Irish Association for American Studies

"IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT AND I FEEL FINE": MORALITY, THEOLOGY
AND POLITICS IN SEVEN
Author(s): STEPHEN MILLIGEN
Source: Irish Journal of American Studies, Vol. 13/14 (2004/2005), pp. 149-166
Published by: Irish Association for American Studies
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 STEPHEN MILLIGEN UNIVERSITYOF ULSTERATJORDANSTOWN

"IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT

AND I FEEL FINE":
MORALITY, THEOLOGY AND POLITICS IN SEVEN

During the presidencyof Ronald Reagan in the 1980s the "serial" sex
killeremergedas a dominantfigurein Americanpopularculture.Creditedwith
superhumanintellectand abilitiesthe "serial" killerwas accused of attacking
the traditionalvalues underpinningAmerican societyin a decade markedby
conservative politics and resurgent fundamentalistProtestantism.After
Reagan's election victorythe focus of popular debate shiftedaway from
tangiblesocial problems such as the environment,unemploymentand civil
rights.In the "new morning"in Americapromisedby Reagan,symbolicattacks
on abortion, pornography,and the teaching of evolution in schools took
priority (see Johnson,193-214;Dallek; and Berman,60-118).
In Reagan's opinion, there had been a breakdown in the American
criminaljustice system,"It just plain isn't working.All too often, repeat
offenders...are robbing,rapingand beatingwithimpunityand ... quite literally
gettingaway with murder,"he argued. A change was needed, according to
Reagan, to win the "War on Crime." It was time to see crime as a moral
problemrequiringa spiritualsolution.Describingmurderas "objectivelyevil"
he stated "right and wrong matters;individuals are responsible for their
actions; [and] Retributionshould be swiftand sure forthose who preyon the
innocent"("Remarks,"840-41, 844). Echoing rhetoricfromearlierin his own
careeras well as thatof conservativessuch as BarryGoldwater,RichardNixon
andJ. Edgar Hoover, his speeches rangwithan Old Testamentzeal.
It is this era that David Fincher's film Sevencritiques,exposing the
human consequences of naivetyand politicalromanticism.By consideringthe
film'sliterary and cinematicintertextsthispaper arguesthatSevenexaminesthe
consequences for societyof the and inhumanideologyespoused by
unrealistic
conservative Christian demagogues for centuries, and most recentlyby
Reagan's New Right of the Republican partyin the 1980s. In the scriptfor
Sevenno specificdate is given for the commencementof the crimes,but the
decor and clothes make it obvious thatit is set in the late twentiethcentury.
The filmwent into productionin 1995 but the scripthad been sold fiveyears
before (circa 1990), and had been completed some time before that. It can
fairlybe assumed,then,thatthe filmis set duringthe timeitwas written, in the
late 1980s. This is reinforcedby the scriptnotes, which indicate that Doe
began to prepareforhis crimesfiveyearspriorto the discoveryof murdered
shut-in.This suggests that Doe was at work from the early to mid-1980s.
Walkerhas also noted in interviewsthathe was writingabout the societyhe

149

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150 IRISHJOURNALOF AMERICANSTUDIES,VOLUMES 13and14,2004-05

saw aroundhim.The social and economic conditionsof thel980s developed as

a consequence of neglectand decay spanninggenerations,but duringReagan's
administration policies focused on defence spendingand tax cuts ratherthan
social spending.Individualgreed took precedence over collectivewell-being.
Followingthe flightto the suburbsafter1950, innercitieswere depictedin film
as increasinglythreatening environments by conservativerhetoric.
"Serial" killersare usually,but falsely,describedby the Federal Bureau
of Investigation(FBI) as highlymobile whitemales, sexuallymotivatedkillers
who select their"innocent" victimsat random and who will continue their
careers in crime until they are caught or killed. After gaining academic
qualificationsin psychologythe BehaviouralScience Unit profilersabandoned
all of the definitionsand terminologywhich they had been taught,and
constructed their own simplistic paradigm for personalitytypes. When
conductinginterviewswithincarceratedoffenderstheyintentionally selecteda
handfulof highprofilecriminals,along witha numberof othercriminalswho
were not necessarilymurderers,to aid theirsubsequentpublic relations.The
profilesreflectmore about FBI prioritiesthan theydo about the nature of
"serial" crime.The profilerswent lookingsolelyforsexual motivesforcrimes
and applied a naive Freudiananalysisto theirfindings.In a numberof cases,
such as the Vampireof Sacramento,the FBI triedto take creditin retrospect
forsolvingcases in whichtheirprofilesplayedvirtually no part.In othercases,
such as the Atlanta Child Murders,they altered theirprofileto match the
descriptionof a suspect once one was identified.The profilespresentedto
police are virtuallyuseless because theyare so vague and general.FBI profilers
are not investigators,theydo not visitcrimescenes,theyare not scientists,and
in a numberof court cases it has been ruled that theyare not qualifiedto
delivertestimonyabout capturedsuspects.The killerswere claimed to select
theirvictimsrandomlyto heightenpublic insecurity, and emphasiseindividual
vulnerability.No statisticalanalysiswas presentedby the FBI, and thenumbers
of victimsclaimed by "serial" killerseach year, and the number of active
"serial" killersin America,were distortedby attributing all of the unsolved
homicides for a year (5,000) to "serial" killers.By assumingthat each killer
killed 10 people a year,theyarrivedat 500 as the numberof active "serial"
killers.The realityof "serial" killershas proved to be verydifferent fromthe
FBI profileas theyhave been foundto killpeople theyknow,remainstatic,kill
across racial boundaries and have been motivatedby factorsother than sex
(see Milligen).
The definitionpopularized by the Bureau is politicallymotivated,and
was implementedat a timewhen the FBI was tryingto rebuildits bureaucratic
credibilityafterrevelationsin the 1970s of involvementin civil rightsabuses,

