I believe the thesis is stated at the begining of the fourth paragraph on page 418. "If we look closely at the behavior of witnesses to these incidents, the people involved begin to seem less inhuman and a lot more like the rest of us. They are not indifferent." The authors then elaborate on that claim using the traditional argument approach.
When the authors talks about the rare driver who stops to eat at the restaurant with no cars in the parking lot, they mean that it's rare to find someone who is different all by themselves. Most people would pick a restaurant where there is a substantial amount of people there for whatever reason, but few decide to the the alternative rout and be unique.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1540733/posts This article is about a nurse who went for Starbucks after work one night to smell smoke. She saw people around, but no one seemed to care. She traced the smoke to a homeless man who was caught on fire. She tried to wake him up, but he was passed out from a seizure. She tried to extinguish the fire but when she went into Starbucks to get water, there was a callous woman who said things like don't worry about him, he's just a homeless person. The hospital doesn't want him. She obviously knew about the incident and didn't care to help. The nurse helped him get to the hospital and luckily he didn't have any serious injuries.
I believe this article goes hand in hand with the essay. It shows that there are those who do ignore, but it also proves that there are people out there who are different. I like to think I'm one of them. I was at a park one day at my job and I saw a little girl about two years old just crying and screaming on the sidewalk. I looked around at everyone else and tried to firgure out who her mom or dad was, but no one looked back. Everyone was acting like it wasn't happening. How can you ignore a screaming child? I picked her up and tried talking to her, but it wasn't working, so I decided she might not speak English. I got one of the chilren I watch to come by me and ask her where her mom was in Spanish. She still didn't reply. Just screams. Finally, a little girl came up and started talking to her and I asked where her mother was and she was over by the basketball courts. I didn't understand how you could just not notice your toddler isn't by your side. But, luckily I was there and I stayed by her side to make sure she was safe because apparently no one else would.
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Incredible article. I have a similar story of helping a child, who was in the same situation. It was at Universal. There was a child crying standing near the side of the road, and people would just walk-by ignoring him, so a couple of friends and I walked up to him and asked if he was lost, he also did not answer. But the interesting part was that as soon as we intervened, so did other people. Fortunately the parents came back worried sick and were thankful, that someone took the liberty to look out for their child.
ReplyDeleteMary, what a story you found about the Good Samaritan.
ReplyDeleteI think you missed the point of the essay though. The thesis is actually at the end and the author is constructing the argument. The title of the essay is the giveaway. When you answer the question, "Why People Don't Help in a Crisis?" you have found the thesis.
Very good story about the good Samaritan and it doesn't surprise me that some people still think and and act as if since someone is homeless their less of a person. The thesis isn't exactly what you think it is but you've have the idea and the story you presented does accurately describe your thesis. Overall, great article.
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