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tocxmply · 4 years

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DEHUMANIZATION OF THE WINTER SOLDIER [sources: click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click]

dehumanization is the denial of full humanness to others, and the cruelty and suffering that accompany it. it refers to the viewing and treatment of other persons as if they lack mental capacities that we enjoy as human beings.

it may be understood as the opposite of personification, a figure of speech in which inanimate objects or abstractions are endowed with human qualities; dehumanization then is the disendowment of these same qualities or a reduction to abstraction.

humanness has two features: "identity" (i.e., a perception of the person "as an individual, independent and distinguishable from others, capable of making choices") and "community" (i.e., a perception of the person as "part of an interconnected network of individuals who care for each other"). when a target's agency and community embeddedness are denied, they no longer elicit compassion or other moral responses, and may suffer violence as a result.

Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes was elected to become HYDRA’s secret and best and most effective weapon, and we all know that popular tumblr post: you are a weapon and weapons don’t weep. but how was this outcome achieved? how do you turn a human being into someone (something?) detached, heartless, merciless enough to weed through other human beings as though they’re not more than objects to be removed? through the process of dehumanizing these same others, precisely --- by making yourself, or another, believe they are below human standards; they are, indeed, just objects to be removed. whereas this much is well explained in the literature, however, there is the other side of the coin --- which is what i’ll be exploring in this meta. because the Winter Soldier didn’t only think of his (HYDRA’s, in truth) opponents as less than human --- he himself was ever treated as something less than human, as a weapon/tool to be used. he himself was dehumanized.

CLOTHING. one look at the Winter Soldier’s uniform, and anyone realizes it is a highly intricate thing. it is functional, yes, as it must be, and it provides protection as it ought to do for any regular soldier --- however, it is also highly symbolic. first of all, the almost absurd amount of straps --- you need straps to hold the gun holsters, of course, but you certainly don’t need this many. Winter’s uniform is covered in them, as to symbolize the tentacles of HYDRA --- the complete power, complete control they have over their asset. this uniform restrains him, constricts him, allows freedom of movement as much as one requires in the battlefield but, at the same time, is a visual and tactile reminder of submission --- even when the Soldier is away from HYDRA, not face to face, HYDRA accompanies him everywhere. as well, the fact that the uniform is clearly too intricate to be put on or off on his own --- he’s got some degree of freedom for adjustment, should he ever need to make modifications on his own according to the battle course, but that’s the equivalent of a weapon’s reloading --- it’s something the weapon’s wielder allows to be done, for a greater purpose --- in order to better serve the weapon’s owner’s purpose. this is made to remind the Winter Soldier, the most skilled assassin ever trained, that his power pales in comparison to the power of the ones who made him; he needs HYDRA even for something as simple as to don his battle attire.

MASK. Winter’s complete version of a mask covers his features entirely and reveals only a small patch of skin on his forehead. is this made for protection? to shield his eyes from bullets and shards during explosions, for example? no doubt it is, and no doubt it is for more than this --- because the forehead is exposed. you don’t protect a soldier’s eyes but leave the forehead exposed and open to a well-placed sniper shot. “Captain America: Civil War” and “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” show us a parallel: in the former, during the 1991 flashbacks, the Soldier isn’t wearing a mask even though he’s gone after a target as important as Howard Stark; HYDRA’s Russian branch cares for secrecy, to keep their tentacles still hidden and well rooted into SHIELD, but they don’t feel the need to cover the asset’s face because they know what they are doing and they take precautions to eliminate any witnesses and trails left on their wake. on the contrary, HYDRA’s American branch, with Alexander Pierce at the head, brings in the full facial mask. why, because they don’t want the Winter Soldier to be recognized? could be --- but, if so, why send him out so carefreely? why send him to get their member who just spilled the beans and revealed the truth behind the algorithm, in broad daylight, when the Soldier could very easily dispose of this man in his sleep and without making a ruckus? at this point, the mask is only partially for protection and for concealment -- most of all, it is to keep the Winter Soldier on the leash. it is to keep him muted, to keep him restrained, to keep reminding him he’s no more than a dog in a muzzle. to keep painting him as an object rather than a human being, because the mask allows for none of his human expressions to be seen by others --- therefore, cutting the others’ capacity to humanize him. when they shoot, they don’t shoot at a human --- they shoot at a conglomerate of leather and metal and reinforced glass.

