Destruction Caused By A Single Remark
Humanities Stagnation In Terms Of A Harmonious World
“I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones” (Albert Einstein). This quote summarizes the actions of the US and European nations at that time and how all their goals about self empowerment raises an ideology that is toxic to them and all of society. Society is more focused on self empowerment rather than self preservation, as can be seen in the novel Three Day Road. Joseph Boyden expands upon the idea of how mankind is the root of evil that is sewed onto this perfectly tranquil and harmonious world. Humans, through various actions and ideologies are corrupting the world and decreasing
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Assimilation furthers the divide between diverse cultures, since assimilation is only done to cultures that are perceived as less and unequal. This continued process will mean the death of individuality, society's future and the continuation of racism and classism by the upper classes. Once assimilation has begun it destroys any traces of identity the foreign population might have, and also restricts their voice. Joseph Boyden’s usage of abusive discipline, isolation of children and cultural genocide through residential schools denotes the various problems with assimilation. A heartbreaking example of this would be the lives of Simon Baker and his brother. Simon is a residential school survivor who saw his brother die a painful death because of the lack of compassion by his supposed “caretakers”. Simon could hear his brother screaming due to the pain and “asked the principal to take him to a hospital" (Brodbeck 1). The principle overlooked his request and didn't feel as if there was any need. After two weeks and another request to the board his brother passed away due to spinal meningitis. This tragedy shows the unstable and inhumane conditions in residential schools and how all they did was destroy a perfectly good family. Xavier and Elijah were both dragged away from their families at a young age, and shifted to the residential schooling in which they were being forced to assimilate to western traditions. Speaking in their mother tongue was banned so if he was “they’d force lye soap into my mouth and not give me anything else to eat for days” (Boyden 92). These actions were forcefully done to prevent the Native children from having any pride and cultural background, essentially creating a blank canvas the nuns can than use to
War is seen as a universal concept that often causes discomfort and conflict in relation to civilians. As they are a worrying universal event that has occurred for many decades now, they posed questions to society about human's nature and civilization. Questions such as is humanity sane or insane? and do humans have an obsession with destruction vs creation. These questions are posed from the two anti-war texts; Dr Strangelove by Stanley Kubrick and Slaughterhouse Five written by Kurt Vonnegut.
In order to understand Mike Rose, and his book Lives on the Boundary, you must first understand where Mike is coming from and examine his past. Mike was born to a first generation immigrant family, originally from Italy. He spent his early childhood in the mid-west and then in his latter childhood, parents not knowing any better, in East Los Angeles. Mike’s father suffered from arteriosclerosis. Neither Mike’s mother nor his father had completed high school and no one in his family had ever attended college. This is the setting, background, and characters of Mike’s tale of “struggles and achievements of America’s educationally underprepared” . Through this book Mike constantly is emphasizing three main themes. First, the importance of an educational mentor; later in this treatise we will examine several of Mike’s mentors. Second, social injustices in the American education system; specifically the lack of funding and bureaucracy’s affect on the public educational system. Third and lastly, specific teaching methods that Mike has used to reach out to kids on the boundary.
The three main characters, Elijah, Xavier and Niska are losing their culture gradually throughout the novel. The Europeans tries to obliterate the Cree culture by setting up residential schools, which are schools that First Nations attend to learn the European culture and forget their own. All of the three main characters, Elijah, Xavier and Niska go through the residential school. At the school, children are not allowed to speak in their own tongue or they will be punished. As Niska describes, “When I was caught speaking my tongue, they'd for...
Cormac McCarthy once said, “I think the notion that the species can be improved in some way, that everyone can live in harmony is a really dangerous idea.” (Overview) This quote leaves us with the impression that humanity as a whole is innately violent, and we will explore this idea by examining “Blood Meridian.” This paper consists of three main topics, all of which have subtopics. The first topic explores the Western setting of “Blood Meridian” and its effect on human behavior. Its subtopics are the absence of responsibility, the failure of manifest destiny’s ideals, and seeing the west as an escape from the past and time. The second topic delves deeper into the nature of Cormac McCarthy’s quote; it asks whether humans are inherently violent. The subtopics for this section are racism and hate as a drive, greed as a drive, and the metaphorical significance of two events in the book. The last topic is man’s need to be led and the way their leader leads them. The subtopics for the last section are the parallel between Hitler and Judge Holden, and the Judge’s general philosophy including the way he leads the men.
Similarly, Xavier and Elijah from Three Day Road go through a path of losing love and friends eventually turning to enemies. To begin, Xavier and Elijah war quickly noticed by other comrades because of their hunting skills. Xavier and Elijah grew up with a native background where Xavier doesn’t see killing as an ordinary thing to do. This is seen when Xavier is being shot at for the first time. He witnesses how close it was for him to be killed, responding, “The other side wants to kill me, and I’ve never even seen their faces” (Boyden, 33). Much like Paul, Xavier share many similarities to show guilt, shame and innocence. Xavier as well as Paul, thinking for all his comrades and there service for the war. Showing how his culture has taught and raised him to do so. War gives soldiers the main purpose to kill, while for Paul and Xavier killing a human is not morally wrong. In addition, Paul, like Xavier haves regret and shame for all the comrades and enemies that they have lost. This causes them to go into a state of anger and guilt which they cannot control. This is seen after Xavier cannot think straight after destroying a base along with enemies, Xavier proclaims, “I replay it over and over in my head so that I don’t sleep all night, pulling the pin on my mill bomb, throwing it and watching it arc until it disappears into the crater, the concussion and screams. I have killed someone now” (Boyden, 75). Images of horror replay in Xavier head after he kills a group of men. It is shown that Xavier is attached emotionally to his victims. While most soldiers are alone and cannot express their feelings, this leaves these thoughts as a burden which can lead to insanity. However, Xavier finds love during the war which gave him hope again...
