Discussion Forums about Books and Reading | Dennison and Sadism
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So true! Going by this all those who stood by and did nothing are equally antagonists but Dennison stood out. So in my opinion, Dennison was the most dangerous antagonist.
I agree 100%. I reread the opening chapter after I finished the book and it seemed like Dennison had a severe case of split personality. He was so cruel to the Projects and insufferable to his colleagues. Yet, when I first read the first chapter, I thought he was going to be a character that I really liked as I appreciated his sarcasm and exasperation with Mason. I believe his cruelty stemmed from the need be in control of everyone around him and he was fully aware that the Projects could wipe the floor with him if they weren't beaten to within an inch of their lives.vermontelf wrote: ↑07 Apr 2020, 12:52 Arguably humanity's tendencies to stand by and watch atrocities happen even when they seem wrong could be the main antagonist. However, I fully felt Dennison was the nastiest sadist of the book. Mason, came close behind even though he hardly got his hands dirty, he was the mastermind behind the kidnapping and cover-up.
After I finished the book, I reread (skimmed) the beginning and it seems that Dennison doesn't actually think they abused the projects at all. Yet through the book, I read about how he enjoyed torturing them...a little confusingly inconsistent.
Small point here: Dennison isn't going to speak to his boss in the same manner he speaks to his colleagues or to the ProjectsOdette Chace wrote: ↑11 Apr 2020, 15:53I agree 100%. I reread the opening chapter after I finished the book and it seemed like Dennison had a severe case of split personality. He was so cruel to the Projects and insufferable to his colleagues. Yet, when I first read the first chapter, I thought he was going to be a character that I really liked as I appreciated his sarcasm and exasperation with Mason.vermontelf wrote: ↑07 Apr 2020, 12:52 After I finished the book, I reread (skimmed) the beginning and it seems that Dennison doesn't actually think they abused the projects at all. Yet through the book, I read about how he enjoyed torturing them...a little confusingly inconsistent.
He's not exactly the most reliable narrator in this case; how many abusers or bullies genuinely believe that what they're doing to their victims is abuse? How many times does abuse go undiscovered for years, because the people responsible seem so much like regular, normal people to those on the outside? )I agree with you on Dennison, but how is Mason a sadist? I don't see him as a sadist, I see him as more of a narcissistic idiot. It is true that he never stopped what was happening to the projects, but a lot of other people that worked at GenTech didn't either. I wouldn't classify them as sadists, just people that don't stand up to others. While Mason did have the power to control Dennison, he didn't. He let it happen. However, I am not so sure he knew about everything going on either. I don't think he knew about Dennison sexually assaulting the Project. Mason did state that he didn't want the projects to be put under any unnecessary pain. Even so, many times throughout the book it was stated that what pain was necessary and unnecessary was controlled by GenTech. I don't know if I would consider him a sadist. He is definitely an awful person. He tricked Kalin and made him sign his life away. From what I understood though, the main reason he seemed to do that was for money. Sadists usually do things from the pleasure they get from hurting others, but Mason seems to get more pleasure from himself and money than hurting others.DEEPA PUJARI wrote: ↑06 Apr 2020, 15:15 I think both Dennison and Mason were sadistic and the main antagonist in the story.
This is how I feel about it as well. I can’t label Mason a sadist because I didn’t get a direct sense that he enjoyed the abuse the way that I did for Dennison (on multiple occasions).funninessishappiness wrote: ↑12 Apr 2020, 21:43I agree with you on Dennison, but how is Mason a sadist? I don't see him as a sadist, I see him as more of a narcissistic idiot. It is true that he never stopped what was happening to the projects, but a lot of other people that worked at GenTech didn't either. I wouldn't classify them as sadists, just people that don't stand up to others. While Mason did have the power to control Dennison, he didn't. He let it happen. However, I am not so sure he knew about everything going on either. I don't think he knew about Dennison sexually assaulting the Project. Mason did state that he didn't want the projects to be put under any unnecessary pain. Even so, many times throughout the book it was stated that what pain was necessary and unnecessary was controlled by GenTech. I don't know if I would consider him a sadist. He is definitely an awful person. He tricked Kalin and made him sign his life away. From what I understood though, the main reason he seemed to do that was for money. Sadists usually do things from the pleasure they get from hurting others, but Mason seems to get more pleasure from himself and money than hurting others.DEEPA PUJARI wrote: ↑06 Apr 2020, 15:15 I think both Dennison and Mason were sadistic and the main antagonist in the story.
I think you made a really good that I didn’t mention in my post. I agree that in many books I’ve read I’ve seen what we as a society would morally consider abuse be done in the name of science and experimentation. This kind of came into play here.JudasFm wrote: ↑11 Apr 2020, 19:54Small point here: Dennison isn't going to speak to his boss in the same manner he speaks to his colleagues or to the ProjectsOdette Chace wrote: ↑11 Apr 2020, 15:53I agree 100%. I reread the opening chapter after I finished the book and it seemed like Dennison had a severe case of split personality. He was so cruel to the Projects and insufferable to his colleagues. Yet, when I first read the first chapter, I thought he was going to be a character that I really liked as I appreciated his sarcasm and exasperation with Mason.vermontelf wrote: ↑07 Apr 2020, 12:52 After I finished the book, I reread (skimmed) the beginning and it seems that Dennison doesn't actually think they abused the projects at all. Yet through the book, I read about how he enjoyed torturing them...a little confusingly inconsistent.
Plus, I think the important word here is "Dennison doesn't actually think."
They deny their actions (it's just part of the job, "You're wrong, Project Kata; I don't enjoy hurting you.") they blame the victim (it's Kata/Tau's own fault for not obeying quickly enough) they have to be in complete control (oh, so very much!) and they can react very badly to being directly called on their actions (one of the few times Dennison actually attacks Kalin himself with his fists instead of using the handlers to shock him is just after the above line, when Kalin's response is a flat, "Liar.")
In Dennison's mind, abuse would constitute hurting the Projects for no other reason than his own gratification. We know from Renfield in Chapter 10 that pain acclimation is standard for all Projects in preparation for being sold. (""The sessions exist because Tau's new owner might want to punish him. Projects have to be trained to accept punishment of all kinds without fighting it.") This is further supported by the fact that none of the other scientists have a problem with Tau's treatment until Dennison actually takes it to the point of allowing him to be sexually assaulted.
In other words, pain acclimation is a required part of breaking and training all Projects, therefore - to Dennison - it doesn't constitute abuse. The fact that he does get his kicks from it is neither here nor there; he didn't come up with pain acclimation sessions, they just happen to be the part of his job that he loves most, which is why he takes it much, much too far, using the excuse of Just Doing My Job to justify some truly reprehensible acts.
(All that said, the Extended Prologue does give a lot more foreshadowing
I agree and honestly just because of his new powers- because of the person he was with his intelligence and cunning and also his motivations.Jocelyn Eastman wrote: ↑13 Apr 2020, 13:14 Dennison was definitely a sadist, but I wouldn’t say he was the most dangerous person in the story. I think the most dangerous person in the story is Kata.