EYE CAMOUFLAGE. serves the same purpose as the mask, though reducing the protection even more at the same time. it can be interpreted as camouflage purposes only, yes, but then why not use the full mask? i’m pretty sure HYDRA can afford a mask with night vision system. this camouflage covers Winter’s eyes only, rather than the entire face --- it purposefully covers the part of the human face that conveys more emotion. it covers his eyebrows, as to prevent him from expressing emotions or at least to prevent others from perceiving these emotions. if he initially was sent after Nick Fury whilst wearing the full mask, why change this after? whatever the motive, they could have simply removed the top part of the mask --- like Winter himself does at the highway chase, when the Black Widow damages it --- instead, they do this AND they add the black cover, to ensure Winter is as a much of a weapon as before even if a bit more of his face is now exposed.

INFANTILIZATION/ CONDESCENSION. even though the Winter Soldier is a perfected weapon and an extremely skilled assassin, he’s still treated as a no-threat compared to HYDRA. Pierce offers him a glass of milk like it’s nothing and like he’s talking to a perfectly regular/innocuous individual, Pierce slaps him as though he might never have a violent jerk-up, instinctive reaction and attack him back, Pierce has so much control over him he “only” relies on a slap rather than something more openly hostile like an actual punch. even back in 1991, at the Russian branch, Karpov would bring the red star notebook to plain sight (later on, Zemo uses the same technique to capitalize on this notebook’s/the activation words’ triggering value) and would go as far as to place it down within the Soldier’s reach. because HYDRA is entirely confident on their brainwashing and conditioning, because the Winter Soldier is their perfect weapon, ever ready to comply --- yes. but, just as much, as a constant reminder of how powerless the Soldier is, at the end of the day. of how he belongs to them, of how he’ll never be able to break free, of how easy it is for them to subjugate such a dangerous individual. of how he’s got no real choice, no shred of personal agency, even when it comes to something as simple as, for example, destroying a notebook associated with physical pain and suffering.

SOUND. obviously, the magnificent theme that is The Winter Soldier in the movie’s OST is a cinematic add-on --- it’s on the other side of the fourth wall. however, this theme does expand on something else: the fact that the Winter Soldier is associated with non-human sounds or vocalizations, other than screams; instead, he’s associated with the sounds of metal, of grating, of static. in turn, this has him associated with a sense of derealization, of an alternate reality --- of something that is different from the realm of human beings. when you think of him, you don’t think of the sound of his voice --- you think of the sound his artificial arm makes. on the other hand, the fact that we practically do not hear the Soldier making sounds that express pain, even during all-out battle whenever he’s hit or hurt. this can also be due to the drugs injected in his system to optimize missions (which i shall explore in a different meta), so that for the most part he indeed is numbed to most forms of pain --- yet it is, no doubt, also highly symbolic. because, if you hurt someone and they yelp in pain, this reminds you that you are hurting a sentient being, just like yourself --- however, if you hurt someone and they lack reaction to it, this encourages you to keep hurting. this does not trigger cognitive dissonance in regards to hurting someone who’s as human as you are. you are simply poking at an object and poking at objects is entirely fine. remember, weapons don’t weep and they certainly don’t whine. and i won’t even get started on the fact we barely hear him speak during CA:TWS and, even when he does speak, the sentences are short and sparse in between them. weapons also don’t chit-chat.

