BioShock Infinite follows the journey of Booker DeWitt, a reluctant detective from New York City who is transplanted via rowboat and lighthouse‐turned‐rocket to the city of Columbia. Booker is charged with the task of bringing back a girl in order to wipe away his debt. The girl, Elizabeth Comstock, has been locked in a tower since infancy by her father, Zachary Comstock, and is protected by a menacing Songbird. Although the game centers on Booker and his story, this chapter focuses (...) on Elizabeth, looking at her through a feminist lens. Freeing Elizabeth from her tower, one could argue, is in a way freeing her from oppression of men. If we take Elizabeth as her own person, rather than as a mere companion, does Elizabeth's freedom from tower mean real freedom for her? Does Booker treat Elizabeth any differently than Comstock does? And, what really is Elizabeth's role in Booker's drowning?. (shrink)

This chapter focuses on the important friendships Veronica has formed over the course of Veronica Mars. It considers the extent to which they approach or fall short of Aristotelian perfection. From the start, the Wallace‐Veronica relationship exemplifies Aristotle's friendship of utility. At this early stage, Veronica and Wallace are not yet friends in Aristotle's sense, since every form of friendship, including one of utility, needs some time to get off the ground. While friendships of utility thrive on an exchange of (...) goods between friends, Aristotle argues that these friendships can dissolve into acrimony and resentment if one friend feels that she's giving more than she gets in return. Aristotle argues that, in order to have a perfect friendship, both friends must be good and virtuous people. The chapter investigates the moral characters of these two close friends to see if either can be considered truly virtuous. (shrink)