CoosanylonGaye
COMP 110
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Death Note
Whenone is giventhe ultimate choice tohave the poweroveranentire city,whatwouldtheydowith
it?Wouldtheyabuse it,or wouldtheyuse itfor the greatergood?In the anime,DeathNote,Light
Yagami discoversasupernatural notebookfromthe shinigami,Ryuk,thatgrantsthe userthe abilityto
kill anyone whose face orname he knows.Lightdecidestouse itto create hisownperfectworld.The
choice of acceptingthisgreat responsibilityfromRyuk, the ultimate control holder,leadstohimbeing
corruptedby power.
Lightwas naturallya goodcitizenwithacommonsense of rightand wrong.However,thatall
startedto disperse whenhe beginsusingDeathNote.Hisappearance isreminiscentof anangelicfigure
whichsymbolizeshisgoodnature.Hiswingsstartto tearand shredbecause itshowsthat hissanityand
innocence isslowlybeingtakenawaythe more he usesthe notebook.The whitenessof hiswingsis
slowlydigressingintoshadesof brown,whichare similartoRyuk’sauraaround him.Thisinfersthatthey
are bothlustingoverpower.Light’sintentionof eliminatingcriminalstocreate a worldof peace might
have startedout pure,butslowlydeviatesintoevil whenhe startstargetingthe police,andanyone who
he seesas a threat.Light becomessoobsessedbyhisvisionarythathe completelylosthissenseof
moralityandbelievesthatGodhas chosenhimto cleanse the worldof impurities.Thisisshownbythe
rays of lightbeamingdownonhim,almostasif theywere made forhim.Inaddition,Lightfeelsthat
whenhe accomplisheshisgoal thathe will become Godof hisownworld.The smirkonhis face iswith
confidence thathe will be able toturnthe god forsakencityintosomethingof hisown.Hiseyesare
gleamingredwhichalsosymbolizesthe powerof the apple thathasturn Lightinto a differentperson
before he startedusingthe DeathNote.Lightreachingforthe apple showshiseagernessforgaining
power,butthe chainsthat seemto be holdinghimbackrepresentthe police whotrytostophim.The
image isstrikinglysimilartoMichelangelo's TheCreation of Adam,because Lightreachingforthe apple
will make himthe firsttobecome god,similartohow Adamreachingfor God to receive hisfirstbreath
to become the firstman.
Continuing,Ryukisashinigami (deathgod),whokill humansbyDeathNote inordertofurtherextend
theirlifespan.He actslike a evil powerhouse forLighttobe vulnerable tocorruptionsince he offered
hima deal that corrupts him. Ryuk’sdemon-likephysical features,hispale skin,sharpdarkhair,
shouldersandevenelongatedarmsshowsthathe’sthe supernatural world. Hissharptalonsthat are
clutchingthe redapple of temptationare instark contrast withLight’ssofthand.This demonstratesthe
shinigami evilnessradiatingnotonlyfromhisphysical appearance,butalsoshowshow eagerhe isto
spreadhisevil forLightto succumbintotemptation,andlaterbe vulnerabletocorruption. Ryuk
surrounds himself withthe beingsof the Underworld,tosymbolize hispowerthathe has hisinnatural
state.All hiscompanionssurroundinghimall have the same stretchedCheshire grinasRyukbecause it
showshowconfidenttheyare tospreadtheirsinful ways.The creaturesall have elongatedfeatures
aboutthem,the branches,the tinyhandsbelow Ryuk, andthe skull are determinedlyreachingfor
Light’sinnocence sotheycanbe able tocorrupt it and make himone of them. By offeringLightthe
apple,Ryukwants to relinquishhisboredomof livinginthe Underworld,andtosee whatLightwill do
withDeathNote simplyforhisownamusement.The shinigami knowshow muchLightwill notbe able
to resisthisgreatoffer,sohe patientlyawaitsuntil Lightsuccumbstothe temptationandfallsinto
darkness. The DeathGod aura is ingoldand slowlyturnsintoshadesbrownthe closeritgetsto Ryukto
symbolize inabiblical sense thathe holdsgreatwealthandknowledge.The colorgoldmeanspowerand
wealthinthe bible andLightmightsee the DeathNote as greatpowerbut Ryukknowsthatit’sjust a
device tocreate evil. Insome ways,RyukissimilartoGod in Michelangelo'spainting.Ryukwasthe one
whogave Light the knowledge of the DeathNote,justlikehow Godmade Adamthe firstman of the
humanrace.
