Dawson through the entirety of the film. One can delve deeper into the understanding of Downey’s personality and character through the understanding of conformity and obedience. Obedience and conformity do not fade away following the initial scene of the film. Dawson and Downey are seen having a meeting with Kaffee. The two men are very obedient and respectful towards Kaffee in this meeting, which supports the idea that victims are obedient to figures of authority. Dawson and Downey display obedient language, body language, and actions towards Kaffee. They refer to the lieutenant as ‘sir’ and maintain eye contact with him as he speaks. The men only speak to Kaffee when they are spoken to or asked to speak. Finally, when Kaffee is leaving the room, the two men stand up and salute him. Dawson and Downey are following their military code that they live by daily. They obey every authoritative figure that they approach or come in contact with. Because this becomes part of their daily life, it is natural. It can be prominently assumed that Dawson and Downey do not realize they are obeying. They

Slaven 3 are unconsciously obeying figures of authority like the prisoners did (Zimbardo). It can also be assumed that the men learned these behaviors when they joined the marines. They conformed to the actions and behaviors of the other marines, which is why they display these characteristics every day. The whole military displays proper body language and behaviors because they all obey and conform to the role of a soldier, marine, or any other ranking. The final scene of A Few Good Men is overflowing with examples of obedience. Dawson and Downey are standing next to each other in the courtroom. Their bodies are stiff and there is not much movement present in the room. The men are standing in the proper military stance with their chins high, even though they do not know what they are about to hear. The judge reads the verdict, and as soon as the men hear that they have been dishonorably discharged from the military, the audience can see a change in the mood. The confusion on Downey’s face is substantially evident. Dawson walks away from Downey, and Downey asks him what was going on. Anger and confusion rose from both of the men. During all of the confusion and fury, the men still referred to higher-ranked individuals as ‘sir’, and obeyed their military code. It is obvious that Downey is still puzzled as he continues to ask Dawson questions. As implied in Zimbardo’s study, when one is blindly obedient, their identity could be stripped. It can be inferred that Downey has been stripped of his identity and drastically brainwashed, exclusively when he was dishonorably discharged from the marine corps. The common audience would consider Downey as ignorant and solely does not have the mental capacity for a courtroom. With the understanding of Zimbardo’s study, one could comprehend that Downey is suffering the consequences from being extremely obedient to the authority around him. Downey could likely be fighting a cognitive or psychological disorder like the prisoners (Zimbardo) due to blindly obeying Jessep, and other people with authority.

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Slaven 4 Conversely, the film contains a scene that contradicts the studies of Zimbardo and Asch. The second time Dawson meets with Kaffee, his actions do not model the actions of a marine. Dawson speaks to Kaffee with his voice raised, and uses an angry tone. Dawson gets close to Kaffee’s face when he is speaking. Dawson’s facial expressions change, as one can see he is passionate and aggravated about his argument. Although Dawson claims that he did his job, and he will not dishonor, he is consciously disobeying a figure of authority. When Kaffee leaves the room, Dawson inserts his hands into his pocket rather than saluting him. Zimbardo claims that individuals will obey one with power and authority. It is proven through this scene that Dawson did not obey Kaffee, nor did he continue his conformity to his role. Although the majority of individuals tend to obey and conform, it cannot be true for everyone. Obedience and conformity are concepts of everyone’s daily life no matter if they consciously know it or not. In life, obeying and conformity cannot always be a good thing. One has to be themselves without conforming to others in order to have a bright outcome in their life, regardless of the situation. If everyone conforms to each other, the world will become a dictatorship, and no one’s true voice will be acknowledged. Works Cited

Slaven 5 A Few Good Men . Directed by Rob Reiner, performances by Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, and Demi Moore, Columbia Pictures, 1992. Asch, Solomon, E. “Opinions and Social Pressure.” Writing and Reading for ACP Composition , compiled by Christine R. Farris and Deanna M. Luchene, Pearson, 2018, pp. 53-57. Zimbardo, Philip G. “The Stanford Prison Experiment.” Writing and Reading for ACP Composition , compiled by Christine R. Farris and Deanna M. Luchene, Pearson, 2018, pp. 65-77.

Essay #2 copy 3

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