April 22, 2010
Carlos de Oliveira
Professor Salsich – English 102
Conflicts and Loyalties
This essay is my rendition of three short stories on the conflicts and loyalties of the main protagonists in these stories. The first is titled “A White Heron” written by Sarah Orne Jewett (1849-1909) followed by “Battle Royal” a short story published in 1947 and written by Ralph Ellison (1914-1994) and the third title “Soldier’s Home” by Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961). These three stories reveal to us the discordance and dissension the main characters have within themselves and with the community at large.
Sarah Orne Jewett’s story tells us of Sylvia a lonely nine-year old girl and her inner conflict on whether to reveal the location of a beautiful white heron to a hunter for money. One evening, just before sunset Sylvia drives home a cow from the pastures. As Sylvia and “Mistress Molly” the cow approach the farm she is startled by a tall young man with a gun. The young hunter explains to Sylvia and Mrs. Tilley (her grandmother) that he spotted a white heron in the area and will pay ten dollars “to anybody who could show it to me “(1145) as he would like to kill and stuff it. The next morning Sylvia accompanied the friendly young hunter who was “most kind and sympathetic” (1145) as he told her all about birds and their lives as they searched all over the woods for the heron. Although they looked all day, the heron was not found and next morning on her own Sylvia who had a very good idea as to where the elusive bird was went out on her own without telling anyone. Sylvia climbs a very tall pine tree trunk and from this extremely high vantage point she not only spots the white heron’s nest but also for the first time in her life sees the ocean. This sighting of the ocean exhilarates the little girl whom her grandmother describes as “there ain’t a foot o’ground she don’t know her way over.” (1144) There is a deep connection between Sylvia (name means woods in Latin) and her country surroundings, therefore in spite of the obvious need for the reward, when questioned whether she knows of the white heron Sylvia responds only with silence. Both hunter and grandmother appeal to her but her inner conflict is over all she can think of is the vast ocean and the beautiful white heron flying free.
In Ralph Ellison’s “Battle Royal” a young African-American is in conflict with incompatible feelings and loyalties. We learn that the main protagonist an excellent speaker who is graduating from high school and is also invited to give his graduation address at an all whites club. The young man believes in appeasing whites “I visualized myself as a potential Booker T. Washington.”(932) Ironically, his speech focuses on humility but when he arrives at the club he discovers that all sorts of humiliating activities are planned for him and nine other African-American boys. Subsequently a battle royal or blind folded group boxing match is planned for the ten boys. A lithe and naked white woman dancer is placed in front of the boys and the protagonist doesn’t know how to react “My teeth chattered, my skin turned to goose flesh” yet he was strongly attracted “and looked in spite of myself.”(933) The boys are placed in an impossible situation: as men they are attracted to the naked white woman, on the other hand she is white and therefore taboo, an ironic dilemma. After being tormented in front of the white woman by the white crowd they are blind folded and told to fight every man for himself. This is symbolic of the methods used to suppress the African-American community “it was complete anarchy. Everybody fought everybody else.”(935) When the fight is down to the protagonist and one other fighter the narrator offers to throw the fight “Fake like I knocked you out, you can have the prize,”(936) the other fighter declined focused only on the money and not on their mutual degradation. A further humiliation followed when the boys are forced to pick up coins from an electrified rug ironically the coins turn out to be brass tokens. In the end the narrator gets to deliver his graduation address in front of this white crowd and is rewarded with a scholarship to a black college but not before being subjected to conflict and contradiction at every turn.