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 And PoliticsIn Seven
Morality,Theology 151

COINTELPRO, and theWatergate scandal.The emergence of "serial"sex

killersas a "new"phenomenon, withtheoffenders usuallyaged between20
and 35, subtly identified
theseuniquekillersas a productof thesocialchanges
broughtabout by LyndonJohnson's"Great Society"programsand the
of socialvaluesin the 1960s,symbolswhichReaganand other
liberalization
conservatives zealouslyopposed.However,according to ElliotLeyton,"Ifwe
were chargedwiththe responsibility for designinga societyin whichall
structuralandcultural mechanisms leanedtowardsthecreation of thekillers
of
strangers,we could do no betterthan to the
present purchaser with the shape
of modernAmerica" (375). Ironicallythe New Right ideologywhich
dominated in the1980soriginated in the1950sas a backlashagainsttheNew
Deal policies,especiallythose seekingto regulatebusinessand developa
welfare system forthepoor.
According to RobertRessler,one of themostprominent FBI profilers,
"WhatmycolleaguesandI havedoneis design a little ...
expertiselookingbeyond
what the conventional police investigatorsees" (Emphasisadded. Ressler
VolumeTipo:62). In
quoted in Goldman, The X-Files Book oftheUnexplained:
doingso he and his colleagues, whileneveractually investigatinganyof the
cases theyprofiled,becamea hybrid of theclassicfictionaldetectiveand the
hard-boiledactiondetective, establishinga dramatic imagefor the "new" FBI.
The imageof the"new"FBI was depictedin books,filmsand on TV, most
notablyin thecrimefictionof ThomasHarris.The filmSilence oftheÌMtnbs
(Jonathan Demme, 1991) was thehighpoint of FBI propaganda, depictingthe
Bureauin themostfavorable anddynamic lightpossible.
Whilein officeRonaldReaganwas reportedto have remarked to his
friendJerry Falwell, "I sometimes believe thatwe're headingvery fast for
armageddonright now" in
(Falwellquoted Krupey, "The Christian Right,
Zionism,and theComingof thePenteholocaust," in Parfrey(Ed.) Apocalypse
Culture.289). Thisidea shapedmanyof hispolicies,of whichthe"serial"sex
killerproveda suitablesymbolicharbinger. Foreshadowing the impending
apocalypse,the cinematic"serial"killerwas epitomizedby the grandiose
HannibalLecterof Manhunter (MichaelMann,1986) and Silence oftheluimbs,
andLucianMorranoin SeñalKiller (PierreDavid,1995). These characterstaunt
investigators with their superior intellect,but John Doe in Seven(David
Fincher,1996) elevatesthe killerto the statusof a deludedand fanatical
religiousmoralistwithmessianicaspirations. Contemporary criticsmissedthe
significanceof the obviousliterary and cinematicreferences in Sevenand it
opened in the US in September 1995 to poor reviews, it stillshot to
but
numberone at thebox officeandbecameone of themostsuccessful filmsof

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152 IRISHJOURNALOF AMERICANSTUDIES,VOLUMES 13 and14,2004-05

the year. Fincher never intended to make a blockbusterfilm,instead he

envisionedSevenas a smallproject:
I alwaysthoughtthattherewould be an audience for this
picture. I always believed that the most healthyway to
perceivethe entireexercise,and I said thisto Brad Pittand
we agreedon it,was to do a strong,singularminornote. It
wasn't supposed to be the be all and end all of everybody's
career.It was let's do somethingthatwe have the clout to
get the financing, do itwell,and do itwithas much passion
as we can. ("KillerMovie," 35)
The filmcontrastsan experiencedblack detective,William Somerset
(Morgan Freeman),witha naive,crusadingwhitedetective,David Mills (Brad
Pitt),who has just moved to the citywithhis wifeTracey (GwynethPaltrow).
However, departingfrom the conventional"good" versus "evil" narrative,
screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker,an admittedfan of what he called "the
cinemaof discomfort,"(Walkerqtd. Salisbury,"Butcher"12) invokedelements
of classical literature,theology,popular cultureand contemporarypolitics to
createa disturbing moralitytale ratherthana conventionalHollywood product.
Uninterestedin makinga blatantlycommercialmainstreamfilm,David Fincher
wanted to directa filmthatwould have an impacton the audience,reflecting
his own preferencein films.As he told one interviewer, "I don't know how
much movies should entertain.[...] I'm alwaysinterestedin movies that scar1'
(Fincherqtd. Salisbury,"Seventh Hell," 83). The scriptfor Sevenappealed to
Fincherbecause itwas "so ruthless":
I got 20 pages into it and I thought,"Oh God, it's just a
buddymovie, and it's like I'm the last person in the world
to do one, because I don't understandthem,but thenall of
a sudden it took thisturn,and I foundmyselfgettingmore
and more trappedin this kind of evil, and althoughI felt
uncomfortableabout being there, I had to keep going
(Fincherqtd. Salisbury,"SeventhHell," 81)
When Fincherread the scripthe knewJohnDoe was a "bad guy,"but he also
questioned David Mills's character,and wanted William Somerset to "stop
whiningand do something."Readingon he foundhimselfbecominginvolved
with the "intellectualdrama" of the screenplay,and was impressed that the
frictionwhichwas created"was the frictionof ideas collidingwitheach other,
as opposed to shootingpeople" ("KillerMovie," 34).
Fincherwanted the filmto be tough; as for the audience, "you don't
have any control over this, you're just along for the ride" (Fincher qtd.
Salisbury,"Seventh Hell," 82). He had a much more realisticidea of what

