"If a real-life rioter did that, I be comfortable assuming that yeah, he did have a commitment to change through violent action."
Enough of a commitment that you'll assume he went to do more of the same in his life? Like, if all you knew about a guy was he "struck the first blow unprovoked" at some famous race riot when he was a teen, you'd assume he went on to also firebomb other buildings outside the riot?
"Why is killing a dog 'determinative', why is refusing to fight back 'determinative and telling'? I might as well say that a fight is an exceptional circumstance, and how a person reacts when they're being attacked in a fight doesn't say anything about them as people. Maybe they freaked out, maybe they froze up, maybe, maybe, maybe."
Yes, absolutely true. That's why I specified my scenario as refusing to fight "because he was opposed to violence." And just in case it's not clear, by killing a dog, I meant maliciously doing so in cold blood, not in the context of a fight for survival or whatever. If it was a fight for survival, I would not use it to make assumptions about how the character will treat animals outside that exceptional circumstance.
"If he wanted to make a point that Rayshaun regretted his actions, he could have easily shown us that."
If it's not essential to that particular story, there's no harm in saving it for later. But again, regretting his actions was just one hypothetical off the top of my head. If you don't buy that particular example, okay, but it doesn't change the larger point.
"At some point we have to take it on faith that what the writer shows us is what he wants us to see."
I'm sure he wanted us to see it. I don't draw the same conclusions from the sight as you.
no subject
Enough of a commitment that you'll assume he went to do more of the same in his life? Like, if all you knew about a guy was he "struck the first blow unprovoked" at some famous race riot when he was a teen, you'd assume he went on to also firebomb other buildings outside the riot?
"Why is killing a dog 'determinative', why is refusing to fight back 'determinative and telling'? I might as well say that a fight is an exceptional circumstance, and how a person reacts when they're being attacked in a fight doesn't say anything about them as people. Maybe they freaked out, maybe they froze up, maybe, maybe, maybe."
Yes, absolutely true. That's why I specified my scenario as refusing to fight "because he was opposed to violence." And just in case it's not clear, by killing a dog, I meant maliciously doing so in cold blood, not in the context of a fight for survival or whatever. If it was a fight for survival, I would not use it to make assumptions about how the character will treat animals outside that exceptional circumstance.
"If he wanted to make a point that Rayshaun regretted his actions, he could have easily shown us that."
If it's not essential to that particular story, there's no harm in saving it for later. But again, regretting his actions was just one hypothetical off the top of my head. If you don't buy that particular example, okay, but it doesn't change the larger point.
"At some point we have to take it on faith that what the writer shows us is what he wants us to see."
I'm sure he wanted us to see it. I don't draw the same conclusions from the sight as you.