This story “Soldier’s Home” by Ernest Hemingway is a thought provoking look at a young marine “Krebs” returning home from World War I and his conflicted thoughts and contradictions on trying to readapt to civilian life back in his hometown. Krebs returned home long after the war was over, at first he didn’t want to talk about the war, later he did but nobody wanted to hear about the war anymore. The only way people would listen to his war stories was when he lied and sensationalized his stories, but pretty soon he got tired of telling lies too. The only times he relaxed and talked about the war truthfully was when he talked to fellow veterans. So he stopped talking about the war altogether, in the meantime Krebs enjoyed sitting around town watching girls walk by, he liked the way they dressed too, on the other hand he thought “they were too complicated,”(580) and he put no effort into getting to know any of them. Somehow he did want a girl but didn’t want to put any effort or time getting close to one. He reasoned he didn’t want to get bogged down with“the intrigue and the politics”(580) and he didn’t want to “do any courting”(580) either. One morning while Krebs was still in bed his mother came into his bedroom and said she had had a discussion with his father and decided he was welcome to use the family car at any time. When Krebs came down for breakfast his mother suggested “God has some work for everyone to do” (582)and that he should get a job. After going at him for a while about getting a job and taking responsibility his mother asked him to pray with her and Krebs refused. Krebs decided that he didn’t need any conflict “he wanted his life to go smoothly”(583) so he planned on leaving for Kansas City and getting a job there, his parents would understand.
In the story “The White Heron” Sylvia’s pivotal moment came to her when “the tree stood still and held away the winds”(1147) as she reached the top of the pine tree. The attributing of human characteristics to a tree are symbolic of her perfect union with nature, together with seeing the ocean for the first time and spotting the beautiful heron there was no doubt what her decision would be. In Ralph Ellison’s “Battle Royal” the protagonist experiences deep humiliation and degradation at the hand of white racists but in spite of this conflict he is triumphant by achieving what he most needed for his future – an education. In “Soldiers Home” Krebs is a very sad individual who at best undergoes profound changes during the war in Europe and at worst might need psychological counseling and is generally misunderstood by everybody.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
A Judgment Call
Judgment is defined as: "the process of forming an opinion or evaluation by discerning and comparing." In the essays by Judith Ortiz Cofer, a professor of English at the University of Georgia, Nora Ephron, a reporter for the New York Post and later Senior Editor for Esquire Magazine, and Eric Schlosser a correspondent for The Atlantic Monthly are all essays about judgments made in the stories and by the authors who wrote the essays.
In “The Story of my Body” by Judith Ortiz Cofer she tells us how she struggled through her adolescence because a variety of people passed judgment on her physical appearance. Cofer tells us she “was born a white girl in Puerto Rico” but was perceived as “a brown girl” when she moved to the United States. Ms. Coffer states that while growing up in her younger years in Puerto Rico people of mixed race openly discussed the virtues of “white” or “pale” skin. On the island of Puerto Rico, Coffer was appraised as a “paloma blanca” or “la gringa” names that inferred how white she was. In addition, Cofer was assessed as non-athletic due to her physical appearance. Cofer was called “skinny-bones” and the “shrimp” by other kids because of their small stature. To add to her mental anguish, she had a severe case of chicken pox that left her face scarred for life. She first experienced discrimination when a storeowner said “you Puerto Rican kids put your dirty hands on stuff” and “you always look dirty” as he chased her out of his store. Later in high school Ms. Cofer pursued a young boy named Ted who asked her out to a school dance. On the night of the school dance, Ted called saying that his father “had seen how the spics lived - like rats” and decreed that Ted would not go out with Ms. Cofer. In college Ms. Cofer discovered that her intelligence and writing talent were “a constant” in her life while her skin color, height and overall appearance were only temporary judgments placed on her by others.
In the essay “The Boston Photographs” by Nora Ephron, she argues that in her judgment these photographs be published no matter how offensive the subject matter is to the viewer. The decision on whether to publish a particular set of photographs involving life and death is a very personal judgment. Nora Ephorn argues that in her estimation these photos of the falling mother and child had intrinsic value to the events. Ephron states that these pictures must in her judgment be printed because they are breathtaking and clearly illustrated the news. Furthermore, death is as much a part of life as birth and should not be judged as forbidden material. The fire escape slipped off the building fortunately the fireman grasped the rescue ladder but the woman and child fell. Mother and child plunged through the air, the mother fell first and died but the child landed on her mother and survived. Consequently over four hundred newspapers published the photographs the next day. The determination of readers was overwhelmingly negative; “Invading the privacy of death” was one of many like minded letters to the editors nationwide. The opinion of several editors was in support of the photograph’s claiming the pictures showed the dangers of fire escapes” and were therefore a public service. The visceral and negative judgment of the public steams from the fact the woman died a fraction of a second after the last photograph.