NAME. or lack, thereof. or multiple names. the Winter Soldier, HYDRA’s fist, the asset, soldier, a ghost/a ghost story. save for Zola calling him Sergeant Barnes (at least initially), we never hear him being called by his name up until the moment when Steve recognizes him. why? to help with the brainwashing, yes, and to help shedding the person that was James Buchanan Barnes and to become someone else entirely --- but also because having a given name is a human thing. our beloved pets don’t name themselves, we name them because we love them and we have a place in our life for who they are. because a name gives someone an identity. the Soldier, on the other hand, is never portrayed as a person --- he’s portrayed as a presence, as an essence, as a shadow, as something that, for the longest time, people aren’t even sure if it exists for real. the Soldier exists in a sort of alternate reality that isn’t human-like, that doesn’t have an identity or a concrete definition --- he’s an aura, a sense of dread, an abstraction, almost ethereal. to the point where, when Steve calls him by an actual name (Bucky), he does not react to it --- not only because he currently is unable to remember, but also because he does not have an identity. he’s not grounded on any name, on any definition. he’s only been soldier for the past 70 years.

BODY LANGUAGE. the Winter Soldier is a killing machine, of this there is no doubt --- and he acts like one, moves like one. he shows no regard for his opponents’ well-being (to say the very least) and he shows very little so for his own --- the way he simply jumps off a ledge and lands atop cars like it’s nothing, for example, and makes no attempt to break that fall in a way that may be less straining for his body. all that matters is to complete the mission, and his body language reflects this --- this ruthlessness. in a way, even, this lack of self-preservation that you usually don’t see in a person; as though it doesn’t matter if he’s injured or even if he dies, as long as the mission is accomplished. it’s an incredibly high contrast, for example, with the scene in CA:CW when Bucky is buying plums --- he’s performing a sensitive and tender action, he’s being mindful of a gesture as finely-tuned as to judge that plum’s weight and ripeness --- he’s humanized, in this very moment. the Winter Soldier is never seen under such light, and proof of it is how Zemo needs to wipe this humanization in order to activate the soldier again. to make him ruthless again. also, the fact that we never see the Winter Soldier running --- he only ever walks, and this somehow makes him even more terrifying than if he was to be chasing his target at high speed run. he doesn’t need to run to successfully complete the mission, as tough he does not need to put effort into what he’s doing. again, this conveys the message that this individual is not a person like everyone else --- he’s beyond a human, he’s a monster. he’s an aberration.

AGENCY. and i left the crowning glory for last, of course. agency refers to one’s capacity to act independently and to make their own free choices, one's independent capability or ability to act on one's will. in the case, it refers to everything that HYDRA robbed James Buchanan Barnes of, and constantly denied to the Winter Soldier ever since. i’ve been discussing some examples in the previous topics, because it’s the overarching theme to this process of dehumanization --- the Winter Soldier is completely devoid of what makes a human, human: free will, self-determination. every other point, like the mask or the uniform, is an add-on to, and a confirmation of, this underlying fact. Bucky never had a choice when it came to being captured, to being experimented on, to having an artificial limb implemented, to being trained to become an assassin. all of this was imposed on him, with complete disregard for any human rights. the one semblance of agency we see, after 70 years lived like this, is when he questions Pierce who was the man on the bridge --- and, immediately, he’s given a vague explanation made only with the intent to reinforce his indoctrination that HYDRA is the good side of this war --- again, being dictated what he should believe in and what is “the truth” --- not to mention, right after, being wiped and started over again once it becomes clear his current state isn’t compliant enough. this is the essence of the brainwashing process, yes, but at the same time it’s constantly conveyed by all the other points discussed above --- constantly conveyed, overtly or not, that he has no agency. he has no right to choose. he amounts to no more than a weapon, he was created to be nothing else other than whatever HYDRA wants him to be. and when do we finally get a glimpse of the tables starting to turn? --- at the very end, as that helicarrier is crashing to the bottom of the Potomac --- when the Soldier chooses to save Steve, chooses to then leave on his own accord to, presumably, try to find his own path. again, the mindset that Zemo had to obliterate, in order to stifle Bucky and to bring back the soldier. to remind him that he exists only as HYDRA’s extension, not as any sort of individual identity or self.

