Learning from Immorality

Choices determine the outcome of life. Little decisions, from the size of the coffee in the morning, to big ones, like purchasing a new house, mold and shape one’s lifestyle. Equally important are the consequences, good or bad, of the actions and what one can learn from them. Maybe finding out that that extra large coffee is too big for the cup holder will persuade that particular person to opt for the medium one next time. The same foundation of cause and effect applies to much more serious actions. In other words, “A man 's errors are his portals of discovery” (James Joyce Quotes). Immoral actions, whether they are crimes punishable by law or not, always have a silver lining. No matter how horrific it is, the deed offers the chance to learn from the outcome. It is entirely up to the person, however, to gain that knowledge and understanding and only a select few chose to do so. Although immoral actions most often lead to corruption and insanity, they sometimes pave the way for personal growth, sympathy, and helping others.
The movie “Schindler’s List” exhibits one such tale of learning, with a man using his fortune to help save the very people he took advantage of to gain it. The movie takes place in Poland during the time of World War II. Oskar Shindler, a member of the Nazi Party, uses the relocation of Jews to his advantage by purchasing a manufacturing company at a deep discount and hiring Jews as the labor force. This not only advantageous for Shindler because their wages are low but also for the Jews as it grants them the chance to leave the ghetto. Soon the ghetto is to be liquidated and Oskar’s workers are to be sent to a forced labor camp. He bribes Göth, the SS officer in charge, into allowing him to build a sub-camp for his workers. At first, Oskar is just doing it for the money. As the movie progresses, however, a change can be seen in Oskar. He tries to save as many lives as possible with the help of Stern, a Jew accountant whose attention to bribes for the Nazis help Oskar’s actions go unnoticed. In one particular scene, Oskar convinces the guards to spray an outgoing train full of Jews with water pretending to be for amusement. His actual purpose is to give them some much needed water.
Oskar’s growth as a human being and willingness to help the very Jews he took advantage of is revealed towards the end of the movie. An order comes down from the higher authorities ordering Göth to destroy all evidence of the Jews killed and sending the remaining ones to the dreaded concentration camp Auschwitz. Knowing that going to Auschwitz is a guaranteed death sentence, Oskar bribes Goth to let him take his workers back to his hometown in Czechoslovakia. Oskar uses his ill gotten fortune to pay a massive amount for each Jew. With the help of Stern, Oskar creates a list of over 800 Jews to be taken back, which coins the title “Schindler’s List”.
At the factory in his hometown, Oskar treats his workers more humanely. He even lets them observe Sabbath once again. To keep them alive, he spends all of his fortune bribing German officials. Just as the money runs out, the war is about to end. Oskar must run now because he is a part of the Nazi party, but before he can go the Jews offer their gratitude by offering him a ring with the engraving “He who saves the life of one man, saves the world entire” (Spielberg). Overcome with emotion, Oskar breaks down in an especially memorable scene wishing he could’ve done more. With his redemption and his will to change, Oskar Shindler is able to save almost a thousand lives destined to die. Even though this story took place over 60 years ago, the development viewed in Oskar can still be found in the present day.
Hester Prynne makes the most of her punishment of being a social outcast to give back to society in the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The novel takes place in the late 17th century in Boston. The town is largely Puritan, with firm social rules and strict punishments for those who break them. The crime of adultery, which Hester commits, usually carries the punishment of death by hanging. In Hester’s case, however, it is watered down to wearing a scarlet A on her bosom and being a social outcast for the remainder of her life. This is because Hester’s husband has not surfaced in over two years and is presumed dead. Condemned, Hester faces two options. She can either “sustain and carry” her burdens by the “ordinary resources of her nature, or sink with it” (Hawthorne 59).
With no other source of income and no companion to help, Hester is forced to rely on her skill at needlework to sustain a meager life for her and her daughter Pearl. She gives comfort to the poor and helps the sick when needed. “She came, not as a guest, but as a rightful inmate, into the household that was darkened by trouble” (Hawthorne 123). Even so, people still treat her as if she’s in exile and refuse to acknowledge her in the street during the day time. Hester could have run away to the woods or back to Europe, where no one would know of her sin. She does not however, as she believes she must live out her earthly punishment by the daily shame inflicted upon her. Over time, the towns’ people begin to realize how selfless Hester is and they acknowledge the “A” to stand for able instead of adulteress. Their governor even talks about removing the scarlet letter altogether. Near the end of her life, people “besought her counsel, as one who had herself gone through a mighty trouble” (Hawthorne 203). She offers comfort and advice to those who are facing troubles similar the ones she went through. Hester defies the townspeople and her punishment, becoming stronger and leading a selfless life devoted to helping those in need.