Eric Schlosser’s essay “What we Eat” is a chastening of the fast food industry and its negative impact on American life in the last three decades. As a result, this period of explosive fast food growth has culminated in the decline of hourly wages. With the increasing demand for fast food has come a standardization of the fast food kitchen and minimum wage jobs to support the industry. The fast food industry supports 3.5 million workers, the largest group of minimum wage earners. Furthermore, in the author’s judgment the fast-food industry’s efficiency preys on individuality and uniqueness. The result is the franchising of most retail stores, restaurants, hospitals and funeral homes. The genius of a successful franchise is “uniformity” they offer exactly the same service and product in different locations throughout the country. In short, the tentacles of the fast food industry are everywhere; independent farmers “are a truly vanishing breed.” Farmers and cattle ranchers are losing their autonomy and being priced right out of business by large conglomerates. Farm country is losing its middle class and becoming socially stratified creating rural wastelands. In summary, we have an alarming growth of obesity in the United States, judged by Mr. Schlosser as being a direct consequence of fast food.
Ms. Cofer came to realize with age and maturity that her writing and the respect of people, who recognized her as an individual person they cared about, were the only judgments with meaning in her life. In her essay Ms. Ephron discusses the validity of publishing controversial pictures. Ms. Ephron supported publishing the photographs because in her judgment death is part of life and the public deserves the right to see reality. Mr. Schlosser’s judgment is a devastating indictment of the fast food industry in America and on its predatory practices on small businesses and labor. In conclusion judgment is clouded and colored by many diverse reasons and dependent on each person’s experience in life.
In “The Story of my Body” by Judith Ortiz Cofer she tells us how she struggled through her adolescence because a variety of people passed judgment on her physical appearance. Cofer tells us she “was born a white girl in Puerto Rico” but was perceived as “a brown girl” when she moved to the United States. Ms. Coffer states that while growing up in her younger years in Puerto Rico people of mixed race openly discussed the virtues of “white” or “pale” skin. On the island of Puerto Rico, Coffer was appraised as a “paloma blanca” or “la gringa” names that inferred how white she was. In addition, Cofer was assessed as non-athletic due to her physical appearance. Cofer was called “skinny-bones” and the “shrimp” by other kids because of their small stature. To add to her mental anguish, she had a severe case of chicken pox that left her face scarred for life. She first experienced discrimination when a storeowner said “you Puerto Rican kids put your dirty hands on stuff” and “you always look dirty” as he chased her out of his store. Later in high school Ms. Cofer pursued a young boy named Ted who asked her out to a school dance. On the night of the school dance, Ted called saying that his father “had seen how the spics lived - like rats” and decreed that Ted would not go out with Ms. Cofer. In college Ms. Cofer discovered that her intelligence and writing talent were “a constant” in her life while her skin color, height and overall appearance were only temporary judgments placed on her by others.
In the essay “The Boston Photographs” by Nora Ephron, she argues that in her judgment these photographs be published no matter how offensive the subject matter is to the viewer. The decision on whether to publish a particular set of photographs involving life and death is a very personal judgment. Nora Ephorn argues that in her estimation these photos of the falling mother and child had intrinsic value to the events. Ephron states that these pictures must in her judgment be printed because they are breathtaking and clearly illustrated the news. Furthermore, death is as much a part of life as birth and should not be judged as forbidden material. The fire escape slipped off the building fortunately the fireman grasped the rescue ladder but the woman and child fell. Mother and child plunged through the air, the mother fell first and died but the child landed on her mother and survived. Consequently over four hundred newspapers published the photographs the next day. The determination of readers was overwhelmingly negative; “Invading the privacy of death” was one of many like minded letters to the editors nationwide. The opinion of several editors was in support of the photograph’s claiming the pictures showed the dangers of fire escapes” and were therefore a public service. The visceral and negative judgment of the public steams from the fact the woman died a fraction of a second after the last photograph.
