Narrative Framing - Bryce Anderson

In our culture our language is barriered through narrative frames.  Kenneth Burke discussed two types of narrative frames in which individuals can view one situation in two different aspects.  Comic framing is where people are mistaken for their actions.  The second type of framing is tragic framing, where people are seen as viscous and evil.

In 2013 Gregory Kinsey was convicted for murdering two people with a machete.  It seems that an argument had erupted between the individuals and Gregory took the act of violence as a result.  Society viewed Gregory through a tragic frame saying that Gregory is evil and should be sentenced to life for his crime.  On the website NYDailyNews.com you can view comments posted from individuals who call Gregory a “psycho.”  You also see many people discussing that this individual should be “put down” for his crime.

Gregory’s mother later came out to the press to tell them that her son is misunderstood.   She said her son was a victim of bullying as a child and that he would often cut himself.  She mentioned that because her son was bullied throughout his life he carried a machete with him for protection.  This type of view is a comic frame, because she feels her son is misunderstood and it’s because he was bullied as a child which led to him killing these two people.

Gregory Kinsey’s crime is a perfect example of how there’s tragic framing and comic framing within one situation.  One group of people seen Gregory as evil and should be sentenced to life.  Another side of the story was that Gregory was bullied as a child which led him to protect himself.  Kenneth Burke’s two types of narrative frames helps us distinguish how and why people view a situation so differently.

Link to source:
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/mother-alleged-machete-killer-son-misunderstood-article-1.1386008