A more modern example is that of Kevin Mitnick, a man who went from being a legendary hacker into a top level computer security consultant. In his early life, Kevin started hacking into computers when he was just a teenager in California. He even figured out a way to bypass the public transportation system in order to get free bus rides in the greater Los Angeles area. He used “social engineering”, a self coined term meaning to con people out of passwords and other sensitive material. Tapping into phone networks to avoid long distance charges, Mitnick moved onto breaking into much larger corporate networks, such has Motorola, NEC, and Nokia. These kinds of hacks landed him in five years at a federal security prison and also earned him legendary status in hacking circles. (Halkin)
Mitnick turned a new leaf once he got out in 2000. He went from being a legendary hacker to becoming one of the most sought after online security consultants in the world. Initially, Mitnick was not even allowed near a computer or any other communications device other than a phone during his supervised release but he fought that in court and won. Once out, Mitnick started his own online security firm, aptly called Mitnick Security Company. He now gives many lectures all over the world and has had two books written about him. As Mitnick states, “I used to get in a lot of trouble and which I now get paid for” (Halkin). After his hacking led to his eventual detention, Mitnick realized the harm he caused and learned to use his extensive knowledge to help others.
Another present day instance of learning from immoral actions is the song “The Boomerang Theory” by Gym Class Heroes. The song tells the tale of a young man who is ready to face the consequences of his actions. The chorus, “they say ‘what goes around comes around’ and I have found that’s real”, can be interpreted as the narrator having had past experiences with karma (Heroes). He seems to have committed actions that aren’t necessarily crimes but immoral nevertheless, shown by the verse “So this is for the frogs that felt the wrath of my firecrackers/and all the roaches that I stomped with no regard” (Heroes). He look’s back on his previous actions and believes the punishment being doled out on him is entirely justified. Exactly what the punishment is he does not say. “I got arrested by the karma police beat down” is more of a metaphorical reference as no such thing as the “karma police” really exists (Heroes).
The lyrics, “So here I am in handcuffs the s*** that makes a man tough” and “I’ll accept the charges” show the maturing of the narrator (Heroes). He learns to accept the consequences of his actions and appears to have learned from his mistakes. No longer is he “[hopping] on [his] feet and [skipping] town”, but instead taking his punishment with his head held high (Heroes). After receiving it, the narrator believes that it was necessary “to fall just to stand and realize [he’s] just a man” (Heroes). This is a great change from the ridiculous actions he partakes in previously such as soaking farmers with water-guns. He pleads “I learned my lesson, I’m confessing, hit the record”, and one can presume he won’t be taking part in any such immature activities any longer (Heroes).
A case where committing a crime leads to insanity and paranoia is the short story The Tell Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe. Throughout the entire story, he constantly reminds the reader that he is not mad, when it is apparent that he very well is. He says “[he] loved the old man”, and yet after he kills him, the narrator seems almost giddy with joy and feels no remorse (Allen Poe 7)The basis for his motive is a “pale blue eye” that makes his “blood run cold” (Allen Poe 7). He goes on to explain how he stalks the old man every night, in an almost creepy fashion and after some time decides to kill him. After committing the horrifying deed in great detail, he still pleads to the reader to believe in his sanity. He cuts up the dead mans body and put it under the floorboards as not to leave any evidence. As the police come to investigate, the narrator is very relaxed believing his precautions leave him with “nothing to fear” (Allen Poe 11).
The narrator’s confidence grows exponentially as the police look around and he believes he is in the clear. He ever sits the officers down on chairs right beneath the body parts. At this crucial part of the story, Poe examines the effects of committing murder. The narrator talks of a distinct ringing that only he seems to hear. He grows more and more paranoid, believing that the police knew of his deeds. The ringing is of the old mans dead heart, which is actually in the narrators mind. It is a metaphorical reference to his conscience protesting against the murder. The ringing growing louder and louder, the clearly insane man rips open the floorboards and confesses to the deed. His previous attempts at sanity serve to convince not only the reader he is not mad but also himself. He visibly underestimates the power of his conscience after committing murder and instead of learning from his mistakes, it leads to his insanity.
Oftentimes it is not the action itself but what one can learn from it that matters. There are two paths that can be taken. One is to simply ignore what happened and forget about aftermath. The other is to decide to act upon it to help others and give back or even to simply better oneself. The latter option seems like common sense but it is much easier to say than to do, especially in a world where mistakes are frowned upon. To put it simply, “The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing” (John Powell Quotes).

Works Cited
Allen Poe, Edgar. The Tell Tale Heart. 1843.
Halkin, Tayla. Legendary hacker Mitnick turns Legit. July 24 2008. 15 December 2008 .
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. Needham: Prentice Hall, 1850.
Heroes, Gym Class. "The Boomerang Theory." Clothes Off! UK, 2007.
James Joyce Quotes. 14 December 2008 .
John Powell Quotes. 15 December 2008 .
Schindler 's List. Dir. Steven Spielberg. 1993.

Cited: Allen Poe, Edgar. The Tell Tale Heart. 1843. Halkin, Tayla. Legendary hacker Mitnick turns Legit. July 24 2008. 15 December 2008 . Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. Needham: Prentice Hall, 1850. Heroes, Gym Class. "The Boomerang Theory." Clothes Off! UK, 2007. James Joyce Quotes. 14 December 2008 . John Powell Quotes. 15 December 2008 . Schindler 's List. Dir. Steven Spielberg. 1993.