Eric Schlosser’s essay “What we Eat” is a chastening of the fast food industry and its negative impact on American life in the last three decades. As a result, this period of explosive fast food growth has culminated in the decline of hourly wages. With the increasing demand for fast food has come a standardization of the fast food kitchen and minimum wage jobs to support the industry. The fast food industry supports 3.5 million workers, the largest group of minimum wage earners. Furthermore, in the author’s judgment the fast-food industry’s efficiency preys on individuality and uniqueness. The result is the franchising of most retail stores, restaurants, hospitals and funeral homes. The genius of a successful franchise is “uniformity” they offer exactly the same service and product in different locations throughout the country. In short, the tentacles of the fast food industry are everywhere; independent farmers “are a truly vanishing breed.” Farmers and cattle ranchers are losing their autonomy and being priced right out of business by large conglomerates. Farm country is losing its middle class and becoming socially stratified creating rural wastelands. In summary, we have an alarming growth of obesity in the United States, judged by Mr. Schlosser as being a direct consequence of fast food.
Ms. Cofer came to realize with age and maturity that her writing and the respect of people, who recognized her as an individual person they cared about, were the only judgments with meaning in her life. In her essay Ms. Ephron discusses the validity of publishing controversial pictures. Ms. Ephron supported publishing the photographs because in her judgment death is part of life and the public deserves the right to see reality. Mr. Schlosser’s judgment is a devastating indictment of the fast food industry in America and on its predatory practices on small businesses and labor. In conclusion judgment is clouded and colored by many diverse reasons and dependent on each person’s experience in life.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Final Paper
Traditionalism and Democracy in a Contemporary World
Our planet is becoming ever more interconnected and interdependent at an increasingly frenetic pace; as this takes place convulsions and explosions rack the organism that we call humanity. At any given moment there are wars, terrorism, coup d'états, revolutions and counterrevolutions taking place throughout the world. Extraordinary technological advances result in millions of people migrating from country to country in search of better and ultimately more peaceful lives. Herein, lays the thread that connects all three essays: The perpetual struggle of human beings for a better existence. In her essay Maxine Hong Kingston an author and senior lecturer at the University of California agonizes over her upbringing as a Chinese-American straddling two diverse cultural traditions. In “No Name Women" Kingston is emotionally torn by the story of an aunt who herself is erased from the family as a result of an out-of-wedlock pregnancy. Cornel West an intellectual social critic and professor at Princeton who wrote “The Moral Obligations of Living in a Democratic Society” examines with great insight the moral decay of traditional values in today’s society.In his essay West highlights the moral imperative of the individual’s need to return to a traditional struggle for a democratic and just society. Lastly Kofi Annan, the former Secretary General of the United Nations and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, wrote “Nobel Lecture" his acceptance speech in Norway; Annan talks about the obligations of the United Nations in promoting democracy, peace, justice and lifting the oppressed and poor out of their condition while respecting traditional values and cultural differences worldwide.
Chinese tradition is complex and ingrained in their culture. The first thing that M.H. Kingston is told by her mother is: “You must not tell anyone," as she relays the story of an unmentionable aunt who had a child out of wedlock; Kingston is sworn to secrecy and silence. As a result, the aunt’s name and existence is expunged from the family forever, “We say that your father has all brothers, because it is as if she had never been born." Secrecy and silence is elementary to this society so as was customary the men went away to earn a living; but they were glad to go as her aunt was alluring to uncles, cousins, nephews and others, “and they left, fearful that their glances, like a field of nesting birds, might be startled and caught." Traditionally a wrong word even in the USA could “incite the kins people” to do unspeakable and mysterious harm to her father. Secrecy and silence are traditional values reemphasized by Kingston’s mother when she implicitly threatens her, “Do not do what she did or the same could happen to you." implying that she too could be forgotten by the family. Adultery could traditionally be considered a mistake in good times, however in bad times it became a crime as the villagers were preoccupied with feeding themselves, thus adultery was a punishable extravagance. Kingston struggled caught between two traditions, growing up in America but raised in a Chinese traditional culture. As a result, she comments on her struggle at dating, “if I made myself American-pretty so that the five or six Chinese boys in the class fell in love with me, everyone else – the Caucasian, Negro and Japanese boys – would too," so it was best to act sisterly. In addition, Kingston also struggles with inner turmoil as she consented and allowed the punishment of her aunt to continue long after her death: “I have not asked for details nor said my aunt’s name; I do not know it." She is caught in a perfect storm of emotional contradictions, different traditions, loyalty to family and disloyalty to an aunt she never knew. In the end, Kingston is haunted by her aunt and not sure whether writing about her is necessarily appreciated by her aunt’s ghost: “I do not think she always means me well. I am telling on her," but in her own way, Kingston’s pays homage to her aunt.