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 And PoliticsIn Seven
Morality,Theology 153

"serial"killersdo and how theydo it thanmostof his contemporaries in

Hollywood:
[W]henyou startdoing researchon serialkillers,these
peopledon'tpreyon senators, theypickofftheweakand
thestragglers andtherunaways and theprostitutes andthe
and
peoplehitchhiking, people unfortunate to
enough be at
a 7-Elevenat twoo'clockin themorning. It takesplacein a
verydarkworld,andso itjustseemedlikethedarkness was
moreinkeeping withmaking a horror movie.
("Seventh Hell,"87)
Afterinitially sellingthescript, and longbeforeDavid Fincherbecame
involved, AndrewKevinWalkermovedto Los Angeles.In thefollowing five
yearshe rewrote the ending at the request of a director who had previously
beeninvolvedin theproject.The film'sproducerArnoldKopelsonalso told
Walkerthathe wouldneverallowtheoriginal "head-in-the-box" endingto be
filmed, but whenDavid Fincherwas approachedto directthe filmhe was
accidentally sent a copy of the originalscript,and not the rewritten one.
FincherrequestedMorganFreemanto be cast as Somerset.The producers
werereluctant untilPittmadeit clearhow muchhe wouldliketo workwith
Freeman- thenthestudiocasthim.The producers wereapparently not fully
awareof whatthescriptwas aboutand had concernsthatthepairingof Pitt
and Freemanmightbe comparedto Mel Gibsonand DannyGloverin the
seriesofUthalWeapon films("KillerMovie,"34-35).
Afterreading theoriginal andreviseddrafts Fincher, withthesupport of
MorganFreemanand BradPitt,convincedKopelsonto reinstate theoriginal
ending.Pittevenwentto thelengths of havingitwritten intohiscontract that
thestudiocouldnotchangetheending,(Salisbury, "Butcher,"12) and Walker
acknowledged thathe was surprised hisoriginal endinghad beenaccepted:"I
was totally spoiledon thisfilm- whowouldhavethought theywouldletmeget
awaywithit?It willneverbe likethatagain"(Westbrook 86). The endingis
muchmorethanan attempt to shocktheaudienceand producea sensational
finale;it is a crucialsubversion of Dante's DivineComedy, a keythemein the
film.
The storytakesplaceoverone week,a timeperiodwhichresonates with
the film'skeyintertexts. Seven daysis, of course,the durationof biblical
creation;the journeythroughHell to Paradisein Dante's DivineComedy is
completed in the course of a week. The seven days also correspond to the
sevendeadlysinswhichinform thefilm'stitle.Within thefilm, theweekmarks
WilliamSomerset's lastsevendaysbeforeretirement, and David Mills'sfirst
sevenas a Metrohomicidedetective. For Millstheweekconstitutes a riteof

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154 IRISHJOURNALOF AMERICANSTUDIES,VOLUMES 13and14,2004-05

passage withSomersetas a "reluctantmentor... witha humanistunderstanding

of history."(Täubin, 23). Initially,two seeminglyunconnected murdersare
reported but the experienced Somerset soon deduces that a killer is
"preaching"and each murderis a "sermon" being carriedout as a punishment
fortheindividualstransgressing and committing one of the Seven Deadly Sins.
The killer,who is eventuallyidentifiedas John ("Jonathan")Doe (Kevin
Spacey), uses the Sins as a blueprintforhis crimes,takingconservativemoral
theology as his apocalyptic inspiration.A note left by the killer for the
detectiveswarns them of what is to come and provides what is perhaps the
most pertinentcommentin the film.It reads, "Long is the way, / And hard,
thatout of hell leads up to light"(Milton,ParadiseL^ost,Book 2 1.432). But in a
cultureof individualgreed,which is regulatedby a retributive criminaljustice
systemyet in which the continuingsocio-economic causes of crime remain
untended,thereare no long-termsolutions.
Four key intertextsunderpin the action: Dante's Purgatory from the
DivineComedy, the biblicalrelationshipbetweenDavid and Jonathanrecounted
in I and II Samuel,FrankCapra's filmMeetJohnDoe (1941), and "The Parson's
Tale," a sermonon the Seven Deadly Sins fromChaucer's Canterbury Tales.Out
of these sources an unusual and compelling a critique of theology and
contemporary societyis formed.In his book Seven(1998), RichardDyer notes a
few of the film's obvious cultural references,ranging from classical to
postmodern,but dismissivelycommentsthat"we don't need to know any of
these referencesto follow the film."He also makes condescendingremarks
about the film'sgeneralaudience not understanding its highculturalreferences
(72-73),yethe himselffailsto see theirsignificance.
The FBI, the self-proclaimedauthoritieson "serial" murder,appears
only fleetinglyin Sevenvia a clandestineprogramwhich theyoperatein public
libraries.Books thatare consideredto appeal to the criminalmind are flagged
and the names of anyonewho borrowssuch books are added to a list.This list
providesSomersetand Mills witha group of suspects,and leads them to one
"JonathanDoe." An FBI programcalled the "LibraryAwareness Program"
was operated in New York public librariesfor a time, monitoringcertain
scientificand technicaljournalsthatthe Bureau suspectedmightbe of use to
foreignspies. It was claimed that the program produced very littleuseful
information and thatthe practicewas an intrusionon FirstAmendmentrights
of American citizens (Kessler 114-15). Similarlypolice officersinvestigating
"cult" relatedcrimesin the 1970s made use of libraryinformationto identify
suspects,a methodwhichhas become common practice.In thelate 1980s self-
styledcult"expert"Dale W. Griffis,a retiredpolice Captain fromTiffin,Ohio,
recommendedthat police officersshould contact public librariesto gather

