ALL MY SONS

What is the responsibility Chris is talking about in his speech to Ann on pages 35-36? In a few sentences, explain where it came from and what it means.

Chris's Responsibility

During his speech to Annie, Chris remembers the responsibility that he and his troops had for one another on the battlefield, and recognizes the stark difference between war and home life. Chris describes to Annie the joy he found in the simplicity of war life- the idea that all soldiers look out for one another and unite under a common goal. He remembers the sense of importance and meaning given to life while in the army, and misses it. Chris tells Annie that people take things for granted back at home by opening the bank books, driving the new car, and seeing the new refrigerator. Chris displays a strong sense of maturity here, and the audience realizes that Chris appreciates not only the his money, and car, but appreciates life itself. By acknowledging the faults of the people around him and refusing to take things for granted, Chris takes responsibility for others around him and for human life in general.

ALL MY SONS

What is the responsibility Chris is talking about in his speech to Ann on pages 35-36? In a few sentences, explain where it came from and what it means.

Frankenstein - Responsibility reflections

What is the difference between personal responsibility and responsibility for the common good, and is Victor Frankenstein able to balance the two?

Cain's Responsibility of Abel

Responsibility plays a key role in the Bible, as it was a time at which humans were close to leaving the state of nature. Humans had to look out for one another in order to survive, therefore, being responsible for them in some way. When a commitment was made to someone to protect them, and something tragic happens to them, you are to be held responsible, because you did not protect them. In the story of Cain and Abel, Cain, being the elder brother, shares the same blood as his younger brother, Abel. According to God, this suggests a blood related promise that Cain will always be the protector of Abel, and likewise, as they both share the same blood. However, when Cain kills Abel out of jealousy and favoritism, it is a violation of this assumed covenant between them. This was included in the Bible to account for the responsibility of the family towards other members of the family. Brothers, must remain brothers and must look out for one another. This carries on today in modern society, as a brother, you must look out for your siblings, as you all carry on your family bloodline. It has grown beyond biological brothers, and to very close friends, for whom you choose to take a vow to protect them. Your brother is your closest friend, and throughout your life, you will always have them, so it is a responsibility to look out for and protect them.

Responsibility for One's Family

In Genesis, the theme of responsibility for one’s siblings is very great. From the story of Cain and Abel to the story of Joseph and his brothers who sold him into slavery, God upheld a certain standard of responsibility for not only oneself but also his brother. God expected brothers like Cain and Abel to work together as a team, helping each other along the way and contributing to each other’s success. When Cain killed Abel because he had fallen into the coveted favor of God and was then questioned by Him about the whereabouts of his brother, Cain responded indignantly, “I am not my brother’s keeper.” Not only was God angry with Cain for ending his brother’s life, God was upset with him for disregarding the expectation that he would look out for his brother’s safety being a member of the family. There was a core belief that since a blood of a brother is the same blood that you carry, you have a familial obligation to treat that brother as you would treat yourself by caring for and protecting. In the story of Joseph and his brothers, the wrongdoing brothers were eventually punished because they had breached the idea of trust responsibility that was bestowed upon them by God because of the inherent fact that they were the older brothers, and thus the caretaker of Joseph. In our lives this relationship is relevant because our parents for the most part expect us not only to be responsible for ourselves but also responsible for our siblings to some degree, whether they are older or younger. For instance, if a younger sister or family member were to lose her path and get in trouble, most of us would feel obliged to have a certain degree of responsibility to help her out. The ideas of familial unity, responsibility and strength were very closely related as they are today.

Genesis/ Responsibility

Genesis means "the origin" or "creation", and in the Bible, Genesis describes the origin and creation of earth and life itself. God makes man, a species created in His own image, to be the dominant species of the earth. From this point, God already bestows responsibility onto man, granting him a greater existence. Throughout Genesis, man struggles to keep up with his responsibilities, becoming distracted by greed, evil, and the desire to obtain perfection. When man ignores his responsibilities, God becomes the responsible one, and his responsibility is to punish man for his ignorance. The big picture of Genesis is God teaching man to be responsible, so God doesn't always have to be responsible for them. It's almost portraying the relationship of God and man to parent and child. A parent teaches their child right and wrong, and in a way this is what God is doing. God is teaching man do good, and even though his teachings aren't always successful, like a child, man learns from his mistakes, and eventually gets it right.