Introduction
The website named “Moreorless: heroes & killers of the 20th century” by the author and producer Bruice Harris was developed for society all over the world. It is intended to present all necessary materials about heroes and killers of the 20th century from the author’s point of view. Among the killers of the last century, the author describes Joseph Stalin’s figure, as known as ‘Koba’, ‘Uncle Joe’ or ‘Man of Steel’ (Harris). This paper aims to evaluate the site about Joseph Stalin according to some chosen evaluative criteria.
Evaluative criteria of the article
The article about Joseph Stalin was first published in 2001 and updated in 2010. Joseph Stalin, as a killer of the 20th century, has his credentials. Nevertheless, the article is started with the “Kill tally” that sounds like a verdict:
‘Approximately 20 million, including up to 14.5 million needlessly starved to death. At least one million executed for political “offenses”. At least 9.5 million more deported, exiled, or imprisoned in work camps, with many of the estimated five million sent to the ‘Gulag Archipelago’ never returning alive. Other estimates place the number of deported at 28 million, including 18 million sent to the ‘Gulag’ (Harris).
Harris represents the general information about the political situation of the first quarter of the 20th century. “Background” is followed by Stalin’s “mini-biography”. The dates and crucial information near them show Stalin’s figure: where and in which family he was born, his young years, his political activity, personal life, and political course. Harrison indicated only the crucial data of his biography as a political leader. In “Comments”, the author says that Stalin’s name “conjures an image of ‘Big Brother’’ (Harris); the article ends with another’s Stalin name – “Engineer of Human Souls” (Harris). After that, one can read more about this historical figure using the given links to external sites.
The author relies only on authoritative sources of information. Thus, nobody can blame him for his excessive bias. In general, the content is voracious, and it can satisfy even a critical reader. The author gives the arguments in favor of the chief’s image of a killer: he cites Lenin and Stalin himself, documentary sources that prove the facts of the leader’s criminal actions. That is why the first evaluative criterion meets all the requirements: the content is based on the authoritative source of information.
The style and tone of the article is a publicist and unbiased. One can feel that Harrison gives his unbiased opinion about the chosen killer of the 20th century. Only facts make the author’s critical opinion as for this historic figure. The article does not sound personal; it resembles a report based on the researches of many authoritative authors. Harris’s collected information deserves particular attention; using the convincing tone of the article, one can easily extract and understand all the necessary information. The second criterion (style and tone of the article) is also positioned itself on a high level.
The site with the article is easy to navigate and use. A reader can use the author’s links and quickly find a necessary piece of information. Moreover, the author divided the article into subparts: “Country”, “Kill Tally”, “Background”, “Mini Biography”, “Comment”, “More Information” and “Reflections on Killers”. The person is illustrated by the photo; the printing type is well-readable. Thus, the third criterion is also satisfactory.
Conclusions
Taking everything mentioned into consideration some things seem obvious. It is necessary to say that the given website is corresponding to the stated evaluative criteria. The topic is burning because the criminal face of society has always been a point for discussion. Bruce Harris used all authoritative sources in the process of site creation. The article “Joseph Stalin” proves the criminal character of the USSR’s chief: “…a cold, calculating yet ultimately paranoid tyrant never seen but seeing everything” (Harris). The convincing colors can influence any reader who shares the author’s opinion.
Works Cited
Harris, Bruice. “moreorless: heroes & killers of the 20th century”. 2001. Web.