Traditional democracy is the perpetual struggle of the individual fighting for the greater good of society. Cornel West refers to past African-American personalities Sojourner Truth and W.E.B. Du Bois amongst others as traditional and inspirational leaders of the democratic struggle. West draws insight from Du Bois who says that ordinary people are dehumanized by being lumped together and stereotyped; it is very difficult to sustain a vibrant and thriving democracy in this manner. West further expounds that traditionally the ruling classes, “subordinated and exploited everyday people” for the sake of maintaining their power and influence. West declares that a small percentage of the American population possess an overwhelming amount of the wealth; corporations have to be more accountable to the public because of their great wealth and influence. The middle class is threatened and under siege therefore under these circumstances authoritarian rule is desired, consequently traditional democracy and the poor are at great risk “that middle class scapegoat those that are most vulnerable.” Traditional democracy is always under threat when wealth, power and material possessions are far more important than the intangibles: mercy, justice, fidelity and kindness, etc. Mr. West says when moral values are in decay we have to return to traditional values such as sacrifice, empathy and courage. As part of the democratic tradition hope is a value to be engaged in perpetually; struggling and persisting for what is morally right and just. It is our moral obligation to have integrity, decency and compassion for our fellow man. This struggle West says is about leaving our society and ultimately the world a little better for the next generation.
The founding principle of the United Nations is of a tradition of individual rights for all human beings. Kofi Annan says the United Nation’s mission for the 21st century is: “awareness of the sanctity and dignity of every human life," and in this manner improve the condition of men and women. Nations should not hide behind their sovereignty as a way of violating human rights; peace should be real and sustainable in the daily lives of every individual. Kofi Annan states that the three top priorities at the United Nations in the 21st century are: eradicating poverty, preventing conflict, and promoting democracy. Human beings are products of many traditions, cultures, and memories; mutual respect allows us to learn from other culture and traditions. Improvement in the human condition is only possible with freedom of expression, religion, freedom of assembly, and basic equality under the law. Lessons of the 20th century have taught us that whenever the dignity of the individual was trampled on and democracy suppressed, conflict soon followed and thousands of human beings suffered. The Quran, Confucius, the Torah, Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism all in their own way uphold the traditional values of tolerance and mutual understanding. Every human being should be proud of his or her own unique traditions, faith and heritage; but never think what they love and cherish is better or superior to others’. Human beings of many religions live side by side all over the world; even with different traditions we have much more in common than what separates us. Obstacles to democracy have little to do with traditions, culture or religion but only the desire to hold on to power at any cost. Mr. Annan says member States must affirm the dignity and traditional value of every human being and secure peace and prosperity for all humanity.
In closing, the authors convey to us the complex tapestry of human beings as individuals and part of society. People are in a constant struggle and influx as to how to coexist with those around them while having diverse traditions, values, and democratic or undemocratic institutions around them. It is a perpetual and never-ending narrative whose history goes back to the beginning of humanity itself.
