{"id":340,"date":"2007-10-01T16:02:31","date_gmt":"2007-10-01T23:02:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hub.wsu.edu\/andersen\/?p=340"},"modified":"2019-05-31T12:18:11","modified_gmt":"2019-05-31T19:18:11","slug":"human-motive-explained-through-carrolls-structure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hub.wsu.edu\/andersen\/2007\/10\/01\/human-motive-explained-through-carrolls-structure\/","title":{"rendered":"Human Motive Explained through Carroll\u2019s Structure"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Trevor Mooney<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Woodcarving\"The need to control and understand our surroundings is of human nature. The world is chaotic and the arts, particularly literary art, give humans the ability to interpret their environment. The arts create \u201cemotionally saturated images,\u201d that help create a sense of \u201ctotal cognitive order\u201d (Carroll 86). The concepts and ideas within literature can subsequently be used to study human nature and behavioral systems. While animals must use instincts that are inbred by thousands of years of evolution, humans are able to decipher their environment using cognitive abilities. With the human imagination, we are able to take appropriate courses of action. Our ideas of the world are continuously evolving and changing.<\/p>\n

The use of what Carroll calls \u201cdomain-general intelligence\u201d (Carroll 86) is what gives us the ability to have a flexible response to an unpredictable environment. Humans respond to their surroundings using mental maps and models. These emotionally driven ideas help determine human behavioral systems. In his essay, \u201cHuman Nature and Literary Meaning,\u201d Carroll devises a diagram of human nature to explain the behavioral systems. It can be used to understand basic social dynamics of the world at large or simply a piece of the literature.<\/p>\n

The top of Carroll\u2019s \u201cHierarchical Motivational Structure of Human Nature\u201d categorizes behavior as a product of two types of effort, reproductive and somatic. He explains that humans desire more than to reproduce and acquire resources to survive. They want to create families, feel friendship and prosper. The choice of names for the two types of effort appears to be conflicting, because in a literal sense, reproductive effort is of a physical, somatic nature. It also leaves room to question what ideas of love and relationships would be categorized under. Regardless of the discrepancies, under these headings, he creates seven general systems responsible for human behavior. They are survival, technology, mating, parenting, kin relations, social relations, and cognitive activity.<\/p>\n

As with any structure, attempting to create generalizations about life or literature will result in significant flaws. Carroll\u2019s diagram connects one of the seven basic emotions with each of the behavioral systems. In reality each behavioral system can actually have several different emotions associated with it. Survival for instance is usually associated with fear. In most instances, it seems reasonable to assume that fear for one\u2019s future is the correct emotion.<\/p>\n

Both the stories of \u201cAdrift\u201d and \u201cSorrow-Acre\u201d demonstrate examples of different emotions associated with survival. In \u201cAdrift\u201d the two boys mature in the depths of poverty. Living day to day is an accomplishment. The desensitization caused by the boys\u2019 environment leaves them in a state of ignorant bliss. They live for each day with little regard for surviving tomorrow. Each new experience, no matter how trivial, is taken to heart and is met with a sense of enjoyment. In \u201cSorrow-Acre\u201d a twist of irony is associated with survival. Adam acts as an onlooker as his uncle literally works an old peasant woman named Anne-Marie to death. Multiple times Adam intervened in what he saw as the useless killing of a human being. In contrast Anne-Marie accepted her punishment for her son\u2019s deeds with open arms, \u201cindeed amongst all the grave and concerned faces of the field hers was the only one perfectly calm, peaceful and mild\u201d (Dinesen 46). Her suffering would help ensure the survival of her son. She meets the demise of her own body with calmness and harmony. These emotions contradict Carroll\u2019s structure.<\/p>\n

Technology is another area that contains discrepancies of emotion. Technology is generally correlated with joy. Technological innovations have helped ensure that mankind with live an easier life and thrive. The extra time created through the use of technology has helped each of us live fuller lives and thus can be associated with joy. However, in many instances technology can be associated with death and destruction when used and abused on the battlefield. Weapons of the Iron Age were more physically devastating than any weapons of the previous era. The newer technology dramatically impacted how battles were fought and kingdoms defeated. Much of the violence of \u201cThe Saga of the Volsungs\u201d can be associated with technological innovations such as the iron sword. Sigurd\u2019s sword named Gram was magnificently crafted and gave him a distinct advantage on the battlefield and in the slaying of Fafnir. But as a tool for Sigurd\u2019s survival, it only caused pain and suffering for those it afflicted.<\/p>\n

