Literary Devices in #MurderTrending and By the Waters of Babylon Essay Example

Many members of society are in situations where a little courage goes a long way. Gretchen McNeil's dystopian novel "#MurderTrending" is set in the year 2050, and the main character Dee Guerrera is sent to Alcaraz 2.0 for the murder of her step-sister, which she did not commit. The entire plot revolves around an app in which these wrongfully convicted people are murdered by serial killers for the enjoyment of the American people. Dee Guerrera and her team must rise to the challenge in order to escape Alcatraz safely, without being killed. The main character in Vincent Stephen Beńet's dystopian short story "By the Waters of Babylon" is John, the son of a priest who embarks on a self-embarked journey to the Place of the Gods. His father agrees to let him go, but has no idea that John will end up going to the forbidden place. The use of literary devices such as conflict, characterization and setting in Gretchen McNeil's dystopian novel "#MurderTrending" and Stephen Vincent Beńet's short story "By the Waters of Babylon" develops a common idea that when society is placed in any situation, courage will help assist individuals in being able to persevere through those situations.

Every day, society is confronted with conflict. Conflict is something that society must overcome and move on from through the use of courage. Dee "darted out of the way and kicked at the pristine white legs of his costume" with all her might and strength to protect herself (Mcneil 8). In order to survive, Dee has to summon the courage to confront Price Slycer, one of the serial killers. The conflict is resolved by Dee's need for courage in order to kick Prince Slycer. Almost every day, society faces adversity, and if people overcome their fear of failure to instead fight back with courage, the outcome would most inevitably be favorable. Similarly in the short story the main character is placed in a situation where he must search for the courage within. John's father,a priest, "came out with the metal—good, strong piece. He looked at [John] with both eyes but [John] had not run away. He gave [him] the metal to hold—[John] took it and did not die” as many others would (Beńet 1). The metal is said to kill those who are not deserving of the metal. John's bravery in picking up the metal is what enabled him to overcome his fear of dying. Individuals must have the courage to make decisions that will shape the future. When confronted with a conflict, sometimes all it takes is a strength of character to achieve a successful outcome. Most people in society face problems, and whether those problems are resolved favorably or unfavorably depends on the individual's courage in the face of adversity.

Everyone in society has a unique personality and is characterized in different ways. McNeil and Beńet both described the protagonists as brave and determined to achieve their goals. Dee's friends were kidnapped, and she has no intention of abandoning them because “they'd risked their own safety to help her. She wasn't going to let them die” without a fight (Mcneil 165). Dee could have chosen to let her friends die, but she chose to muster her courage because that is the type of character she is. Everyone in society is different, and each individual is unique. Every person may not immediately step up to the challenge like Dee, but everyone should be able to gather the courage to face whatever comes their way. John’s character is also a very strong and brave character and is ready to step up to a challenge. John is a brave man, and when it comes time to embark on his journey to the Place of the Gods, he is "not afraid" of what could happen (Beńet). John's character is a strong and adventurous individual who is not afraid to take on new challenges. Everyone in society wants to go somewhere, but individuals must have the courage to embark on that journey. The characterization of society as a person can reveal the courage that a person possesses. When confronted with a situation that necessitates bravery and determination, courage is required. 

The setting in which society exists can influence how society should react to events that occur in that setting. People must have courage if they are placed in a dangerous situation in order to safely exit that situation. Dee's is set in the setting of Alcatraz, "the suburban island in San Francisco Bay where united murderers were hunted down by government-sanctioned serial killers" all for the entertainment of the public (Mcneil 2). Dee must be brave enough to push through this dangerous situation in order to safely exit it. Individuals have the bravery and courage to survive in dangerous situations, but harnessing that courage is a challenge. People that learn to harness the courage are able to survive in these perilous situations. Similarly John is placed in a situation where he uses his courage to persevere. John is on his path to the Place of the Gods but is suddenly stranded and he “could feel the evil spirits about” as he is stuck in the middle of the lake (Beńet). John is  placed in the setting of a lake, which is dragging him down with its large waves and currents. In this situation, John begins to lose all courage, which causes him to surrender to the lake; he is unable to harness any magic and feels small. Many people, like John, are be unable to find the courage to do something, which is fine in some situations, but most of the time if society is able to muster the courage to take on a specific situation, the outcome of that circumstance is most likely to be favorable, and in the future, if this type of situation arises again, society will be able to face it without fear. Setting can influence how society reacts to a particular situation, but society must have courage to persevere.

In order to persevere in difficult situations, society must display acts of courage. When placed in a dangerous situation, perseverance can lead to positive outcomes. In Grethchen McNeil's dystopian novel "#MurderTrending" and Vincent Stephen Beet's dystopian short story "By the Waters Babylon," courage is an ability that the characters must have in order to push through dangerous situations with bravery and perseverance. Society must understand that being courageous may lead to future adversities being insignificant. Dystopian stories fascinate society because they depict events that may or may not occur in the future. People are fascinated by the fact that a seemingly insignificant topic such as courage can make a significant difference in one's life.