Contrapasso, Public Humiliation, and White Bear's Business Model

Public spectacles of humiliation - where the populace enacts mob justice on the offender befitting of their crime - have been omnipresent in society over the generations. These humiliation tactics match the crime, similar to the contrapasso found in Dante's Inferno. Contrapasso refers to a punishment resembling or contrasting with the sin itself, and this methodology rolls over into the Black Mirror episode, White Bear.

The visitors at the park were completely remorseless to the main character; all of their action were done for the sake of fun and lacked empathy. The contrapasso here is that the protagonist was selfish in her own right: she was so worried about her on wellbeing that she allowed for a defenseless child to be burned alive at the hands of her abusive husband. Additionally, she was surrounded by monitors containing the insignia on her husband's head as well as chased by men with the same symbol, representing the abuse and oppression that led up to the grievous act. Moreover, the road trip to the woods draws parallels to the events leading up to the little girl's death; one man, one woman, and one girl are taken to the woods where the man subsequently attempts to kill them, showing uncanny resemblances to how the murder occurred.

Where White Bear strays from public humiliation and instead delves into the isolated forms of contrapasso seen in Dante's Inferno comes from the memory wiping technology. If the punishment is unbeknownst to the receiver of said punishment, then there is no element of humility; however, the humility comes later when the scheme is exposed.

What can be said is that a simpler function of public humiliation - that of which is meant for the viewers - is in the deterrence of potential offenders. The constant uploading of the criminals' suffering could serve to further discourage future criminal acts, but what does this say for the future of the park?

It's likely that the park will never be in short supply of new criminals, as crimes - whether premeditated or not, often do not hinge on the consequences of the crime. The only deterrence as a result of public humiliation would be in those that would commit the act for pure enjoyment or those who fear the scorn their family or friends would receive. Even though these are contributing factors, they are far removed from the material shown in White Bear.

If deterring future criminals isn't a primary function of this park, then is it to fill a void within the sadistic niche of society, fulfilling their need for human suffering so they don't have to commit crimes themselves? Could it be that we all have this sadistic Becky inside of us and this future of monetized capital punishment is not too far down the road? As this has yet to be seen, when will the black mirror reflect back upon us to reveal a silhouette of ourselves?