Power of the Situation

In psychology there is something referred to as "power of the situation." It explains why people do things they normally would not under particular circumstances. A strong illustration occurred in the 1970s; it is called The Stanford Prison Experiment.

Some researchers put college males into a simulated jail, placing some as guards and others as prisoners. When prisoners did not behave according to the established standards, guards were to punish them. Ordinary young men turned into cruel bullies within a short time. It's pretty amazing - if you have the time, I'd suggest checking it out if you haven't already heard of it. Some guards would make prisoners do physical exercise as punishment, while others would abuse their power by embarrassing prisoners.

Power of the situation is also featured in Maus when a Holocaust victim helps the Nazis, acting as an officer, to save his own skin. I got the feeling he wasn't a bad person, he just was doing what it took to survive. In that particular camp with those particular officers, "what it took" involved putting down, punishing, or harming fellow victims. To be forced into the Holocaust, tortured and mistreated, and then to inflict that kind of abuse on others must have been at least as terrifying (if not more so) than being a victim with the majority. The guy who helped the Nazis was probably so scared he either blocked out the reality of what he was doing to his fellow humans, or disconnected from the situation completely, not even aware of the deeds he performed.

I bring up this concept because being in the Israeli army probably doesn't feel "normal" to anyone. In the beginning of Jobnik! our protagonist complains that she is bored and lonely in her office; however, she would not want someone around who could do her job better. Loneliness is a craving for social interaction and connection. Miriam sleeps with at least three different men during her service. My question is, did she do it because she really liked them, or was it the job she was assigned? If she worked in the kitchen or on a cleaning crew (with other people) instead of in an office (alone), would she still have had those affairs?