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 And PoliticsIn Seven
Morality,Theology 155

namesof patronswho borrowedbooksrelatedto theoccult(Hicks,55, 369-

371).The idea of usinglibrary recordsto catcha "serial"killerwas also based
on realevents.In 1990 detectives investigating the Zodiac Killer,a "serial"
sniperin New York City,obtaineda subpoena for libraryrecordsof
individualsrecentlyrequesting booksbyAleisterCrowley, a twentieth-century
whowas thought
occultist, to haveinspired thekiller("Library Files").
By suggesting thatMillsand Somersetcould use such a programto
checkreferences as commonplace as DanteandThomasAquinasimpliesthese
"classic"books are potentially dangerousreadingbecauseof theideas they
contain,mostnotablytheirdiscussionsof sin.This is ironicconsidering the
ideologyofthesebooksformsthebasisof theconservative moralitypromoted
by the FBI, Reaganand theNew Christian Right,who wereengagedon a
moralcrusadeagainstpoliticaldissent,pornography, and sexual deviance
throughout the1980s.
Unlike the FBI, which thrives on publicityand high-profile
Mills and Somersetare underpressureto solve the crimes,
investigations,
pressurewhichis increasedwhenDistrictAttorney MartinTalbot (Richard
Roundtree) assuresthenewsmediathattheinvestigation wouldbe "thevery
definitionof swiftjustice."This reflectsthe difficulties faced by police
in
departments large modern cities,especiallyafterRonald Reagan'sbudget
cuts.
In Seven,thejourneythrough Purgatory depictedin Dante'sepicpoem
TheDivineComedy is relocatedto an urbanmetropolis to providethe main
structureof the film'snarrative, withthe two detectives, David Mills and
WilliamSomerset,takingon the roles of Dante and Virgilrespectively.
Whereasthe complexplan of Dante's Inferno is takenfrompaganwriters,
mainly Aristotleand Cicero,Purgatory derivesfrom theChristian and
tradition,
is muchsimpler(Holmes72). Dante andVirgilemergefromtheunderground
Infernoon an islandat thebase of a mountain, and Earthly Paradiseis at the
summitof the mountain,theirfinaldestination. The journeyfromHell,
through theTerracesof Purgation, and on to Earthly Paradise,takesonlyone
weekin TheDivineComedy, whichcorresponds to thedurationof Millsand
Somerset'sdysfunctional workingrelationship. Both Dante's poem and
Fincher'sfilmenactthecourseof one man'sjourneyto God, butwhereasin
themedievaltextbeatitude is achieved,Fincher'sversionpointedly depictsa
muchgrimmer outcome.
In Dante'spoem,Terracesof Purgation arewheresinnersarepunished
for theirtransgressions. In both the screenplayand the film,these are
symbolicallyre-enacted in a citythatremains nameless, allowing itto becomea
genericlocation.Doe's crimescouldbe committed in anylargeAmerican city

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156 IRISHJOURNALOF AMERICANSTUDIES,VOLUMES 13and14,2004-05

with a decayinginfrastructure and anonymous population. After the white

exodus frominner cities in the 1950s these sections became "grim holding
area[s] forthe nation's superfluouspeople, its poor, its minorities,its elderly,
its incompetent,its pathological' " (Steigerwald188). The settingis a hellish
metropolis,"a namelesswarrenof damp corridors,subterraneansex jointsand
dilapidatedtenements,where it rainsall the time" (Wrathall50). In thisliving
hell "man is corruptand citiesare cesspools of contagion"(Täubin 23); the city
harbors a trulyhorrificdecaying and depraved society that evokes the
atmosphereof Sodom and Gomorrah. In the words of one critic,the film
"createsan overwhelmingsense of unease, presentinga world of irredeemable
ugliness,a grim,melancholic,depressingand decaying society from which
thereis no escape" (Salisbury,"Seven," 29). This contrastssharplywith the
Utopianideal of smalltown Americathatoriginatedin Jeffersonian democracy
and was subsequentlyromanticizedby numerous politicians,and used as a
powerfulsymbolby the Republican New Rightof the 1980s. Books such as
Luc Sante's Low Ufe (1992) and Timothy Guilfoyle's City of Eros (1992)
documentthe criminaland sleazy undersideof New York City fromthe late
eighteenthto the early twentiethcentury,showing that the Sodom and
Gomorrahwhich John Doe sees in the late twentiethcenturyis not a new
development;rather,it is a predictableconsequence of Western capitalist
civilization.
For Thomas Aquinas, one of John Doe's influences,the purpose of
human stateswas to createa frameworkwithinwhich Christianlife could be
conducted.Human law was, withinlimits,the applicationof divinelaw. During
Aquinas' lifetimeChristianspessimisticallyconceived theworld as beingfullof
corruption.Historywas a tale of mankind'sfailureand the triumphof faith,
the pitfallsof sin with the possibilityof redemption.In his works Aquinas
promotedthe idea thatthe statewas the veryhighestachievementpossible by
mankindand one thatcould transfigure the earthlysocietyinto a Heaven on
earth.However,moralfailingsand sin could turnitinto Hell on earth.
Dante was also deeplyinfluencedby Aquinas' ideas, and in The Divine
Comedy the breakdownof moral religiousorderis as much of a concernto the
poet it is to John Doe in Seven.On the journeythroughPurgatoryMarco,
as
Lombardo tellsDante whytheworldhas gone bad:
On Rome, thatbroughttheworldto know thegood,
once shone two suns thatlightedup two ways:
the road of thisworldand theroad of God.

