Is Dexter The Key Victim Or Anti-Hero?

1.

A) In the first episode of this very interesting show, I was able to identify the key victim(s), transgressor, perpetrator, and investigator.

First, I believe that Dexter Morgan is the key transgressor in the first episode because the plot revolves around him from the opening scene on the boat to the end of the episode. Also, Dexter tends to break various rules and protocols throughout the episode such as breaking into someone's house without a warrant, concealing evidence (doll on the refrigerator), and killing the drunk driving suspect. His behavior is that of a textbook transgressor.

Second, the key victim(s) in this episode was the dismembered bodies found at the various crime scenes. Furthermore, the people Dexter killed in an

These shows portray things that keep the audience engaged such as murder, violence, interpersonal relationships, and the overall fear factor of seeing a dismembered body lying on the found. Most importantly, the show Dexter is unique in nature as it features an anti-hero character who takes matters into his own hands while working a 9-5. I will admit that I watch 10 more episodes right after episode one, therefore I can see why millions of people watch this show worldwide.

C) I believe that Dexter is an evil person as he seems to take pleasure in committing the immoral act of killing his victims. Dexter’s evil behaviour helps bring more chaos to the situation because he is adding to the death count which may drain his department’s resources. This may hinder other investigations such as the one into the ice truck killer. Moreover, I believe that vigilante justice is always wrong in all circumstances because one person is acting as the judge, jury, and executioner. The state justice system is a fair way of dealing with these issues because of the many checks and balances in

“Does Crime Pay? In Dexter's case?” In the article the author discussed crime paying off in finical terms. Mr. Landsburg argues that criminals engage in risk assessment before deciding to commit a crime by weighing the potential to get caught and the possible jail time as a result. Furthermore, the writer of the article states that crime pays off when criminals are comfortable with the “small chance of a big punishment” since crimes with serious consequences generate the most rewards. On the other hand, people who prefer a “big chance of a small punishment” work dangerous jobs. I agree with this reasoning because construction and mining does generate good in exchange for small punishments. However, in Dexter’s case he does not receive any monetary gain for murdering his victims. His crimes are an example of vigilante justice as his victims have gotten away with committing despicable acts in the community. Dexter’s payoff is the pleasure of riding his community of these “despicable” people even though many would consider him to be despicable. (Landsburg, 1999)

Next, Dexter is unlikely to get caught because he is an important member of the police department, he has access to all the necessary information to conceal his actions. Also, he has tremendous family ties in the police department as his foster father was a decorated police officer and his foster sister is a current police officer. This affords Dexter credibility as his colleagues are unlikely see him as a suspect