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To The Mercy Killers By Dudley Randall

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Recommended: Morality in society

Across the development of human society, one crime that stood out as a complete breach of human morals and the worst act that could possibly be committed by man. Murder contrasts with the other aspects During Dudley Randall’s poem “To the Mercy Killers”, the topics of values and humanity are a central aspect that the poem portrays given how the murderer distinctly requests mercy upon himself as he receives criticism for his crimes; this poem analyzes the moral aspects of society and provides for situations in which it can be interpreted what form of punishment would be appropriate for the worst crime committed among men. This theme of the interpretation of moral values is greatly elicited through the criminal’s descriptions of how people …show more content…

The topic of his inhumanity establishes itself centrally when the criminal describes himself as seeming “not human” to others, yet even with this description he still asks for forgiveness and a pardon from the crime he committed. His humanity is a topic which reflects the moral values that human society emphasizes and cherishes. He goes further with this example by explaining the aspects of himself that would normally classify himself as a human. “A mute shelf of glucose, bottled blood, machinery to sell the lung and pump the heart” (Randall 11/13). By expressing that he is “not human” once again it allows for a different view into how he perceives his actions, mercy is being tested through his views and actions. He still desires his life quantifying what mercy can be measured as with the value of human life. The murderer understands the fundamental characteristics of what makes a person human, yet he fails to understand the moral aspects of a person that truly makes them human. This pivotal moment of realizing his psychological morals proves how he truly believes that he is not guilty of his actions and desires their mercy to spare his life. “Even so - do not put out my life. Let me still glow.” (13/14). The last phrase of this line demonstrates how the criminal truly believes that he warrants their mercy, he believes that his crime is pardonable and that he is still capable of thriving

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