Humans or horrors : an examination of the validity of conteporary Western culture's images of Judas Iscariot, Adolf Hitler, and Joseph Stalin against the historical record

Abstract

Western culture has always had a penchant for glorifying its heroes and demonizing its villains. From Benedict Arnold, Attila the Hun, and Benito Mussolini, the West has found ways to make its villains into champions of evil, devoid of all human qualities, and reduced the character of these foes down to its most basic (and memorable) parts.

This paper attempts to explain why this reduction has become so prevalent in the Western mind, and examines the histories of three of the West's greatest bad men: Judas, Hitler, and Stalin, then compares this trio's historical records against what they are remembered for. By comparing modem perceptions of these figures, through the use of memes, contemporary literature sources, and popularity within the mainstream discourse to primary historical documents, a better, more con1plete picture can be painted for each.

In this way, this paper serves not to simply explain the reasons for why Judas, Hitler, and Stalin are remembered in the manner they are, but instead provides alternative avenues through which to examine the lives of these three men to better understand not the popular perception of the three, but instead a more historically accurate representation of them