Vengeance Is Ours Analysis

THE VIRULENT ARROW: THE CAVEATS OF REVENGE IN THE MODERN STATE

In “Vengeance is Ours,” Jared Diamond explores tribal societies’ views of revenge and compares them to our modern perspective by considering two detailed narratives. Diamond sets out to challenge the notion that the desire for revenge is “primitive, something to be ashamed of,” and instead suggests that such a feeling is natural and healthy (12). To accomplish this, Diamond tells the story of Daniel, a member of the highland New Guinea Handa clan, who orchestrates the paralysis of a rival clan leader, Isum, by a third party to avenge his late uncle, Soll. Upon doing so, Daniel exclaims “I have everything, I feel as if I am developing wings,” even though he didn’t release the virulent arrow himself (7). Diamond supplements this story with that of his father-in-law, Jozef, who, when given the opportunity to exact revenge on the man who brutally murdered his family during World War II, decided to place the

But we have seen that the stories of Daniel and Jozef support the decision to act upon the desire for revenge and appear intended to discourage its mere expression. Diamond’s conclusion, though unsupported by his evidence, is not unreasonable. In fact, I agree that revenge is a natural emotion that needs to be expressed rather than repressed, but this can be done more efficiently and effectively through socially acceptable means, such as small comments and actions, rather than the large, virulent, melodramatic declarations Diamond seemingly recommends. This new conclusion can be applied to many other socially repugnant emotions like greed, envy, and sloth. Though Diamond’s evidence is independently enlightening, the conclusion he draws from it provides the reader with the broader opportunity to reconsider current philosophies about how we can best express common emotions within