On the Waterfront

In the movie, On the Waterfront, the characters have many different views of what is a traitor vs. a whistle blower. These opinions are based on their position in society and their personal experience with the mob that runs the loading docks. Edy, the policeman, and the priest all consider an informant on the mob a whistle blower and someone who is doing the right thing. Edy believes this because her own brother was killed by the mob and the priest believes this because of the injustices he has observed on the docks. The policeman believes that the public has a right to know what is truly happening and justice should be served. On the other hand, there are several people who believe that turning in the mob would be a treacherous betrayal. Most obvious are the people who run the mob. They believe that a person who informs the police of their behavior is a traitor and must be dealt with. Because it would be their own necks on the line if they were found out, it is obvious that they should think this way. Terry starts out believing that he would be a traitor if he turned in the mob because he has ties to it. The leaders of the mob give him favors and make his life easier at the docks. Also, his brother is high up in the hierarchy of bosses. Terry believes that he is not doing anything wrong as long as he can convince himself that his participation in the mob's activities have not directly affected anyone else. Once his words and actions lead to the murder of his brother, he sees the injustice that is being done and vows to gain revenge. It is possible to see the views of the characters in the move On the Waterfront, by observing their personal experiences and connections to the events and actions of the mob that runs the loading docks.

I think that there are several factors that determine the difference between a traitor and a whistle blower. A traitor is usually a person who selfishly seeks personal gain for themselves and is willing to turn in the people that trust them for this gain. They do not care what happens to the people that they betray, and they don't care if they destroy the lives of the people they betray. In contrast, a whistle blower is someone who sees something that is not right and risks their life, wealth, relationships, and affluence to make something right. And although the position that a person is in relation to the informant determines their view of traitor vs. whistle blower, the effects of their informing, in my opinion, is what makes a person a traitor or whistle blower.