[1] Since the dawning of the industrial revolution, producing the stratification of socioeconomic status into a competitive class hierarchy never before seen, conflict theorists have appeared to define the unjust. From William Blake’s poetry to Karl Marx’ manifestos, from Bethlehem steel strikes to the current Labor Party, from Fidel Castro to the Mexican Zapatista movement, from Lenin to Mao Tse Tung, from the Molly Maguires to Jimmy Hoffa, the desire to upgrade the conditions of the working class have had a continual role in justifying violence, providing an equilibrium to keep capital interests in check, motivated whole countries to gain newly instituted political leaders and formats of rule, even in offering some form of purpose for, identity with, and release of violent rage inside the tribal nature of humans in a world of disintegrating, or disintegrated, tribes. The question of the new millennium might very well be whether or not humans can live without enemies. In a country, if not a world, with creature comforts easily secured, labor issues becoming obsolete, where will modern man direct his barbaric energy?
The world is a very fragile place, many different era’s have been through this planet and war has always been around us. Some people do not understand the difference between good and evil which can lead to massive violence for what they believe is the right thing. Evil can have a whole lot of different meanings. This misleading concept that the justice system always has the “right” opinion, in terms of bad people commit crimes so anyone they say is bad did something illegal, is in a lot countries. This concept has also fuelled many wars and conflicts in history, and even in the present day, because countries fight about who is right on the topic of good and evil. Germany is a prime example of corrupt government because the whole nation approved of the inhuman things they were doing at the time because Germany said it was okay. The book
Based upon Fromm’s analysis many of the warnings presented in 1984 exist in today’s society. Currently society exists with “doublethink”, meaning as the days past society is one step closer to a dark era. Many people have already adapted this way of thinking, but if we want to
The Clash of Civilizations by Samuel P. Huntington interprets contemporary and projected conflicts, implying that the clash of civilizations will create the sustenance for all conflict to follow. He advocates that prior warfare and conflict advance from the work of monarchies, to the stuff of nation states, to the result of ideological differences. In conclusion, Huntington predicts that civilization divisions and misunderstandings will encourage all debates to come.
Two forms of Segmented Assimilation can be used to explain these instances. The second form follows a pattern that is a downward-mobility of acculturation and integration with the new or hybrid customs of the new country, yet is being trapped in the bottom rungs of society. Similar to the way Bryan had grown up in poverty and nearly lost touch with his mother tongue. The third form being socioeconomic integration into mainstream America, where selective acculturation and deliberate preservation of ethnic community’s values, norms, and social ties. This falls in line with Eric’s family who immigrated already being relatively successful economically and education wise retaining their culture and language within their family. Both families did adopt certain nuances and values that can be described as “American” while still retaining their own culture. Both of these subjects also maintained the concepts of family and education as being of great importance. Education is also stressed in order to find a job that offers stability and security as well as enough money to live comfortably. This stems from their parents wanting their children to be auspicious and so that their immigration to the United States served a purpose. What stood out though, was that these subjects did not face much pressure to achieve exceptionally well in their education. Instead their
William Golding believes that society, laws, and morals keep the evil of human beings restrained. Experiencing World War II, Goldin...
“We all fight on two fronts, the one facing the enemy, the other facing what we do to the enemy” (Boyden 199).
It seems since that dawn of the era of man we have always been in competition with one another. We have fought countless wars over every issue imaginable, with many great civilizations being founded and destroyed by war. Though with each new conflict comes newer and better technology. Technology is what drives civilizations forward, but it can also lead to its downfall. It is fascinating see how much technology has evolved over history, and how we have incorporated these innovations into newer technology. In past century technology has seen its greatest leap forward. This is in large part due to the two major World Wars that plagued the early part of the 20th century. (Koch p.122)
"I am young, I am twenty years old; yet I know nothing of life but despair, death, fear, and fatuous superficiality cast over an abyss of sorrow. I see how people are set against one another, and in silence, unknowingly, foolishly, obediently, innocently slay one another. I see that the keenest brains of the world invent weapons and words to make it yet more refined and enduring. And all men of my age, here and over there, throughout the whole world see these things. All my generation is experiencing these things with me..."
Their zoned school was primarily low-income and hispanic, they noticed that the population of white students enrolled elsewhere-- contrary to their zone school assignments. The school had a Spanish dual-language program and had small class sizes, both of which interested the two parents, but there were many options open to them. Ultimately, they too chose to go to a different school-- Manhattan School for Children. “While most of the students in District 3 are black or Hispanic, nearly two-thirds of the students at Manhattan School for Children are white.” (The New York Times) Elana and Adam were conscious of the race disparity in the district, the parents considered their zone school to help combat this to some degree-- their children would still benefit-- but they still chose to enroll their child in the predominantly white