The one sun has put out theother'slight

the swordis now one withthe crook - and fused

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 And PoliticsIn Seven
Morality,Theology 157

thus,mustbringaboutmisrule,
together

sincejoined,nowneither fearstheotherone.
CantoXVI: 106-12)
(Purgatorio,
The fearof moraldeclineis not uniqueto late twentieth-century America;
indeed,ithas remained societalconcernacrossthecenturies
a persistent since
Dante's death.However,one obviousdevelopment in thisarea of thinking
overtheyearshas beenthereplacement/ supercession of thebeliefthat"evil"
could be identifiedthrough physicalcharacteristicsby thepseudo-science of
psychology.In Eusebii Caesarinsis
episcopichronicon
(1512), Johannes Multivallis
relatedthe symbolicphysicaldeformities of the Monsterof Ravennato
moralfailings:
particular
The horn[indicates] pride;thewings,mentalfrivolity and
the
inconsistency; lack of arms, a lack of good works; the
raptor's foot, rapaciousness,usury and every sort of
avarice;the eye on the knee,a mentalorientation solely
towardearthly things;the double sex, sodomy.And on
accountof thesevices,Italyis shattered by thesufferings
of war,whichthekingof Francehas notaccomplished by
hisownpower,butonlyas thescourgeofGod. (Multivallis
and theOrderofNature
qtd. in Daston and Park, Wonders
1150-1750:182)
Sin,notmilitary power,is thefanciful explanation givenbyMultivallis forthe
Frenchdomination ofsixteenth-centuryItaly.
In a similarwaysinwas singledout in 1980sAmericaas thesourceof
crime,poverty manyothersocialills.The New Rightwas returning
and to
superstitiousmedieval to
thought explain socialproblems ratherthan looking
at empiricalrealities.However,aberrantpsychology, ratherthan physical
deformity, was the manifestation of sin in the 1980s. While the external
appearanceof "serial"killerswas unexceptional, beneaththe surfacelay
unimaginable "evil"and depravity whichthreatened all of society.
Alongwith
conservative the
Christians, New Right used the social,moral and economic
decline of Americaas indicatorsthat biblicalpropheciesin Revelation
signallingthe secondcomingof Christwereto be fulfilled imminently. The
rhetoricalstrategyis not unlikethatimplemented by Dante who,in his own
era,adaptedtheapocalyptic imagery of Revelation to actualhistoryto indicate
corruption Canto
(Purgatorio, XXXII).
VirgilguidedDantethrough theTerracesof Purgation, wherethesinful
didpenancefortheirsins,and in Seven themysterious killerforceshisvictims
to atone for theirsins. In the sixteenthcentury"atonement"replaced

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158 IRISHJOURNALOF AMERICANSTUDIES,VOLUMES 13and14,2004-05

"onement" as a theologicaltermto describe the process of reconcilingtwo

estrangedparties.In the filmSomerset describes Doe's murdersas "forced
atonement,"an oxymoronthat highlightsthe differencebetween the killer's
statedphilosophyand his actions.
Somersetis Mills's guide throughthe seamyunderworldof the cityand
the seriesof perverseand brutal,but symbolic,murders.Mills repeatedlytries
to denyhis naiveteby emphasizingthathe has spentyearson the streets,but it
is Somerset's insightsand not his that advance the investigation.In the
shootingscript,it is Somersetwho establisheswho is in chargewhen he says,
"Let me tellyou how I want thisto go. I wantyou to look, and I want you to
listen."When Somerset explains to Mills the significanceof each sin, he is
adoptingtherole of Virgil,the experiencedand knowledgeablevoice of human
reason.
Somersetis world-wearyand reticentabout his isolation.His yearsas a
cop have jaded his outlook to the pointwhere,withhis retirement pending,he
"I
says: just don't think I can continue to live in a place that embraces and
nurturesapathyas if it were a virtue."Althoughhe sympathizeswith those
who adopt apathy as a solution to the drudgeryof day-to-daylife, he
concludes, "love costs. It takes effortand work." In a culturegoverned by
apathyand greed the determinationto make a caringsocietyis unlikelyto be
found."Love" was a topic of interestforDante. In his youth,he and a circleof
young poets with whom he was associated in Tuscany were involved in an
exchangeof ideas, theirmain subjectsbeingthepursuitof truthand thelove of
God. In theirdiscussions"love" was a naturalcravingand a dominantforcein
humannature.However,theydid not view it as a forcepurelyfor"good", and
in PurgatorioVirgilends a lesson to Dante by warning,"Now may be plain to
thee how hiddenis the truthforthose who maintainthateverylove is in itself
praiseworthy, perhaps because its matteralways seems good; but not every
stamp is good, even if it be good wax" {DivineComedy:2 Purgatorio, 233).
Misguidedlove is a destructiveforce.It is distortedlove thatcauses the Seven
Deadly Sins, and for both Mills and Doe it is the love of unattainableideals
whichcauses theirdestruction.
Methodical and organized,Somerset is realisticenough to know that
when theydo catch the killerhe willnot be the Devil incarnate,he willonlybe
a man. Somersetis not an action hero; rather,he is a witness to the decay
around him. Detective Somerset'sname probablypays homage to the author
WilliamSomersetMaugham (1874-1965) who wrote Of HumanBondage(1915).
The novel is mentionedin Sevenand Maugham is one of Walker's favorite
writers.OfHumanBondage was not popularwithcontemporary readersbecause

