Have you read Cho Seung-Hui's play? I'm no psychologist but..?

Question

some of the issues that come up in his writing seem to allude to hatred of father figure, betrayal, latent homosexulaity or perhaps sexual abuse.. I dunno what do you laymen armchair psychologists make of it?..

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/0417071vtech1.html

Answer 1

sounds like sexual abuse to me. i don't know about the latent homosexuality thing though, perhaps - like why was he so worried about his stepfather molesting him for no rational reason, makes you think. either way it's more amateur hour than anything, he moved it along entirely too fast it wasn't realistic. from his writing style he sounds like someone that presents himself half * and then takes issue when people don't accept him, which is a classic chronic depression move. he doesn't have the fortitude, nor take the time, for you to really get to know him, you just have to take it at face value, but you don't know what the * you're looking at. no wonder why he had problems ...

Answer 2

I read the play - seriously if I had not known who the author was, I would have thought that it was an attempt (though rather lame attempt) at humour - after all how can making fun of McDonald's in a character's name be serious? A lot of people make jokes about molestation and fighting - I would have thought that he was trying to become a radio "shock jock" (albeit one that might need better jokes).

Yes it hints at sexual abuse, but a lot of writing makes crude sexual jokes - this one does seem to be extra crude, but I don't think I would've noticed. "Latent homosexuality" is so cliche - is everyone who ever makes a joke about Michael Jackson gay? BUT, if I was the prof and noticed that Cho wrote this kind of play over and over again, and didn't seem to be capable of writing any other type of literature, I would get suspicious. But if I just saw one play I would've thought that he was just in a "Howard Stern" type of mood for the day. Heck, I've read crueler things in campus newspapers.

Answer 3

Yes...his writing is horrible and violent and there are all those issues that you mention. But you can't really tell a person's state of mind from his writing. I've taught teenagers and it's not uncommon for them to have violent themes in their writing. Ok, it's not common either but it does happen. Sometimes it really is a cry for help, sometimes it's just creative expression (perhaps influenced by movies, video games etc?). It was not Cho's writing that was scary, it was the fact that he set fires and stalked women. That should have set off warning bells.

Answer 4

I've read both the plays, but I strongly disagree with the idea of people being able to analyze what kind of person he is just by reading his plays.

Can you tell me who Roahd Dahl is after reading Willy Wonka? No. Well, that's different. Alright, what about Clockwork Orange? That had to do with rape, killings, torture...I just really don't think that works at all. Sure you can tell that there was something wrong with him, disregard of the 'inapropriate for school,' loner, but when I read the plays they seemed to try to appear funny, and they didn't seem like they took a lot of thought. It was a screenplay/story. From a screenplay you can tell what a writer is capable of writing of, but not so much as to who he is.

Answer 5

(Laymen Armchair Psychologist. Funny!)

I used to think I was some kind of holy person.
Much better than everybody else.
That is what happens to people that think they are great.
David Koresh, Charlie Manson, etc. They actually turn out to be the worst.

I think that was part of his thinking as well.
He sees himself as being perfect in an imperfect world.
Why is he being treated unfairly, when the rest of the world is terrible and he is absolutely perfect?
There are numerous other refrences. Overweight, Fat, Catholic Priest, etc. He is pointing out all that is bad in the world. Elevating himself to some level of superiority.

He is lashing out at the world through his play.
Condemning the world and rising himself above it all.

Does the term "Why do bad things happen to good people come to mind?"

P.S. You can see the way people bash others all the time. If it aint Imus, It is politics. Somebody trying to evelate themselves to some level of superiority. It is easy to criticise. Much harder to be criticized.

P.S.S. You can see bum fights and how that has created the illusion of superiority towards the homeless.
You can see the way the overweight are criticized.
You can see the way smokers are ostricised.
You can see the way people who gab on constantly with some kind of point are ignored :)

Answer 6

Honestly I think you should just stop looking into it so hard and saying those sort of things. You arent helping the families of the victims and you sure as **** arent helping the family of Cho. So why dont you just let the nation let it go.

Answer 7

I have read them, they are really chilling. The mental health community let him and us down. There should have been some way to be able to stop him.

Answer 8

if i was a teacher i would say were going to mcdonalds then drive him into a mental hospital and leave him there...thats how sick his plays are.
I read them yesterday.

Answer 9

See the video he sent to NBC.

Answer 10

nope i have not had the chance to read the play