Dehumanization occurs when one tries to take the human
qualities out of another and treats them in non-human ways. This can be
verbally or physically. In class we read the novel The Strange Case of Dr.
Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Stevenson brings up the idea of good versus evil
or monster versus humanity. How do you classify someone as completely good or
completely evil? Dr. Jekyll wants to develop a chemical that can completely rid
him of evil. He ends up creating another person of Mr. Hyde. Hyde does all of
the evil crimes, but when he turns back into Jekyll there is no consequences.
Ultimately Dr. Jekyll develops a split personality. Mr. Hyde was pure evil in
my eyes, he didn’t just commit small crimes like stealing or anything minor he
physically hurt people and never seemed to be in any trouble for it. “He had in his hand a heavy cane, with which he
was trifling; but he answered never a word, and seemed to listen with an
ill-contained impatience. And then all of a sudden he broke out in a great
flame of anger, stamping with his foot, brandishing the cane, and carrying on
(as the maid described it) like a madman. The old gentleman took a step back, with the air of one very much
surprised and a trifle hurt; and at that Mr. Hyde broke out of all bounds and
clubbed him to the earth. And next moment, with ape-like fury, he was trampling
his victim under foot and hailing down a storm of blows, under which the bones
were audibly shattered and the body jumped upon the roadway.”
It was almost as if Hyde was not human, and definitely didn’t look
as others as though they were human. This reminds me of war, because in war
soldiers are trained to dehumanize the enemy. A normal person could not just
kill someone because they are told to they have to mentally prepare themselves.
They take themselves out of the violence. Dr. Jekyll wanted to be a good person
and the only way for him to do that was to get rid of the evil, which happened
by creating Mr. Hyde. Matt Baker wrote an article “Dehumanizing Eliminates the
Guilt.” He speaks of how people here in America have the nerve to criticize the
soldiers for what they are doing, and it makes us feel a little less guilty
because we are just as much a part of it. The only reason soldiers kill people
during war because they do not think of them as people. The soldiers are unable
to feel the emotions anymore from what they are doing because they don’t take
time and think about it. They just do as they are told. Then, after war they
deal with the consequences, such as PTSD and drug problems. Some even say that
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is about a drug addiction which allows for Jekyll to
feel as though he is a different person. For many a way of coping is splitting
from the issue, which is exactly what Jekyll did and what soldiers do every day.
I’m not saying it is something I agree with, but I don’t think it makes Jekyll
a monster, I think evil is just part of the human condition.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Differing Cultures
Every country has different values and opinions when it comes to women. We read A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, which allowed us to see first-hand the treatment of women in
Afghanistan. It follows the struggles of women to “find their place.” Men are
allowed to have multiple wives and it is not uncommon for them to use verbal as
well as physical punishment when dealing with women. Something that is very
different than the American culture. In our country everyone is all about
equality for everyone, and men only have one wife (legally) and there are ways
to protect yourself from physical abuse. Sometimes women are unreasonably
punished in the book. For example, Mariam continues to have miscarriages and
Rasheed beats her, which is something that she has no control of. I think that
it is interesting to see how different cultures are. In America, a man is
looked down on if he beats his wife, but in Afghanistan it is something that is
just overlooked. After dealing with Rasheed and other men being controlling Mariam
finally grows confidence and ends up killing Rasheed. I do not believe any one
life is more important than another, but I think that it was a turning point
for Mariam and it is interesting to see how she grew as a character.
“A society has no chance of success if its women are uneducated...” I really agree
with this quote from the story. As times chance and society grows sooner or
later women will need to be recognized, obviously some countries are further
behind than others. The women in Afghanistan do not agree with the way they are
being treated or the rules they have to follow, but they do not seem to be
making any major effort to change it. Just because you are born into a society
with specific views does not mean that you have to agree with them.
I found an article about women who spoke out about some of the laws that were
forced on them. The article “Afghan Women Protest Against New Law on Home Life”
by Dexter Filkins, that tells of 300 women leading a march demanding for
rights. The Taliban had passed new laws and one of them allowed for martial
sex, something that these women were protesting. One of them women that spoke
at the march said this, “Whenever a man wants sex, we cannot refuse; it means a
woman is a kind of property, to be used by the man in any way that he wants.”