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 And PoliticsIn Seven
Morality,Theology 159

itis a bleakstory, andwas releasedduring WW I whentheaudiencewantedto

be reassured andcheeredup.
Contrasting withSomerset'sdetachedcerebralstyleof investigation,
Millsfavourstheactiondetective approach.He is a naive,youngidealistwho
believeshe canmakea difference, andis moreenthusiastic abouttaking up the
roleof thedynamic actiondetective thancarrying out themundanefootwork
that builds an investigation. While Somersetis patientand researches
studiously in the library Millsrelies on YorkNotesfortheeditedhighlights of
literary classics,buteventhenhisfrustration boilsoverandin one outburst he
shouts"Goddam Dante, poetrywritin'faggotpiece of shit."When Mills
participates in theinvestigation itis usuallyin violentsituations,
or illegalacts.
For instance,afterthe Sloth murderMills loses his temperwitha press
photographer; in responseSomersetsayssarcastically "it'simpressive to see a
man feedingoffhis emotions."Foolishlyshoutinghis own nameafterthe
photographer, Millsis so caughtup in hisfrustration he does notrealizehe has
justmetthekiller.Ultimately itis Mills'sself-deludingoptimism andidealistic
conservative naivetethatenablesDoe to fulfillhis own twistedreligious
sermon.
Doe tauntsMillsduring theconfusion of theirfinalconversation, telling
himthathe has visitedhisapartment and "triedto playhusband"withTracy,
inorderto "livethelifeofa simpleman."Revealing that"Envy"is hisownsin
Doe continues to goad Mills,tellinghimthatTracy'sheadis in thebox that
has justbeendelivered to Somerset. The finalstrawis therevelation thatnot
onlyhas Doe killedTracybut herunbornchildas well,and thatMillswas
unawareof herpregnancy untilthatmoment. Somerset triesinvainto prevent
Millsfromavenging hiswifeand childbut,facedwiththemanwhodestroyed
his family, Mills loses sightof justiceand the law. His naive beliefsare
shattered and hismisguided love,whichwas previously seenin his emotional
outbursts of frustration,explodes.Exercising theOld Testament self-righteous
"eyeforan eye"philosophy of a higher law,as endorsedbytheNew Right, he
executesDoe forhiscrimesandfulfils hismessianicprophecy. The conclusion
of Sevenleavesno doubtin theaudience'smindthatMillshas succumbedto
Doe's plan,andforhissinof"Wrath"he too mustbe punished.
"Tracy"is a contemporary abbreviated formof "Beatrice,"thename
Dantegaveto hismuse.BiciPortinari metDantein 1274whentheywereboth
about 9 yearsold. He called her "Beatrice",which means "bringerof
blessings." In his poemsshe is a modelof courtesy and virtue.Howevershe
didnotmarry Dante.Insteadshebecamethewifeofa bankeranddiedin 1290
aged24. Im VitaNuova("New Life")is a collection of 31 of thepoemsDante
wroteto her.

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160 IRISHJOURNALOF AMERICANSTUDIES,VOLUMES 13and14,2004-05

There are manydescriptionsof Beatricein Im Vita Nuova,emphasizing

her positivecharacteristics. Accordingto Dante she was "All gentlenessand
humility"(Chapter XXI), and "A lady, youthfuland compassionate,Much
graced with qualities gentleness"(ChapterXXIII). In chaptertwenty-six
of of
1m VitaNuova,Dante writes:
So deeplyto be reverenced,so fair,
My ladyis when she her smilebestows,
All sound of speakingfaltersto a close
And eyeswhichwould behold herdo not dare.
Of praisessungof her she is aware,
Yet clad in sweethumility she goes.
A thingfromheaven sent,to all she shows
A miraclewhichtheworldmayshare.
Her beautyenteringthebeholder'seye
Bringssweetnessto theheart,all sweetsabove:
None comprehendswho does not know thisstate;
And fromherlips thereseems to emanate
A gentlespirit,fullof tenderlove,
Whichto the soul enrapturedwhispers:"Sigh!"
(Reynoldstrans.,Im Vita Nuova,76)
These characteristics are clearlypresentin TracyMills. Accordingto Lawrence
Coupe, Beatrice, and thereforeTracy, represents"the ultimatepower of
Christiangrace" (113), but Doe tries to "play husband," suggestinghe has
raped or sexuallyassaulted her, and then beheads her. As Doe's speech is
specificallyaimed at goadingMills to become Wrathit maynot be entirelytrue.
It targetssensitivesubjectsthatDoe knowswillproduce the desiredresponse.
The "ultimatepower of Christiangrace,"and therebythe hope forthe future,
is obliteratedbyDoe's fanaticalphilosophyand actions.
In Purgatorio(Canto XXX) BeatricechallengesDante and remindshim
of his unworthiness, and latershe forceshim to admitthatafterher death he
was distractedfromthe proper path by "ft]he presentthingswith theirfalse
pleasure" (Canto XXXI: 34-35). In Seven,Mills is distractedfromhis path of
upholdingthe law by his misguidedlove in the form of £iWrath", and just
beforehe executesthe killerof his wifea frameof Tracyflasheson-screenfor
an instant.WhileVirgil,the pagan Roman poet,guidesDante throughHell and
Purgatory,it is Beatrice, whom Dante adores, who guides him through
Heaven. In his poems Dante is captivatedby Beatrice'shead, her face and her
hair, and she becomes an icon of all he aspires towards,but that image is
subvertedwhen Tracy'sdecapitatedhead is deliveredto the detectivesin Seven.