#long post #「ᵐᵉᵗᵃ」ʷᶤᵖᵉ ʰᶤᵐ ᵃᶰᵈ ˢᵗᵃʳᵗ ᵒᵛᵉʳ

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tocxmply-archive · 5 years

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DEHUMANIZATION OF THE WINTER SOLDIER

[sources: click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click]

Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes was elected to become HYDRA’s secret and best and most effective weapon, and we all know that popular tumblr post: you are a weapon and weapons don’t weep. but how was this outcome achieved? how do you turn a human being into someone (something?) detached, heartless, merciless enough to weed through other human beings as though they’re not more than objects to be removed? though the process of dehumanizing these same others, precisely --- by making yourself, or another, believe they are below human standards; they are, indeed, just objects to be removed. whereas this much is well explained in the literature, however, there is the other side of the coin --- which is what i’ll be exploring in this meta. because the Winter Soldier didn’t only think of his (HYDRA’s, in truth) opponents as less than human --- he himself was ever treated as something less than human, as a weapon/tool to be used. he himself was dehumanized.

CLOTHING. one look at the Winter Soldier’s uniform, and anyone realizes it is a highly intricate thing. it is functional, yes, as it must be, and it provides protection as it ought to do for any regular soldier --- however, it is also highly symbolic. first of all, the almost absurd amount of straps --- you need straps to hold the gun holsters, of course, but you certainly don’t need this many. Winter’s uniform is covered in them, as to symbolize the tentacles of HYDRA --- the complete power, complete control they have over their asset. this uniform restrains him, constricts him, allows freedom of movement as much as one requires in the battlefield but, at the same time, is a visual and tactile reminder of submission --- even when Winter is away from HYDRA, not face to face, HYDRA accompanies him everywhere. as well, the fact that the uniform is clearly too intricate to be put on or off on his own --- he’s got some degree of freedom for adjustment, should he ever need to make modifications on his own according to the battle course, but that’s the equivalent of a weapon’s reloading --- it’s something the weapon’s wielder allows to be done, for a greater purpose --- in order to better serve the weapon’s owner’s purpose. this is made to remind the Winter Soldier, the most skilled assassin ever trained, that his power pales in comparison to the power of the ones who made him; he needs HYDRA even for something as simple as to don his battle attire.

MASK. Winter’s complete version of a mask covers his features entirely and reveals only a small patch of skin on his forehead. is this made for protection? to shield his eyes from shards during explosions, for example? no doubt it is, and no doubt it is for more than this --- because the forehead is exposed. you don’t protect a soldier’s eyes but leave the forehead exposed and open to a well-placed sniper shot. “Captain America: Civil War” and “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” show us a parallel: in the former, during the 1991 flashbacks, Winter isn’t wearing a mask even though he’s gone after a target as important as Howard Stark; HYDRA’s Russian branch cares for secrecy, to keep their tentacles still hidden and well rooted into SHIELD, but they don’t feel the need to cover the asset’s face because they know what they are doing and they take precautions to eliminate any witnesses and trails left on their wake. on the contrary, HYDRA’s American branch, with Alexander Pierce at the head, brings in the full facial mask. why, because they don’t want the Winter Soldier to be recognized? could be --- but, if so, why send him out so carefreely? why send him to get their member who just spilled the beans and revealed the truth behind the algorithm, in broad daylight, when Winter could very easily dispose of this man in his sleep and without making a ruckus? at this point, the mask is only partially for protection and for concealment -- most of all, it is to keep the Winter Soldier on the leash. it is to keep him muted, to keep him restrained, to keep reminding him he’s no more than a dog in a muzzle. to keep painting him as an object rather than a human being, because the mask allows for none of his human expressions to be seen by others --- therefore, cutting the others’ capacity to humanize him. when they shoot, they don’t shoot at a human --- they shoot at a conglomerate of leather and metal and reinforced glass.

