I thing there are a few differences between a stool pigeon and a criminal informant. The most major turning point is the view point. It doesn't matter who or what happened. Using the movie as an example, all the mobsters viewed terry as a stool pigeon. The reverend and the girl, plus the court lawyers and police officers all viewed him as a criminal informant. It wouldn't really matter what happened, the people hurt are going to yell traitor and the people helped will yell back crusader.
Another difference is the traitor/crusader themself. You can find out by asking yourself "What's in it for them?" In the case of the movie, Terry was doing it for all the dockworkers and as an example of how one man can make a difference. This makes him a crusader, because he is being very unselfish. He's not asking for any compensation, he just knows he made a difference. The two criminal informants who talk to terry in the beginning are stool pigeons, on the other hand. They are paid, and they probably wouldn't care about the whole thing if it wasnt for their pay.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I really like your ideas, and I agree with all of them. The people that are going to disagree with you are the ones that get hurt by how you "traitor" them. I also like your idea that Terry was a crusader because he was doing it for other people and not just himself, I believe that those people that are selfish and try to get publicity on them and only them are the real traitors.
It was a short but very accurate and descriptive account of the ideas brought up in the film. I agree with your statements, that many times it just depends on the point of view, and what is in it for the person.
Post a Comment