Monday 6 October, 2008

My third session of living the “thug” life in San Andreas did not vary much from the previous two. CJ rescued his brother from a gun fight by running over and shooting other gang members, stole firearms from a house, and participated in a low rider competition. I feel that yet again CJ justifies his actions by doing what he thinks is best for his family.

For CJ family is everything so he doesn’t think twice about killing a few gang members to save his brother. Most people would probably rely on the police in a situation like this, but in CJ’s world he can’t trust the law to help him. His loyalty keeps him from thinking twice about killing some other people in order to save his brother. CJ doesn’t have a problem with burglary, despite the lack of direct benefit to his family. However, the guns that he steals would be necessary for him and his friends to defend themselves from their enemies. There are no moral decisions in the low rider competition, but the game does again reinforce racial stereotypes, but this time of Latinos instead of African Americans. This third session did support the idea that CJ is not without something guiding his actions. If there is a moral theory that would fit best with CJ it would be the virtue theory. CJ makes almost all of his decisions based on one virtue: loyalty. He is extremely loyal to his family and friends. CJ has no regard for the laws of society, but he does have regard for his family and friends. His small community is his own little society, and he respects the people in that community.

After a mission, one of the characters speaks a very powerful quote to CJ: “…you got to get it in your head that this is everyday shit homie”. The character is referring to casual way that these people encounter violence. Death and violence are a huge part of their lives. CJ returns home because of his mother’s death only to be lectured by his brother about other members of their community that had died. I think that the violent nature of CJ’s surroundings makes it easier to understand why the characters make the decisions they do. They answer violence with violence. The characters in San Andreas do not expect help from the authorities. Because of the support the characters receive from their communities they are loyal to them above the law.

Your observations on the environment of San Andreas is insightful. I think you coul

Sorry I did not get to finish the post. I think if you combine this with your argument on the satirical nature of the game, you might arrive at a even stronger thesis. For example, does the game show that criminals are deviant by nature or do their interactions and experiences force them to become deviants?