In a state of martial law one individual does not have much to say. This statement holds true in the novel, No One Writes to the Colonel, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The author discusses the political climate of one man, the Colonel, who after fighting to create the government in power is being controlled by the bureaucracy. A corrupt government can ruin a man, sap his will, and drive him mindless with hunger; although times are hard the Colonel keeps his dignity and pride.
The government, through the use of martial law, controls the people quite readily. The government maintains itself through "Big-Brother" tactics that include the use of censors, secret police, and ordinances like "TALKING POLITICS FORBIDDEN." The sweeping control that is present under this martial law is evident in the every day life of the Colonel and the people of his town. The first example of the nature of their lives is shown through the funeral. A poor musician has died of natural causes; the first in a long period of time. The government in attempt to avoid a demonstration and possibly a riot, reroutes his funeral procession to avoid the police barracks. Since the musician is a first to have died of natural causes, we can assume that martial law has resulted in the untimely death of many people. Another example is the death of the Colonel's son, Agustin, Whom after his death has become the embodiment of the underground. It is rightly so, being that he was the writer of the "clandestine" papers.
"'Agustin wrote.'
The Colonel observed the deserted street.
'What does he say?'
'The same as always.'
They gave him the clandestine sheet of paper" (p.32)
Martial law has restricted the free flow of id...
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...is moment
the Colonel feels "pure, explicit, invincible" (p.64) in replying "shit."
(p.64)
This novel takes place somewhere in South America and it is evident
that because of the type of government, conditions are difficult during
this period for the group of people fighting tyranny. The Colonel has
little material wealth after a life of work and service to his country.
These monetary circumstances dictate how he and his wife must live day by
day; and this hardship is in addition to the medical problems they both
endure requiring the service of a doctor. And yet through it all, the
Colonel with steadfast resolve awaits his letter from Congress regarding
his pension. This corrupt and unjust government has ruined this man, but
has not broken him. His pride enables him to retain his dignity through it
all.
Death of course by assassination planned by El Jeffe’s forces that was skillfully carried out to make it look like a tragic accident. Of course it was no coincidence to anyone, it was meant by Trujillo to intimidate potential followers of the ever rising rebellion. Their fight to the end showed how they were proud and willing to fight for the better life and brake the chains of living in oppression. They proved they would not tolerate living miserably under an unjust government and this was truly inspiring. This is a genuine and desirable trait that they held strongly, and it gained them due respect and honor.
Carolyn Forche’s “The Colonel” discusses the lack of value towards human life by totalitarian government and the United States’ stake in investigating these powers and challenging them. The speaker in this poem recounts his experience meeting the colonel to show the audience both the amount of presence of the United States in this foreign setting and the Colonel’s lack of regard toward human rights. Figurative language, such as similes, metaphors, and symbols, as well as the speaker’s first-person point of view descriptions reveal her experiences in El Salvador with a cruel military government. These elements in Forche’s poem successfully convey themes of oppression and cruelty, as well as heavy
What is the role of shame in the lives of these soldiers? Does it drive them to acts of heroism or stupidity? Or both? What is the relationship between shame and courage, according to O’Brien?
War forces young soldiers to grow up quickly. In Stephen Crane’s Civil War novel, The Red Badge of Courage, Henry Fleming is no exception. He is faced with the hard reality of war and this forces him to readjust his romantic beliefs about war. Through the novel, the reader can trace the growth and development of Henry through these four stages: (1) romanticizing war and the heroic role each soldier plays, (2) facing the realities of war, (3) lying to himself to maintain his self-importance, and (4) realistic awareness of his abilities and place in life. Through Henry’s experiences in his path to self-discovery, he is strongly affected by events that help shape his ideology of war, death, courage, and manhood. The romantic ideologies will be replaced with a more realistic representation.
Standing out more than the other soldiers in his regiment Henry defines his bravery by many different points throughout his experiences. While Henry is just a boy, his self-image is shared very descriptively while Henry tells his mother that he is joining the army. His mother completely rejects his adult decisions of becoming a soldier, but his thoughts were like bricks that could not be moved. Assuring that Henry was not making any rash decisions that he would regret, his mother respects his ideas and allows him to pursue his goal. Henry’s mother shows that she will dignify his decisions, “She had then covered her face with the quilt. There was an end to the matter for that night.” (Crane 5). For Henry’s sake of becoming a man and increasing his self-image, his mother puts her worries aside and lets him go to war. Therefore, Henry, with his decisions of war continues to lack knowledge of reality. His adolescent mind cannot comprehend the horrific scenes of battle, in preparation, he must increase his life visually before he is encouraged to fight for his country. The soldiers in Henry’s regiment tell their stories of battle and how different it really is compared to Henry's life back home. “He was nobody; now he is suddenly special, and this is what he wants.”(Breslin 268) . As Henry continues to be told the stories of men dying, people suffering, and the conditions of war, Henry’s vision of war changes. By understanding how war really is, it enables Henry to become more of a man while he is preparing himself mentally for his first experience in battle. On the other hand, Henry is unaware of how the future will end up. The risks he will have to take and the struggles he will have to overcome in order survive in battle will reveal...
