How do you feel about Stephen in the beginning of the movie? How does he interact with his coworkers, and what do his coworkers think of him? What do you think of him as he’s telling his coworkers the story about the hacker?
-At the beginning of the movie, he seems happy. He seems happy because he is working for one of the most prestigious newspapers, The New Republic. His coworkers like him and his comical side. Glass’ story “The Hacker” seemed a bit odd as he went through it. His coworkers were a bit suspicious as to if the story was real or fake. However, Glass wrote the story so well that his coworkers, at the beginning of the movie, thought it was the best story ever created.
Would you like to hang out with Stephen (as he’s portrayed in the first five or ten minutes of the movie)?
- He is a very comical guy, but he does lie a lot. I would be skeptical as to hanging out with him for an extended period of time.
What are the ethical dilemmas that Stephen faces? What ethical issues does the film explore through Stephen’s choices? Some may argue that what Stephen has done isn’t wrong. Do you think it’s wrong?
-He wrote stories that were false and then lied about items related to the stories to his editors. Some say what he has done isn’t wrong, but that doesn’t make it right. Glass could ruin the authenticity of the newspaper. He is jeopardizing everything. I think it is completely wrong to do something of that nature.
What ethical dilemmas does Chuck (Stephen’s editor) face? What conflicting duties does he have? Consider Chuck’s choices as editor with the ethical standards Stephen sets up for editors, and consider the conversation he has with the editor of the magazine that discovers Stephen’s article is fabricated?
-The editor is also in trouble for allowing false articles to be printed. He and Glass are jeopardizing the newspaper’s credibility.
Stephen is very persuasive. How does he use the rhetorical appeals in his interactions with people?
-His information is sound because he has notes from his “sources” (fake or not), and his information makes sense, logically speaking. He uses humorous punch-lines to end his stories which appeal to pathos.
(Con’t when the movie is finished…)