> joanna wrote:
>
> >In one of the best episodes of the 1st season(?), Tony's shrink, a
> >woman, is raped. She is able to identify the rapist, but the police
> >mishandle the evidence and the man walks free.
> >
> >At the next session with Tony, she bursts into tears, and we are
> >made to understand that she wishes, more than anything else in the
> >world, to tell Tony what happened so that he could "squish him like
> >a bug." Which, in fact, we all know he would gladly do.
> >
> >But, she doesn't tell him. Why? She doesn't say, but a couple of
> >reasons are possible: 1) it would break the psychoanalytic contract
> >according to which the doctor takes care of the patient, not vice
> >versa. 2) it would not undo the rape, just add another act of
> >violence.
>
> And one of the great things about that story line is that we (ok, I,
> but I bet I'm not alone) wish she would tell Tony and that Tony would
> squish the bug in a very satisfying fashion. Then you realize what
> you're rooting for and feel funny.
>
> Doug
Why would you feel funny rooting for the rapist to be either assaulted or possibly killed? I don't mean just because it is a fantasy program so you can feel secure wanting to see the revenge knowing that it is also fantasy.
Maybe it is too personal a question but if such a thing happened to someone you know intimately would it bother you to find out someone had bolted a heavy chair to a floor, duct taped the perpetrator securely to it, nailed his feet to the floor and after breaking both his knee's removed his weapon of choice with a propane torch? Would you feel sympathy towards the perpetrator? Is it wrong to wish for such things? Is it wrong to act in such a manner? Is revenge always wrong? Is there a point where it is OK not to be crossed?
John Thornton