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 And PoliticsIn Seven
Morality,Theology 161

Symbolically pregnant withthe hope of the nextgeneration, she has been

negatedby Doe, and with Tracy dead there is no one to guide Millsonward.
John Doe's full name, however, does not come from Dante; ratherhe
takeshisnamefromthe"Everyman" character in FrankCapra's1941filmMeet
JohnDoe.In thatfilm, aftera newspaper campaign, Doe is falselypromoted as a
spokesmanfor the common man, and the name enteredthe popular
vocabulary to designatean "Everyman"character. "JohnDoe" provideda
powerful symbolic character and policeagenciesquicklyadoptedthetermto
referto thecorpsesof unidentified murdervictims.DirectorFrankCaprais
oftenpresented as a New Deal liberal,buthe was not.Whenaskedabouthis
workby latterday fansCapraoffereda vague,humanist interpretation, one
thatwas designednotto disturb. He oftenmadecomments suchas,"I wanted
to glorifytheaverageman,not theguyat thetop,notthepolitician, notthe
banker,just the ordinary guy whose strength I admire." However, evaded
he
any closer questioning about his films or his personal beliefsand he did not
likehis filmsbeingcloselyscrutinized (McBride:257-58).Caprawas a lifelong
Republicanwho admiredRichardNixon,playedgolfwithBarryGoldwater
and GeraldFord,andwhenReaganwas electedpresident in 1980 Caprasent
him a telegramof congratulations. (McBride,257) Throughouthis career
Reagan,and numerousothermembersof the New Right,triedto present
themselvesto votersin theirelectioncampaignsas similar"Everyman"
characters who entered politicsto servethebestinterests of thepublic.Capra,
alongwithReagan,MillsandJohnDoe, shareda beliefin theagrarian myth,
idealizingsmall-town Americawhilebeingcynically suspiciousof urbancity
environments (McBride253).
Adoptingthe role of the heroicEverymanin the 1960s,Reagan,a
"citizenpolitician" assuredof hisownrighteousness, beganto buildhisimage
as a crediblepoliticalcandidate,waitingfor his chance in the spotlight.
MockingReagan's"citizenpolitician"campaignsloganGovernorEd "Pat"
Brownsaid,"Thisis yourcitizenpilot,I've neverflowna planebeforebut
don'tworry. I've alwayshad a deep interest in aviation"(Boyarsky 40). Public
serviceis the Everyman'ssacrificeforsociety.JohnDoe in Seven, likehis
namesakein MeetJohn Doe,offershis deathas a sacrifice forsociety.In Meet
John Doeitis becauseof thestateof government politics,in Sevenitis because
ofthemoraldeclineof society.
In Seven, as Doe directsMillsand Somersetto an unspecified location,
Somerset triesto findoutmoreaboutDoe, who he is andwhyhe is killing. It
quickly becomes apparent that Doe believes he is working for some higher
causeand thathisactionswillhavesignificant repercussions. He believesthat
"whenit'sfinished. ... peoplewillbarelybe able to comprehend, buttheywill

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162 IRISH JOURNAL OF AMERICAN STUDIES, VOLUMES 13 and 14,2004-05

not be able to deny."WhileSomersettriesto understand Doe, Millstaunts

him,calling him a "freak"and "insane,"wanting to know if he sitsaround
"reading Guns and A.mmo, masturbating in his own faeces" while marveling at
hisowninsanity. Millsis obliviousto thefactthattheysharea similar ideology.
Throughout Seven,Somersetand Mills'scharacters are in conflict: they
sharefewsimilarities andagreeonlyonce.Ironically itisJohnDoe withwhom
Millsis twinned, as botharemotivated bymisguided love.Setin conjunction,
thenamesDavid MillsandJohnDoe alludeto thebiblicalcharacters ofDavid
andJonathan fromthebooksof Samuel.The storyofJonathan and David is
"a beautiful taleof comradeship" (Snowden170)where"thesoulofJonathan
was knitwiththesoulofDavid"(I Samuel18: 1). Thisis notedas "passingthe
love of women"(II Samuel1:26),and is takenby someauthorsto indicatea
homosexualrelationship, but in Sex in theBiblethe ReverendTom Horner
pointsout thatwhile both men were marriedDavid and Jonathanwere
"essentiallybisexualmen"(Hornerqtd.inAkerley 39).
Ironically thebiblicalDavid was chosenbyGod as a successorto Saul,
and God's dynastic promiseto David (II Samuel7) is theclimaxof David's
riseto power.In thepromiseGod assureshimof an eternaldynasty that,in
latergenerations, leadsto thebeliefthata future son of David willrestorethe
fortunes of Israeland "usherin thefinalreignof God" (Encyclopedia ofReligion,
Vol. 4, 243). David embodiedthehope of future generations, as thefather of
Solomon,ancestorof Mary,and therefore Jesus.If Mills is identified as being
oftheHouse ofDavid itis uponhisoffspring thatthefuture rests,butin Seven
hisoffspring hasbeenmurdered withhiswife.
Millsand Doe sharethe same reactionary and retributionist view of
society.The conceptof"sin"as a moraltransgression is dependent on itspolar
oppositionto theideal modelof humanbehaviorwhichendorses"purity",
"justice","sanctity", and the"sacred"{NewCatholic Encyclopedia, Vol. 13,235).
WhileSomersetacceptsthatcrimeis a realityof urbanlife,Millsis naive
enoughto believethathe cando something aboutthelevelofcrimein society,
evenif not alwaysby legalmeans.Once "Jonathan Doe" is identified as a
suspect Mills and Somerset visit his apartment, surprising him, and after a
he
gunfight escapes. The now and
injured angry Mills, the
against argument of
Somerset, breakspoliceprocedure andkicksdownthedoorof theapartment,
an actwhichtheaudiencewillsee as justified becausetheyknowDoe is the
killer.To coverup his transgression Mills bribesa prostitute to make an
obviously false statement. Again the audience willsee this as justifiedbecause
thereis conclusivephysicalevidencein the apartment to linkDoe to the
murders. However,hiswillingness to breakthelaw in hispursuitof "justice"
pusheshimtowardoutright criminality.