Our planet is becoming ever more interconnected and interdependent at an increasingly frenetic pace; as this takes place convulsions and explosions rack the organism that we call humanity. At any given moment there are wars, terrorism, coup d'états, revolutions and counterrevolutions taking place throughout the world. Extraordinary technological advances result in millions of people migrating from country to country in search of better and ultimately more peaceful lives. Herein, lays the thread that connects all three essays: The perpetual struggle of human beings for a better existence. In her essay Maxine Hong Kingston an author and senior lecturer at the University of California agonizes over her upbringing as a Chinese-American straddling two diverse cultural traditions. In “No Name Women" Kingston is emotionally torn by the story of an aunt who herself is erased from the family as a result of an out-of-wedlock pregnancy. Cornel West an intellectual social critic and professor at Princeton who wrote “The Moral Obligations of Living in a Democratic Society” examines with great insight the moral decay of traditional values in today’s society.In his essay West highlights the moral imperative of the individual’s need to return to a traditional struggle for a democratic and just society. Lastly Kofi Annan, the former Secretary General of the United Nations and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, wrote “Nobel Lecture" his acceptance speech in Norway; Annan talks about the obligations of the United Nations in promoting democracy, peace, justice and lifting the oppressed and poor out of their condition while respecting traditional values and cultural differences worldwide.
Chinese tradition is complex and ingrained in their culture. The first thing that M.H. Kingston is told by her mother is: “You must not tell anyone," as she relays the story of an unmentionable aunt who had a child out of wedlock; Kingston is sworn to secrecy and silence. As a result, the aunt’s name and existence is expunged from the family forever, “We say that your father has all brothers, because it is as if she had never been born." Secrecy and silence is elementary to this society so as was customary the men went away to earn a living; but they were glad to go as her aunt was alluring to uncles, cousins, nephews and others, “and they left, fearful that their glances, like a field of nesting birds, might be startled and caught." Traditionally a wrong word even in the USA could “incite the kins people” to do unspeakable and mysterious harm to her father. Secrecy and silence are traditional values reemphasized by Kingston’s mother when she implicitly threatens her, “Do not do what she did or the same could happen to you." implying that she too could be forgotten by the family. Adultery could traditionally be considered a mistake in good times, however in bad times it became a crime as the villagers were preoccupied with feeding themselves, thus adultery was a punishable extravagance. Kingston struggled caught between two traditions, growing up in America but raised in a Chinese traditional culture. As a result, she comments on her struggle at dating, “if I made myself American-pretty so that the five or six Chinese boys in the class fell in love with me, everyone else – the Caucasian, Negro and Japanese boys – would too," so it was best to act sisterly. In addition, Kingston also struggles with inner turmoil as she consented and allowed the punishment of her aunt to continue long after her death: “I have not asked for details nor said my aunt’s name; I do not know it." She is caught in a perfect storm of emotional contradictions, different traditions, loyalty to family and disloyalty to an aunt she never knew. In the end, Kingston is haunted by her aunt and not sure whether writing about her is necessarily appreciated by her aunt’s ghost: “I do not think she always means me well. I am telling on her," but in her own way, Kingston’s pays homage to her aunt.
Traditional democracy is the perpetual struggle of the individual fighting for the greater good of society. Cornel West refers to past African-American personalities Sojourner Truth and W.E.B. Du Bois amongst others as traditional and inspirational leaders of the democratic struggle. West draws insight from Du Bois who says that ordinary people are dehumanized by being lumped together and stereotyped; it is very difficult to sustain a vibrant and thriving democracy in this manner. West further expounds that traditionally the ruling classes, “subordinated and exploited everyday people” for the sake of maintaining their power and influence. West declares that a small percentage of the American population possess an overwhelming amount of the wealth; corporations have to be more accountable to the public because of their great wealth and influence. The middle class is threatened and under siege therefore under these circumstances authoritarian rule is desired, consequently traditional democracy and the poor are at great risk “that middle class scapegoat those that are most vulnerable.” Traditional democracy is always under threat when wealth, power and material possessions are far more important than the intangibles: mercy, justice, fidelity and kindness, etc. Mr. West says when moral values are in decay we have to return to traditional values such as sacrifice, empathy and courage. As part of the democratic tradition hope is a value to be engaged in perpetually; struggling and persisting for what is morally right and just. It is our moral obligation to have integrity, decency and compassion for our fellow man. This struggle West says is about leaving our society and ultimately the world a little better for the next generation.