War is not meant to be glorified. War is not meant to look easy. Stephen Crane was one of the few authors during his era who realized this fantasy-like aura around war and battles and decided to do something about it. The Red Badge of Courage, by Stephen Crane, was inspired by Crane’s life and his desire to portray the realistic side of war.
In the story the main character, Juan, stresses about a letter he sent to a lady that can get him in serious trouble with the government involving death as a punishment.This piece of evidence shows the lack of care the government gives to their community. Another piece of evidence that shows the lack of freedom/privacy is that every letter sent in their system has to be examined carefully. In other words, it shows that they have no rights to send personal letters to someone else which is important to the idea of freedom, or the lack of it. This also gives the reader a hint that maybe they take this job seriously for hiding their secrets or making sure no one goes against the government
Moreover, some families choose to Homeschool in order to screen their child’s curriculum to remove secularist views found in modern day public school curriculum (2002). Others have children with special needs or learning disabilities, so they choose to homeschool (Maaja, 1997). Ultimately, families are looking for what they believe is best for their children. And these families want to be actively involved in the education of their children. Homeschooling parents do not want strangers raising their children. They want to raise their children with freedom from government systems and institutions (Ray, 2000a).
Homeschooling is an education that gives parents choices and the right to teach their child however they want, but are the parents’ wants what the children need. Parents want to give their children moral instruction or want to teach them based on their religious beliefs and parents do have the right to do that because it is their child, but there are specific things that are essential for a child to learn or to experience. There are religious schools that give children an education on their faith and academically. Homeschooling doesn’t work because states have varying or no regulations on curriculum, some parents just aren’t equipped to teach their children, and homeschooled kids do not experience socialization. Parents don’t have to show how their child is performing academically, some parents only have a high school diploma or less, and homeschooled children are missing an important element of life because they aren’t learning or participating in class discussions or activities in a classroom setting.
Patricia Lines describes homeschooling in the abstract for her article Homeschooling Comes of Age, as “one of the most significant social trends of the past half century.” This trend has sparked debate over its effectiveness and the quality of the students it produces. Roy Lechtrek, in The Case for Homeschooling, and Lines argue in favour of homeschooling while Benjamin Gorman, in An Argument Against Homeschooling, argues against it. All three of them agree that isolation in education, whether social or academic, is not beneficial to students. They also believe that religion plays a major role in the decision to homeschool students. The differences they have are a result of their agreement on these fundamental principles of education. Disagreement is over the execution of these principles and so the common ground is often implied through their ideas of the ideal method.
First of all, it is critical to realize that schools are merely a way of educating the youth, yet schools are not the only way, and there is no soild evidence to prove that schools are better than other methods. In fact, when compated to homeschooling, it is quite the opposite. After the study of Eric Rudner was rejected due to sample issues such as self-selection and socioeconmical differences, Dr. Sandra Martin-Chang, researcher in
Rivero, Lisa. The Homeschooling Option: How to Decide When It's Right for Your Family. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008. Print.
Homeschooling is an educational option that permits parents to teach their children at home rather than sending them to public schools. It is believed that "homeschooled children now number 1.2 million in the United States and the number is steadily growing" (Farris, 1997, p. 4). Ray (cited in Mirochinck & McIntyre, 1991). Some Parents believe that sending their children to public schools in which qualified teachers are responsible for educating them is beneficial .However, other parents believe that it is better for their children to be educated at home by people who know their needs. In this paper, I intend to argue with homeschooling.
Every parent is faced with the decision of whether or not to home school their child. While some families may find home schooling as being very helpful and beneficial to their child’s education, others may find that it is crucial their child be sent to a normal school. Some parents are hesitant to send their children to public school because of crime and lack of discipline and also because they fear that the quality of education is declining. Parents may also feel that sending their child to school will aid in their social development. Home schooling has both advantages and disadvantages which aid parents in this difficult decision.
Public schools, private schools, boarding schools, you name it. In today’s day and age, there are many different types of schools. But sometimes another type of school passes by our thoughts. The type of school not many know that much about, different than the “normal” schools we have today. That schooling is named homeschooling. Homeschooling is simply that: the process by which students (most often the children of the parents) are taught the classes and arithmetic within the confines of their own house or specified building. But a question always arises that strikes the interest of many: “Are children that are homeschooled that different from children in traditional schools?”.