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 And PoliticsIn Seven
Morality,Theology 163

Doe believeshe is working fora "higher power,"andis required to do

whatever is necessaryto completehis"work."JohnDoe is nota "serial"killer
accordingto the FBI definition fora numberof reasons.Firstlyhe is not
especiallymobile,hisvictims arenotchosenrandomly, andhe does nottakea
"coolingoff period(3 days)betweenmurders, threeof thecentralfeatures of
thegenericFBI profile.Doe's crimesare not sexually motivated, as the FBI
studyclaimeda "serial"killer's wouldbe; rather, hismotivation is moral,and
he is convincedthatall of his victimsare guiltyof sins,so theyare not
innocenteither.Doe is a morallyreactionary conservative who is punishing
societyforits flaws- reminiscent of "Jackthe Ripper,"who was "down on
whores"(manyotheralleged"serial"killersendorsedsimilarideas). Rather
thanbeinga "serial"killerhe is a "multiple murderer" withno personalhistory
so he cannotbe analyzedin termsof vagueand abstractsociologicaltraits.
However,becauseof thesymbolic natureofhiscrimesitis clearthathe is not
a careercriminal, and once he completestheseriesof sevenmurders he will
have to stop,becausehe believeshe mustgivehis own lifeforthe sin of
"Envy."
Doe does not empathizewithhis victimsand claimstheywere not
innocent. Similarly,throughoutthe investigationMills is noticeably
unsympathetic to thevictims,suchas whenhe describes the"Gluttony" victim
as a "fatfuck."Doe's temperrisesforthe firsttimewhenhe is challenged
aboutthevictims, and he says,"onlyin a worldthisshitty couldyoueventry
to saythesewereinnocent peopleandkeepa straight face."His overdeveloped
literalmoralityexpectsperfection and he is disappointed to see "a deadlysin
on everystreetcorner [and]in everyhome,and we tolerateit." His words
echo the religiousaspectsof Reagan'spoliticalideology.As an extreme
conservative moralist,Doe advocatestheultimate retribution,
believing thathis
examplewillbe "puzzledover,and studied, and followedforever."However,
likehisnamesakein theCaprafilm,he is a falsesavior.Miracle Woman (Frank
Capra,1931) featured BarbaraStanwyck as SisterFallón,a fraudulent savior
who has to confesshersinsto thefollowers shehas deceived,andLongJohn
Willoughby (GaryCooper) facesthe same moraldilemmain MeetJohnDoe
(1941). Motifs of fraud,despair,self-redemption and publicconfession were
recurringthemesin Capra'slaterwork(McBride229).
JohnDoe preachesintolerance ofmoralsinwithno morepityforthose
who are beingpunishedthanhe has for thosewho died at Sodom and
Gommorah.In punishingthe sinnershe ignoresthe relevanttheology.
Accordingto Chaucer's"Parson'sTale", whichis a sermonon the Seven
DeadlySins,theremedy for"Anger"is patience;for"Envy",love;for"Sloth"
(accidie),fortitude;for"Greed"(avarice),mercy;for"Lust"(lechery), chastity

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164 IRISHJOURNALOF AMERICANSTUDIES,VOLUMES 13 and14,2004-05

and continence;for"Gluttony",abstinence,temperanceand sobriety;and for

"Pride", humilityor true self-knowledge. These virtuesare generallyin short
supply, and are absent from the characters
of Mills and Doe.
In their punitive philosophy and idealization of traditionalsociety,
values, and aspirations,Doe and Mills bear an uncomfortableresemblanceto
each other.Both are preachingthe same philosophy,and both are on a mission
to save societyfrommoral decay and corruption.The biblical passage which
recountsthat"Jonathanstrippedhimselfof the robe thatwas upon him and
gave it to David, and his garments,even to his sword,and to his bow, and to
his girdle"(I Samuel 18: 4) is re-enactedin SevenwhenJohnDoe symbolically
hands over the role of avengerto his executioner,Mills. Blinded by his anger
and his naivety,Mills inadvertently aids the killerand falls foul of Milton's
warning:"[...] who overcomes / By force,hath overcome but half his foe"
{ParadiseLost,Book 1, 1. 648-9).
The closingline of dialoguein the filmbelongsto Somerset,who quotes
fromErnest Hemingway:"The world is a fineplace, and worthfightingfor"
(For WhomTheBell Tolls438). He can only agree with the second sentiment,
because his experiencehas taughthim that the post-industrialmetropolisis
anythingbut "fine." According to one critic of Dante, "Hell is a tour
conductedbyVirgil;Purgatoryis a purification fromwhichDante [thePilgrim]
emergeschanged and able to understandwhat he had not understoodbefore"
(Holmes 74). But Mills,the modern Dante, does not learnor understanduntil
it is too late,and withthe source of his salvation,Tracy,dead he has no hope
of reachingEarthlyParadise.Instead,prisonis the onlyfutureto whichhe can
look forward.The idea of the failed student-teacherrelationshipis more
obvious in the screenplayfor Seventhan in the film,where Mills sends
Somerset a note afterhe kills Doe, acknowledgingthat Somersetwas right
about all of his insights and observations-the ones which Mills simply
dismissedbecause theydid not fitinto his ideology,ratherthanquestioningthe
ideologyitself.
Perhapsthe onlylesson Mills has learnedis thatbecause of his blinkered
and self-righteous ideology he has the society he deserves,not the one he
demanded. Reagan promised a "new morning"in America when elected as
presidentbut when Sevenconcludes there is no happy ending; instead, the
social decay and cycleof violence are perpetuated.The humanistinsightsand
observationsof Somerset are ignored untilit is too late, and the downbeat
conclusion suggestsa bleak futurefor post-industrialsocietyif the symbolic
politicschampionedby Reagan's administration are not replaced by practical
solutionsto systematic problems.

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 Morality, And Politics
Theology In Seven 165

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