An overlapping of the seven distinct behavioral systems is also quite common. Carroll attempts to separate motivations into contrasting fields when in all reality they are interrelated. \u201cSorrow-Acre\u201d is one case in which it is evident that parenting and survival are interconnected. From an evolutionary standpoint, each is necessary for your genetic constituents to survive. Parenting and favoring of kin is necessary for relatives and offspring of an individual to survive. In \u201cSorrow-Acre\u201d Anne-Marie accepted her fate not only to save her son, but also to extend her own legacy. From her point of view this seemingly selfless act is truly in self-interest. Upon her son\u2019s death, Anne-Marie\u2019s legacy would also die. In addition, she would have no one to care for her as she grew older in age. Using reason she decided to risk her own life in an attempt to save his. Adam has a difficult time understanding this logic until he has an epiphany and, \u201csaw the ways of life\u201d and understood \u201cit was not given him or any mortal to command or control it\u201d (Dinesen 150). Survival is interbred as the central theme of human nature.<\/p>\n

Carroll\u2019s motivational chart can be proficiently used to explain the dynamics of kin relations and social relations. Goals of kin relations such as \u201cfavoring kin,\u201d \u201cdistinguishing kin,\u201d and \u201cmaintaining kin network\u201d are evident in the \u201cSaga of the Volsungs.\u201d The time period in which this tale takes place was filled with violence and instability. After the fall of the Roman Empire, law and order was nonexistent. The ruling party for each region was determined through battle and bloodlines. Kinship acted as a form of social protection. In a time of limited law enforcement, kinship helped create a network of relatives with power that would be on one\u2019s side during a time of conflict. Stemming from this idea was the theme of revenge. Throughout the story revenge of death to kin was used in attempt to right a wrong. A classic example of revenge occurs after Siggeir has all of Volsung\u2019s sons including Sigmund, chained up to be eaten by his mother in a she-wolf form. After several nights, all of Sigmund\u2019s brothers were killed and Sigmund was able to defeat the she-wolf and escape certain death. His mind was thus set on revenge for the loss in his kin. Years later Sigmund and his son, Sinfjotli, don their wolf skins to seek vengeance for Volsung and Sigmund\u2019s siblings. As they set the hall of Siggeir on fire Sigmund exclaims, \u201cwe want for you to know that not all the Volsungs are dead\u201d (Saga 45). With those words the building burned to the ground along with King Siggeir. Sigmund\u2019s sister, Signy, decided to stay with her husband, Siggeir, and die. This action demonstrated the importance of her vows to her new kin and association with the importance of marriage in that culture.<\/p>\n

The social structures of both stories are easily distinguished using Carrol\u2019s structure. The \u201cSaga of the Volsungs\u201d is based upon building coalitions to gain power. At the time this story was relevant, a useful way to build connections was through marriage. A marriage would call for land and power exchange between parties, making the decision of a marital partner for their offspring to be of great significance. In the case of Helgi marrying Sigrun this is apparent. After Helgi had defeated Hundling and gained many lands he was deemed fit to marry Sigrun. As a reward for his noble deeds and marriage to Sigrun, lands \u201cwere filled with new owners\u201d (Saga 50).<\/p>\n

Until the last few centuries feudalism and aristocracy have been the most commonly practiced forms of government. In the \u201cSaga of the Volsungs\u201d power is passed through bloodlines. Control of lands was determined by heredity. Scandinavian people viewed the Volsungs as heroes. Their blood was of mythical origin as they descended from the God Odin. They were a magnificent clan who were dominant in stature and nobility. Their larger than life image is used to drive the events of the Saga. \u201cSorrow-Acre\u201d takes a dramatic view of the situation. It pits the traditional ways of thinking against newer, progressive ideas of the value of the human being. The uncle represents the old guard. He is a landowner ruling over his servants in a feudal-like structure. The power of inheritance and bloodlines is evident with the arranged marriage between himself and his new wife. His nephew, Adam, has traveled Europe and has taken in ideas of democracy and equality. He questions the power and validity of traditionalism. The society in which they both live in Denmark favors the aristocrats. In times of famine and decline the landowners loose money, while the peasants are afflicted with disease and starvation. The Uncle and Adam clash until Adam finally understands his uncle\u2019s thinking, \u201clife and death, happiness and woe, the past and the present, were interlaced\u201d (Dinesen 150). Tradition had won that day but was soon to change to the democratic ideas of today.<\/p>\n

Both \u201cSorrow-Acre\u201d and \u201cThe Saga of the Volsungs\u201d demonstrate one relevant fact. Regardless of technology, parenthood, kinship, or social status one fact remains constant; we all will eventually meet our demise and die. Whether by the way of the sword in \u201cSaga\u201d or by tragedy and exhaustion in \u201cSorrow-Acre\u201d we all lose are battles with survival. The seven behavioral systems offered by Carroll attempt to understand life as \u201ca twined and tangled design\u201d (Dinesen 150) and the human beings attempt to strive for it.<\/p>\n

\n

By Trevor Mooney<\/strong>
\nMajor: Movement Studies\/premed
\nExpected graduation: May 2010
\nHometown: Mission Viejo, California<\/p>\n

It was quite interesting how Carroll attempted to classify all human behavior and emotion into distinct systems. When applied to both “Sorrow Acre” and “The Saga of the Volsungs”, it made for intriguing commentary on social dynamics.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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