The Seventh Man and The Moral Logic of Survivor Guilt Review

Vocabulary and key concepts flashcards based on literature and essay review questions covering 'The Seventh Man' and Nancy Sherman's 'The Moral Logic of Survivor Guilt'.

Culpability

Responsibility or blame for wrongdoing.

Conscience

Your inner sense of right and wrong.

Remorse

Deep regret or guilt.

Entrusted

Given responsibility for someone or something.

Empathic

Understanding another person's feelings.

Survivor Guilt

Guilt from surviving when others did not.

Subjective Guilt

Feeling guilty without actually being responsible.

Objective/Rational Guilt

Guilt based on actual wrongdoing or responsibility.

Trauma

A deeply distressing experience with lasting effects.

Living with the Memory (The Seventh Man)

More difficult for the Seventh Man than surviving the wave because it affects him for years through fear, guilt, nightmares, and avoidance.

Confronting the Past

Facing painful memories, such as the Seventh Man returning to the beach, which helps a person overcome fear and guilt.

Feeling Guilty vs. Responsibility

Feeling guilty is not proof that a person is responsible; for example, the Seventh Man feels guilty even though he did not cause K.'s death.

Seventh Man's Guilt vs. Soldiers' Guilt

Both the Seventh Man and the soldiers in Sherman's essay feel responsible for deaths they did not intentionally cause.

Chance, Responsibility, and Survivor Guilt

Chance can determine survival, while survivors may still feel responsible.

The Seventh Man's Self-Blame

The Seventh Man blames himself for K.'s death because he believes he should have done more to save K.

K.'s Paintings

Artworks that help the Seventh Man reconnect with positive memories of K. when he returns home.

Symbolism of the Wave

Can symbolize fear, trauma, guilt, or painful memories.

Irrationality of Survivor Guilt

According to Nancy Sherman, survivor guilt can seem irrational because the survivor feels guilty even though they did nothing wrong.

Captain Adrian Bonenberger and Jeremiah Pulaski

Captain Adrian Bonenberger feels responsible for Jeremiah Pulaski because Pulaski saved him, but Bonenberger was not there when Pulaski needed help.

Private Joseph Mayek and Captain John Prior

Private Joseph Mayek was badly injured in an accident, and Captain John Prior continues to feel guilty as his commander.

Moral Repair

Trying to heal or make something meaningful from guilt, illustrated by Captain John Prior attempting to make moral repair by connecting with Private Joseph Mayek's mother.

Moral Logic of Survivor Guilt

Nancy Sherman argues that survivor guilt can have a moral logic even when the survivor did nothing wrong because guilt can show that someone deeply cares about others.