The founding principle of the United Nations is of a tradition of individual rights for all human beings. Kofi Annan says the United Nation’s mission for the 21st century is: “awareness of the sanctity and dignity of every human life," and in this manner improve the condition of men and women. Nations should not hide behind their sovereignty as a way of violating human rights; peace should be real and sustainable in the daily lives of every individual. Kofi Annan states that the three top priorities at the United Nations in the 21st century are: eradicating poverty, preventing conflict, and promoting democracy. Human beings are products of many traditions, cultures, and memories; mutual respect allows us to learn from other culture and traditions. Improvement in the human condition is only possible with freedom of expression, religion, freedom of assembly, and basic equality under the law. Lessons of the 20th century have taught us that whenever the dignity of the individual was trampled on and democracy suppressed, conflict soon followed and thousands of human beings suffered. The Quran, Confucius, the Torah, Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism all in their own way uphold the traditional values of tolerance and mutual understanding. Every human being should be proud of his or her own unique traditions, faith and heritage; but never think what they love and cherish is better or superior to others’. Human beings of many religions live side by side all over the world; even with different traditions we have much more in common than what separates us. Obstacles to democracy have little to do with traditions, culture or religion but only the desire to hold on to power at any cost. Mr. Annan says member States must affirm the dignity and traditional value of every human being and secure peace and prosperity for all humanity.
In closing, the authors convey to us the complex tapestry of human beings as individuals and part of society. People are in a constant struggle and influx as to how to coexist with those around them while having diverse traditions, values, and democratic or undemocratic institutions around them. It is a perpetual and never-ending narrative whose history goes back to the beginning of humanity itself.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Cornel West – The Moral Obligation of Living in a Democratic Society
Developing a Culture of Traditional Democracy
Traditional democracy is the perpetual struggle of the individual fighting for the greater good of society.
Cornel West refers to past African-American personalities (Sojourner Truth and W.E.B. Du Bois) amongst others as traditional and inspirational leaders of the democratic struggle. West draws insight from Du Bois who says that ordinary people are dehumanized by being lumped together and stereotyped; it is very difficult to sustain a vibrant and thriving democracy in this manner.
West further expounds that traditionally the ruling classes, “…subordinated and exploited everyday people” for the sake of maintaining their power and influence. West says that a small percentage of the American population possesses an overwhelming amount of the wealth; corporations have to be more accountable to the public because of their great wealth and influence. The middle class is threatened and under siege; under these circumstances authoritarian rule is sought after, therefore traditional democracy and the poor are at great risk: “…significant segments of that middle class to scapegoat those that are most vulnerable.”
Traditional democracy is always under threat when wealth, power and material possessions are far more important than the intangibles: “…mercy, justice, fidelity and kindness, etc.” Traditionally moral values are in decay and we have to return to old values such as sacrifice, empathy and courage. As part of the democratic tradition hope is a value to be engaged in perpetually; struggling and persisting for what is morally just and right. It is our moral obligation to have integrity, decency and compassion for our fellow man.
This struggle West says is about leaving our society and ultimately the world a little better.
Traditional democracy is the perpetual struggle of the individual fighting for the greater good of society.
Cornel West refers to past African-American personalities (Sojourner Truth and W.E.B. Du Bois) amongst others as traditional and inspirational leaders of the democratic struggle. West draws insight from Du Bois who says that ordinary people are dehumanized by being lumped together and stereotyped; it is very difficult to sustain a vibrant and thriving democracy in this manner.
West further expounds that traditionally the ruling classes, “…subordinated and exploited everyday people” for the sake of maintaining their power and influence. West says that a small percentage of the American population possesses an overwhelming amount of the wealth; corporations have to be more accountable to the public because of their great wealth and influence. The middle class is threatened and under siege; under these circumstances authoritarian rule is sought after, therefore traditional democracy and the poor are at great risk: “…significant segments of that middle class to scapegoat those that are most vulnerable.”
Traditional democracy is always under threat when wealth, power and material possessions are far more important than the intangibles: “…mercy, justice, fidelity and kindness, etc.” Traditionally moral values are in decay and we have to return to old values such as sacrifice, empathy and courage. As part of the democratic tradition hope is a value to be engaged in perpetually; struggling and persisting for what is morally just and right. It is our moral obligation to have integrity, decency and compassion for our fellow man.
