Nor do we rejoice in the intense gore that accompanies these films. In the end, however, we leave feeling satisfied. As if being uncomfortable for that hour and half was enjoyable after all. It is incredible to think about it: we witness movies highlighting insane or demonic forces massacring innocent people and yet we come away enjoying the experience. Jimmy certainly doesn't experience immediate gratification from getting his face punched in, but the fact that he comes back to instigate more scuffles day after day demonstrates that fighting is truly satisfying for him. It is his own proactive form of entertainment. .
Entertainment, whether positive or negative, can become addictive. .
Not only is this point displayed through Jimmy's aggressiveness but by through his parents as well. It seems like the only connection between Mr. Johnson and Mrs. Johnson besides their children is their love of alcohol. In the face of a wrecked family, a wrecked home, and a wasted, dwindling life, Mrs. Johnson chooses to drink: "His mother took a drink from a squdgy bottle that sat on the table. She continued her lament,"" (pg. 57). Mr. Johnson is willing to stoop some of the lowest tactics for alcohol, "The father wrenched the pail from the urchin. He grasped it in both hands and lifted it to his mouth. He glued his lips to the under edge and tilted his head. His hairy throat swelled until it seemed to grow near his chin. There was a tremendous gulping movement and the beer was gone. The man caught his breath and laughed. He hit his son on the head with the empty pail,"" (pg. 13). It is clear that Mr. Johnson didn't leave this situation feeling guilty about the crime he had just committed. He laughed right in the face of his son after he devoured the beer. His little escapade served as part of his daily entertainment, as it did for many other men living in the same situation. "Men with calloused hands and attired in garments that showed the wear of an endless trudge for a living, smoked their pipes contentedly and spent five, ten, or perhaps fifteen cents for beer,"" (pg.