The red apple thatRyuk ispresentingtoLightsymbolizesknowledge,powerandcorruptionitself.Its
servesasan antagonistdevice asto whyLightbecame hungrywithimperium.Withoutthe knowledge of
the apple Lightwouldn’thave become the psychopathbykillinginnocentpeople.Because Ryukholdsall
the knowledge of the use of the DeathNote,Lightultimatelywantstoknow those secrets,hence why
he is reachingforit. The apple isalsosymbolicof the “forbiddenfruit”becausewhenthe snake toldEve
that eatingthe fruitfromthe tree wouldgive herthe same statusas God, she ate it. Since Lightwanted
to become Godof hisownworld,he eagerlywantsthe apple tosatisfyhisowncravingsformore powe r.
In conclusion,anygiftorpowercan be usedfor goodor evil it'snot destinythatcontrolsthose actions,
it's the decisionsthatthe personmakes.Ryukshowingthe apple toLightknowingthathe won’tbe able
to stray awayfrom itspowershowshow histrue evil intentionsof corruptingaonce innocentpersonto
a psychopathkiller. The choice thatLightmade whenhe finallygotthe piece of the apple ultimately
consumedhiswayof thinking,andasa result,leadhimtohisowndownfall.Hisgreedandhungerfor
more dominance leadhimtorealize thathe himself isnotagod,but rather a misguidedfigure whose
mindwascloudedbya small taste of absolute rule.

Death Note

  • 1.
    CoosanylonGaye COMP 110 Images Death Note Whenoneis giventhe ultimate choice tohave the poweroveranentire city,whatwouldtheydowith it?Wouldtheyabuse it,or wouldtheyuse itfor the greatergood?In the anime,DeathNote,Light Yagami discoversasupernatural notebookfromthe shinigami,Ryuk,thatgrantsthe userthe abilityto kill anyone whose face orname he knows.Lightdecidestouse itto create hisownperfectworld.The choice of acceptingthisgreat responsibilityfromRyuk, the ultimate control holder,leadstohimbeing corruptedby power. Lightwas naturallya goodcitizenwithacommonsense of rightand wrong.However,thatall startedto disperse whenhe beginsusingDeathNote.Hisappearance isreminiscentof anangelicfigure whichsymbolizeshisgoodnature.Hiswingsstartto tearand shredbecause itshowsthat hissanityand innocence isslowlybeingtakenawaythe more he usesthe notebook.The whitenessof hiswingsis slowlydigressingintoshadesof brown,whichare similartoRyuk’sauraaround him.Thisinfersthatthey are bothlustingoverpower.Light’sintentionof eliminatingcriminalstocreate a worldof peace might have startedout pure,butslowlydeviatesintoevil whenhe startstargetingthe police,andanyone who he seesas a threat.Light becomessoobsessedbyhisvisionarythathe completelylosthissenseof moralityandbelievesthatGodhas chosenhimto cleanse the worldof impurities.Thisisshownbythe rays of lightbeamingdownonhim,almostasif theywere made forhim.Inaddition,Lightfeelsthat whenhe accomplisheshisgoal thathe will become Godof hisownworld.The smirkonhis face iswith confidence thathe will be able toturnthe god forsakencityintosomethingof hisown.Hiseyesare gleamingredwhichalsosymbolizesthe powerof the apple thathasturn Lightinto a differentperson before he startedusingthe DeathNote.Lightreachingforthe apple showshiseagernessforgaining power,butthe chainsthat seemto be holdinghimbackrepresentthe police whotrytostophim.The image isstrikinglysimilartoMichelangelo's TheCreation of Adam,because