This struggle West says is about leaving our society and ultimately the world a little better.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Maxine Hong Kingston’s Essay: “No Name Woman”
Secrecy and Silence – Traditional Chinese Society
Chinese tradition is complex and ingrained in this culture.
The first thing that M.H. Kingston is told by her mother is: “You must not tell anyone”, as the story of her unmentionable aunt who had a child out of wedlock is relayed to her and Kingston is sworn to secrecy and silence. As a result, the aunt’s name and existence is expunged from by the family forever, “We say that your father has all brothers, because it is as if she had never been born”. Secrecy and silence is elementary to this society so as was customary; the men went away to earn a living but they were glad to go as her aunt was alluring to uncles, cousins, nephews and others, “…and they left, fearful that their glances, like a field of nesting birds, might be startled and caught.”
Traditionally a wrong word even in the USA could “incite the kins people…”, to do some kind of unspeakable and mysterious harm to her father. Secrecy and silence are traditional values reemphasized by Kingston’s mother when she implicitly threatens her, “Do not do what she did or the same could happen to you”, implying that she too could be forgotten by the family. Unfortunately, adultery was traditionally considered a mistake in good times however in bad times this became a crime as the villagers were preoccupied feeding themselves thus adultery was an extravagance and punishable.
Kingston struggled caught between two traditions, growing up in America but raised in a Chinese traditional culture. As a result, she comments on her struggle at dating: “if I made myself American-pretty so that the five or six Chinese boys in the class fell in love with me, everyone else – the Caucasian, Negro and Japanese boys – would too”, so it was best to act sisterly”. In addition, Kingston also struggles with inner turmoil as she consented and allowed the punishment of her aunt to continue long after her death: “I have not asked for details nor said my aunt’s name; I do not know it”; she is caught in a perfect storm of emotional contradictions, different traditions, loyalty to family and disloyalty to an aunt she never knew.
In the end, Kingston is haunted by her aunt and not sure whether writing about her necessarily is appreciated by her aunt’s ghost: “I do not think she always means me well. I am telling on her…”, but in her own way Kingston’s pays homage to her aunt.
Chinese tradition is complex and ingrained in this culture.
The first thing that M.H. Kingston is told by her mother is: “You must not tell anyone”, as the story of her unmentionable aunt who had a child out of wedlock is relayed to her and Kingston is sworn to secrecy and silence. As a result, the aunt’s name and existence is expunged from by the family forever, “We say that your father has all brothers, because it is as if she had never been born”. Secrecy and silence is elementary to this society so as was customary; the men went away to earn a living but they were glad to go as her aunt was alluring to uncles, cousins, nephews and others, “…and they left, fearful that their glances, like a field of nesting birds, might be startled and caught.”
Traditionally a wrong word even in the USA could “incite the kins people…”, to do some kind of unspeakable and mysterious harm to her father. Secrecy and silence are traditional values reemphasized by Kingston’s mother when she implicitly threatens her, “Do not do what she did or the same could happen to you”, implying that she too could be forgotten by the family. Unfortunately, adultery was traditionally considered a mistake in good times however in bad times this became a crime as the villagers were preoccupied feeding themselves thus adultery was an extravagance and punishable.
Kingston struggled caught between two traditions, growing up in America but raised in a Chinese traditional culture. As a result, she comments on her struggle at dating: “if I made myself American-pretty so that the five or six Chinese boys in the class fell in love with me, everyone else – the Caucasian, Negro and Japanese boys – would too”, so it was best to act sisterly”. In addition, Kingston also struggles with inner turmoil as she consented and allowed the punishment of her aunt to continue long after her death: “I have not asked for details nor said my aunt’s name; I do not know it”; she is caught in a perfect storm of emotional contradictions, different traditions, loyalty to family and disloyalty to an aunt she never knew.
In the end, Kingston is haunted by her aunt and not sure whether writing about her necessarily is appreciated by her aunt’s ghost: “I do not think she always means me well. I am telling on her…”, but in her own way Kingston’s pays homage to her aunt.
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