Attribution of hostile intent in literature.

Abstract

This selective literary analysis is an attempt to gain insights from literature that may contribute to understanding what kinds of people attribute hostile intent to what kinds of other people under what conditions. In addition to re-emphasizing the importance of projection, hostility, envy, guilt and masochism in the attribution of hostile intent, this analysis also reaffirmed the importance of the relationship between attribution of hostile intent and the arousal of anger and other strong emotions; suggested the importance for attribution of hostile intent of the relative power of the attributor and the stimulus person and their degree of intimacy; and suggested that hostile intent tends to be attributed to a person who represents those positive qualities which are lacking in the attributor, to those who have made it up the social ladder, and to those who are viewed as representations of the devil. Finally, this analysis suggested that there are rare individuals who seem to be incapable of attributing hostile, intent to others, with tragic results for themselves. The authors thus speculate that the capacity to attribute hostile intent may be necessary for survival.