Lightreachingforthe apple will make himthe firsttobecome god,similartohow Adamreachingfor God to receive hisfirstbreath to become the firstman. Continuing,Ryukisashinigami (deathgod),whokill humansbyDeathNote inordertofurtherextend theirlifespan.He actslike a evil powerhouse forLighttobe vulnerable tocorruptionsince he offered hima deal that corrupts him. Ryuk’sdemon-likephysical features,hispale skin,sharpdarkhair, shouldersandevenelongatedarmsshowsthathe’sthe supernatural world. Hissharptalonsthat are clutchingthe redapple of temptationare instark contrast withLight’ssofthand.This demonstratesthe shinigami evilnessradiatingnotonlyfromhisphysical appearance,butalsoshowshow eagerhe isto spreadhisevil forLightto succumbintotemptation,andlaterbe vulnerabletocorruption. Ryuk surrounds himself withthe beingsof the Underworld,tosymbolize hispowerthathe has hisinnatural state.All hiscompanionssurroundinghimall have the same stretchedCheshire grinasRyukbecause it showshowconfidenttheyare tospreadtheirsinful ways.The creaturesall have elongatedfeatures aboutthem,the branches,the tinyhandsbelow Ryuk, andthe skull are determinedlyreachingfor Light’sinnocence sotheycanbe able tocorrupt it and make himone of them. By offeringLightthe apple,Ryukwants to relinquishhisboredomof livinginthe Underworld,andtosee whatLightwill do
  • 2.
    withDeathNote simplyforhisownamusement.The shinigamiknowshow muchLightwill notbe able to resisthisgreatoffer,sohe patientlyawaitsuntil Lightsuccumbstothe temptationandfallsinto darkness. The DeathGod aura is ingoldand slowlyturnsintoshadesbrownthe closeritgetsto Ryukto symbolize inabiblical sense thathe holdsgreatwealthandknowledge.The colorgoldmeanspowerand wealthinthe bible andLightmightsee the DeathNote as greatpowerbut Ryukknowsthatit’sjust a device tocreate evil. Insome ways,RyukissimilartoGod in Michelangelo'spainting.Ryukwasthe one whogave Light the knowledge of the DeathNote,justlikehow Godmade Adamthe firstman of the humanrace. The red apple thatRyuk ispresentingtoLightsymbolizesknowledge,powerandcorruptionitself.Its servesasan antagonistdevice asto whyLightbecame hungrywithimperium.Withoutthe knowledge of the apple Lightwouldn’thave become the psychopathbykillinginnocentpeople.Because Ryukholdsall the knowledge of the use of the DeathNote,Lightultimatelywantstoknow those secrets,hence why he is reachingforit. The apple isalsosymbolicof the “forbiddenfruit”becausewhenthe snake toldEve that eatingthe fruitfromthe tree wouldgive herthe same statusas God, she ate it. Since Lightwanted to become Godof hisownworld,he eagerlywantsthe apple tosatisfyhisowncravingsformore powe r. In conclusion,anygiftorpowercan be usedfor goodor evil it'snot destinythatcontrolsthose actions, it's the decisionsthatthe personmakes.Ryukshowingthe apple toLightknowingthathe won’tbe able to stray awayfrom itspowershowshow histrue evil intentionsof corruptingaonce innocentpersonto a psychopathkiller. The choice thatLightmade whenhe finallygotthe piece of the apple ultimately consumedhiswayof thinking,andasa result,leadhimtohisowndownfall.Hisgreedandhungerfor more dominance leadhimtorealize thathe himself isnotagod,but rather a misguidedfigure whose mindwascloudedbya small taste of absolute rule.