SOUND. obviously, the magnificent theme that is The Winter Soldier in the movie’s OST is a cinematic add-on --- it’s on the other side of the fourth wall. however, this theme does expand on something else: the fact that the Winter Soldier is associated with non-human sounds or vocalizations, other than screams; instead, he’s associated with the sounds of metal, of grating, of static. in turn, this has him associated with a sense of derealization, of an alternate reality --- of something that is different from the realm of human beings. when you think of him, you don’t think of the sound of his voice --- you think of the sound his artificial arm makes. on the other hand, the fact that we practically do not hear the Winter Soldier making sounds that express pain, even during all-out battle whenever he’s hit or hurt. this can also be due to the drugs injected in his system to optimize missions (which i shall explore in a different meta), so that for the most part he indeed is numbed to most forms of pain --- yet it is, no doubt, also highly symbolic. because, if you hurt someone and they yelp in pain, this reminds you that you are hurting a sentient being, just like yourself --- however, if you hurt someone and they lack reaction to it, this encourages you to keep hurting. this does not trigger cognitive dissonance in regards to hurting someone who’s as human as you are. you are simply poking at an object and poking at objects is entirely fine. remember, weapons don’t weep and they certainly don’t whine. and i won’t even get started on the fact we barely hear him speak during CA:TWS and, even when he does speak, the sentences are short and sparse in between them. weapons also don’t chit-chat.

NAME. or lack, thereof. or multiple names. the Winter Soldier, HYDRA’s fist, the asset, soldier, a ghost/a ghost story. save for Zola calling him Sergeant Barnes initially, all the way back in 1944, we never hear him being called by his name up until the moment when Steve recognizes him. why? to help with the brainwashing, yes, and to help shedding the person that was James Buchanan Barnes and to become someone else entirely --- but also because having a given name is a human thing. our beloved pets don’t name themselves, we name them because we love them and we have a place in our life for who they are. because a name gives someone an identity. Winter, on the other hand, is never portrayed as a person --- he’s portrayed as a presence, as an essence, as a shadow, as something that, for the longest time, people aren’t even sure if it exists for real. Winter exists in a sort of alternate reality that isn’t human-like, that doesn’t have an identity or a concrete definition --- he’s an aura, a sense of dread, an abstraction, almost ethereal. to the point where, when Steve calls him by an actual name (Bucky), he does not react to it --- not only because he currently is unable to remember, but also because he does not have an identity. he’s not grounded on any name, on any definition. he’s only been soldier for the past 70 years.

AGENCY. and i left the crowning glory for last, of course. agency refers to one’s capacity to act independently and to make their own free choices, one's independent capability or ability to act on one's will. in the case, it refers to everything that HYDRA robbed James Buchanan Barnes of, and constantly denied to the Winter Soldier ever since. i’ve been discussing some examples in the previous topics, because it’s the overarching theme to this process of dehumanization --- the Winter Soldier is completely devoid of what makes a human, human: free will, self-determination. every other point, like the mask or the uniform, is an add-on to, and a confirmation of, this underlying fact. Bucky never had a choice when it came to being captured, to being experimented on, to having an artificial limb implemented, to being trained to become an assassin. all of this was imposed on him, with complete disregard for any human rights. the one semblance of agency we see, after 70 years lived like this, is when he questions Pierce who was the man on the bridge --- and, immediately, he’s given a vague explanation made only with the intent to reinforce his indoctrination that HYDRA is the good side of this war --- again, being dictated what he should believe in and what is “the truth” --- not to mention, right after, being wiped and started over again once it becomes clear his current state isn’t compliant enough. this is the essence of the brainwashing process, yes, but at the same time it’s constantly conveyed by all the other points discussed above --- constantly conveyed, overtly or not, that he has no agency. he has no right to choose. he amounts to no more than a weapon, he was created to be nothing else other than whatever HYDRA wants him to be. and when do we finally get a glimpse of the tables starting to turn? --- at the very end, as that helicarrier is crashing to the bottom of the Potomac --- when the Winter Soldier chooses to save Steve, chooses to then leave on his own accord to, presumably, try to find his own path. again, the mindset that Zemo had to obliterate, in order to stifle Bucky and to bring back the soldier. to remind him that he exists only as HYDRA’s extension, not as any sort of individual identity or self.

#long post #「ᵐᵉᵗᵃ」ʷᶤᵖᵉ ʰᶤᵐ ᵃᶰᵈ ˢᵗᵃʳᵗ ᵒᵛᵉʳ #wow this got out of hand

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