The other parts of the law passed including the permission of the husband for
his wife to attend school or work outside the home, and women cannot refuse to “dress
up” if their husbands ask them to do so. It is interesting to see laws that the
government can force on the women there, and there is nothing they can do
because they do not have the same rights as the people in America. They can get
in real trouble for speaking out or disobeying their husband. I find it hard to
believe how different cultures are from one another but in some ways women are
still seen as inferior no matter where you go.
Afghanistan. It follows the struggles of women to “find their place.” Men are
allowed to have multiple wives and it is not uncommon for them to use verbal as
well as physical punishment when dealing with women. Something that is very
different than the American culture. In our country everyone is all about
equality for everyone, and men only have one wife (legally) and there are ways
to protect yourself from physical abuse. Sometimes women are unreasonably
punished in the book. For example, Mariam continues to have miscarriages and
Rasheed beats her, which is something that she has no control of. I think that
it is interesting to see how different cultures are. In America, a man is
looked down on if he beats his wife, but in Afghanistan it is something that is
just overlooked. After dealing with Rasheed and other men being controlling Mariam
finally grows confidence and ends up killing Rasheed. I do not believe any one
life is more important than another, but I think that it was a turning point
for Mariam and it is interesting to see how she grew as a character.
“A society has no chance of success if its women are uneducated...” I really agree
with this quote from the story. As times chance and society grows sooner or
later women will need to be recognized, obviously some countries are further
behind than others. The women in Afghanistan do not agree with the way they are
being treated or the rules they have to follow, but they do not seem to be
making any major effort to change it. Just because you are born into a society
with specific views does not mean that you have to agree with them.
I found an article about women who spoke out about some of the laws that were
forced on them. The article “Afghan Women Protest Against New Law on Home Life”
by Dexter Filkins, that tells of 300 women leading a march demanding for
rights. The Taliban had passed new laws and one of them allowed for martial
sex, something that these women were protesting. One of them women that spoke
at the march said this, “Whenever a man wants sex, we cannot refuse; it means a
woman is a kind of property, to be used by the man in any way that he wants.”
The other parts of the law passed including the permission of the husband for
his wife to attend school or work outside the home, and women cannot refuse to “dress
up” if their husbands ask them to do so. It is interesting to see laws that the
government can force on the women there, and there is nothing they can do
because they do not have the same rights as the people in America. They can get
in real trouble for speaking out or disobeying their husband. I find it hard to
believe how different cultures are from one another but in some ways women are
still seen as inferior no matter where you go.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Self-worth
The role of women is something that is still talked about today. The true role of a woman to some is a wife and mother, or while others feel they should be equal to men especially in the work force. Woman today, at least in our country, have their own identity and are seen as an individual. This was not the case in The Awakening by Kate Chopin, Edna realizes that she does not know who she truly is and she needs to leave her husband and family in order to figure that out. Of course for her the only solution was suicide. To me, this is such as foreign concept, how could a person not know who they are. Women were seen as less than men, and they were more of “play things” which can be seen in A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen. Nora was just seen as doll to her husband, he would give her money and treat her like a child but she was not her own person.
I do not understand how a mother can be so selfish as to leave her children as Nora and Edna did. Your children are supposed to be your most prized possession and protecting them is the most important thing. These women seemed to only have children because that is what was expected of them. Who were they if they were not mothers? Nobody. Nora and Edna were both so dependent on men their entire life that they did not know who they were on their own and they had trouble dealing with it. Edna searches for herself in other people besides her husband, while Nora decides that she does not love her husband anymore. I like the bold move that Nora made, however I think that Edna committing suicide was a very cowardly thing to do, and she took the easy way out. The only problem is that in today’s society it would be frowned upon for a mother to leave her children for her own selfish desire, but in the time period the novels take place it is a bold statement.
