I chose the movie Full Metal Jacket which to me has a common theme as to the poem Like a Winding Sheet due to the violence that takes place due to frustration. In the movie Full Metal Jacket during Marine boot camp when Sargent Hartman very hostile personality gives each of the marine’s nicknames; one of the recruits Lawrence was a tall and heavier set male that he named “Gomer Pyle” (Kubrick, 1987). The Sargent gave most of them not to nice names, one marine he was more mean and violent to than others. Hartman stated “You’re so ugly you could be a modern art masterpiece! What’s your name fat boy”? (Kubrick, 1987) Hartman continued to be very violent and use harsh words to Lawrence AKA “Gomer Pyle”. Sargent Hartman used objects to hit him with and words to humiliate Lawrence. “Get up there, fat boy”! ( Kubrick, 1987) “You mean to tell me you can’t do one single pull up Pyle? You are a worthless piece of shit, Pyle! Get outta my face”! (Kubrick, 1987) The Sargent also had the other marines start bullying him and one day they beat him with soap bars wrapped in towels. Lawrence could only take so much abuse from the Sargent and other marines that the built up frustration, humiliation and anger led him to go crazy. He then shoots Sargent Hartman and then takes his own life. This story to me relates in certain ways to the poem Like a Winding Sheet due to racism, humiliation, and frustration which leads to violence. I believe that built up anger and aggression leads people to harm themselves or others. In the poem Mr. Johnson was angry and frustrated on being treated unfairly due to his race. He also did not sleep and worked a strenuous job. So not only physically but also mentally he was hurting. His frustration just kept building up time over time and when his boss Mrs. Scott calls him out with a mean tone in her voice “You’re late again” (Petry, 1971, p 499). In the same nasty tone she keeps patronizing him “Excuses, you guys always have excuse” (Petry, 1971 p 499). Mrs. Scott kept going on “And the niggers are the worse” (Petry, 1971, p 499). This made MR. Johnson mad as she made that racial comment. He felt his fists clenching and wanted to hit her but held back. Throughout the day people and things kept frustrating him. That evening when he went home, not in a good mood his wife Mae made some comments that he did not find humorous. All that built up anger started to build and he hit her. He could not stop hitting her took out all the aggression that had built up over the days or even months. “He had lost all control over his hands” (Petry, 1971, p 504).
I believe literally this is an accurate depiction of society as some people can only take so much built up frustration and humiliation and then they release it through self-infliction or violence on another human being most of the time it is someone that is close to them. Some people have the aggressive personalities and release it in a hostile or aggressive way.