In the story “Circumcision” by Pramoedya Ananta Toer the narrator is a young boy who struggles to prove himself to his faith. The story shows many conflicts that concern being circumcised. The story shows the fears the narrator feels towards the pressures of being circumcised. Lastly, there is a major disillusionment that leads from the events of the story that greatly affect the views of the narrator. The story shows the conflicts, fears, and disillusionment of the narrator and how he overcomes them as he learns from the events that occur.
The major conflicts in the story are internal and external conflicts. The internal conflict is that the narrator feels that he will not be a true Muslim unless he is circumcised. In the story it says, “I began to think , if I hadn’t been circumcised was I really a muslim?” In the narrator’s religion getting circumcised is a way to show devotion to their faith. The external conflict is man vs. society. The conflict is that getting circumcised requires a grand ceremony and celebration. Many poor families are unable to afford the ceremony and their boys are left uncircumcised. So, basically they are saying that the rich people will be able to reach Paradise and the poor people will not. The narrator is not from a wealthy family but is able to get circumcised through a group ceremony his father organized at the school. The narrator’s father thought that this could help solve the narrator’s problem about not feeling like a true Muslim but many families did not sign up for this because they fear that a group ceremony will show that they are not able to provide for their families. In the story it says, “Many parents with sons of circumcision age were apparently embarrassed to have someone else pay fo...
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...ing his five pillars, and his family doesn’t have enough money to provide an individual circumcision ceremony for him. The narrator over comes these conflicts by realising that to be a true Muslim all you have to is believe and that money has nothing to do with it. His fears also have the same solution. He feared that he was going to disappoint God and be ashamed in his society. He feared the pain but at the moment of truth he was able to conquer his fears and move past them. The narrator experiences disillusionment. He stopped believing that he couldn't be a true muslim unless he did all those materialistic things that didn’t even make a difference in his life. The narrator evolves from his conflicts and fears.
Works Cited
Toer, Pramoedya Ananta. Circumcision. N.p.: Hyperion, 1969. Print.
"Disillusionment." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2014.
In the Maasai society, genital cutting is a rite of passage from childhood to adulthood, and both men and women go through the process of circumcision. As society ages, opinions on cultural norms change. This is true for the Maasai society, where the views on female circumcision have and are changing. Female circumcision is classified into three categories, and defined by the World Health Organization, Type I is the removal of the foreskin on the vagina, Type II is the removal of the clitoris, and Type III is the removal of all external genitalia with the stitching or narrowing of the vaginal opening (“New Study”). Traditionally in the Maasai society, women underwent Type II or Type III circumcision. Written in 1988, “The Initiation of a Maasai Warrior,” by Tepilit Ole Saitoi, and is an autobiographical story of Saitoti’s circumcision in his initiation to a warrior. Though his story mainly focuses on the male circumcision part of the Maasai society, women’s circumcision and other basic traditions are discussed. Throughout the short story, the topic of circumcision and the rite of passage, both long- standing traditions in the Maasai society, are central themes.
In Althaus’ article, she provides in-depth information about female circumcision; a highly controversial cultural ritual that is practiced in at least 28 countries
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The story is concerned with the conflict between his conception of himself and the reality.
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When parents first discover they are having a baby, there are so many aspects to consider. Who is going to be their doctor, which hospital are they going to deliver at, what are they going to name the baby, and what color should they paint the nursery. Parents that are expecting a male newborn have to decide if they want their baby to be circumcised. For many families, this is an easy decision based on their cultural or religious beliefs. However, for others the right option is not as clear. Over the years, the topic of circumcision has been debated and views have swayed for and against the procedure. Ultimately, the parents must evaluate all the pros and cons and make the decision that aligns best with their thoughts and beliefs. The parent’s decision about the procedure will be influenced by various factors. It is vital that they are educated on the accurate information surrounding the advantages and disadvantages of the circumcision. This paper will evaluate both sides of this controversial issue.
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Freedom of choice is a desire for most, but as we are young we depend on the decision of our parents. With this dependent nature of a child the freedom of choice is limited, for males this can lead to a life long consequence. Male circumcision is the surgical removal of the foreskin; the skin covering the head of the penis. Circumcision is practiced for religious purposes in Jewish and Muslim communities. Normally, the boy’s age varies from 4 to 11 years old. In the United States, this procedure is also done but without a religious purpose. The boys in this case are commonly newborn. This practice became popular after medical groups claimed that there were many health benefits that came with circumcision. Though it has been proven otherwise, it is still a common practice in the U.S. fueled by ignorance. Circumcision is an unnecessary surgery that leads to psychological problems, issues with sexual activities and lasting physical damage.
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Female genital mutilation (also known as female circumcision) is the cutting of female clitoral hood and removing clitoris. Following the cutting of female genital organ, there are many short-term and long-term health risk problems, and even death due to some complicated infections. The reasons for performing female genital mutilation are connected with socio-cultural beliefs, attitudes, values and customs, transition of girls into womanhood, tradition and cultural heritage, the fear of not having access to resources and opportunities as a young woman, perception to reduce sexual desire of females; hence, will sustain premarital virginity, and maintain marital fidelity. Actions have taken at international, national and regional levels since the past many years and have begun to bear fruits, but the practice is still undergoing in many countries in the world and highly prevalent in Africa. To continue and motivate further reduction in changing the society’s attitudes towards female genital mutilation in the countries where the prevalence has remained stable so it’s therefor...
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