Jim Jones and the Tragedy in Jonestown

Suicide is usually an act of lonely desperation carried out in isolation by those who see

death as an acceptable alternative to the burdens of a continued existence. It can also be an act

of self-preservation among those who prefer a dignified death to the ravages of illness or some

perceived humiliation (Websters 1002). It is even, occasionally, a political statement. But it is

rarely, if ever, a social event. Therefore the reported collective self-extermination of 913

individuals demanded more than an ordinary explanation (Reiterman 2). No casual observer

could adequately explain what happened in the minds of the Peoples Temple members when

they allowed leader, Jim Jones to assume ultimate power over their lives. The critical question

remains of how an entire group could be motivated to give away such power over themselves to

one man. Not only is it essential to answer the question of power in order to explain what

became of the Peoples Temple, it is equally crucial to answer it in order to prevent a similar

tragedy from happening again in the future.

The first step in understanding the Peoples Temple and the massacre that ended it is

. . .
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Approximate Word count = 2256
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)