Cruelty in Human Nature

Burton quickly realizes that peaceful people will be in danger throughout the new planet, since most of human history suffers from intense violence, slavery, warfare, and destruction. The novel explores this violence as cultures spanning across earth's geography and timeline are mixed together and placed next to one another in somewhat random fashion. Through the first third of the novel, Burton and his group constantly fight off enemies who wish to either enslave them or destroy their belongings. The most extreme example of this violence and cruelty comes from Goring and Tullius, who have captured a large number of slaves whom they intend to use in order to build an army. Frigate discusses the natural inclination of humanity toward acts of violence, and assumes that man is violent because his ancestors were. Burton is well accustomed to the violence in whcih humans can engage against...