Unfortunately women are still put into categories and if they are not doing what is expected they are labeled and outcast (this does apply for males too.) In the article, “Part of a Whole, But Still Me” by Alexandra Franklin she reminisces on the past when she was different and was not into all of the “girl things.” Her mother wanted her to wear lipstick and dress up, while she found it more important to be smart, but she had to choose between being pretty or being smart. Once she gets a boyfriend she begins to question whether she was in love or whether it was sympathy, and furthermore felt like she had sold out. She turned to anorexia to try and solve the way she felt about herself. She put everything she had into her boyfriend because she did not know how else to find worth. She slowly began to figure out who she really was, and she was still able to be with Dan. She found the college that was right for her, one apart from her boyfriend. It is not that she gave up on being an individual but she realized that it was okay to be part of the whole, because she loved Dan. I think this article really shows how girls lose their identity in today’s world. So many girls/women put all there worth into a guy, and usually not one who is going to give them anything in return, and then they do not know who they are without someone to lean on. They constantly need a guy to depend on and that is where they seek their identity, but I think this article shows that you can love someone and still figure out who you are on your own.
I do not understand how a mother can be so selfish as to leave her children as Nora and Edna did. Your children are supposed to be your most prized possession and protecting them is the most important thing. These women seemed to only have children because that is what was expected of them. Who were they if they were not mothers? Nobody. Nora and Edna were both so dependent on men their entire life that they did not know who they were on their own and they had trouble dealing with it. Edna searches for herself in other people besides her husband, while Nora decides that she does not love her husband anymore. I like the bold move that Nora made, however I think that Edna committing suicide was a very cowardly thing to do, and she took the easy way out. The only problem is that in today’s society it would be frowned upon for a mother to leave her children for her own selfish desire, but in the time period the novels take place it is a bold statement.
Unfortunately women are still put into categories and if they are not doing what is expected they are labeled and outcast (this does apply for males too.) In the article, “Part of a Whole, But Still Me” by Alexandra Franklin she reminisces on the past when she was different and was not into all of the “girl things.” Her mother wanted her to wear lipstick and dress up, while she found it more important to be smart, but she had to choose between being pretty or being smart. Once she gets a boyfriend she begins to question whether she was in love or whether it was sympathy, and furthermore felt like she had sold out. She turned to anorexia to try and solve the way she felt about herself. She put everything she had into her boyfriend because she did not know how else to find worth. She slowly began to figure out who she really was, and she was still able to be with Dan. She found the college that was right for her, one apart from her boyfriend. It is not that she gave up on being an individual but she realized that it was okay to be part of the whole, because she loved Dan. I think this article really shows how girls lose their identity in today’s world. So many girls/women put all there worth into a guy, and usually not one who is going to give them anything in return, and then they do not know who they are without someone to lean on. They constantly need a guy to depend on and that is where they seek their identity, but I think this article shows that you can love someone and still figure out who you are on your own.
Monday, January 2, 2012
The Beauty in Diversity
All cultures have different expectations from the people in them. They all have “different moral codes.” This is discussed in the article “The Challenge of Cultural Relativism” by James Rachels. It is time to accept that not everyone is going to have the same rituals. Darius, the king of Persia, realized this when he saw that the Greeks would always cremate the bodies of those that died, while the Callatians would eat the bodies of their dead fathers. This brings up the question why can is be considered “okay” in some societies and completely repulsive in others. I think that the quote the article starts out with describes this situation perfectly, “Morality differs in every society, and is a convenient term for socially approved habits.” Everyone bases off what is right and wrong because of how their society sees it, in most cases. Some people will think outside of the box and make up their own minds about what is morally accepted. People get the idea that the culture they are part of is the best one there is, as if it is the only way of life. If people would start to accept that there are differences and there is no way of changing it, but we could just open our minds and realize that it IS okay to have differences. People get so caught up in the world they live in and don’t bother to look at what is outside their lives.
This reminds me of Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. Okonkwo wants to be the best of the best in his town, but when he is forced to leave he has to realize that things are done differently in other places. He is afraid of change out of everything, when things begin to run differently upon his arrival home he does not know what to do. The Christians have taken over and the things that used to be important don’t really have any more value. It does not matter to them the amount of titles a man holds, or how many wives he has. Okonkwo is unable to deal with this change, and unfortunately it leads to death. I think this is a good example of what would happen if no one accepted change. If we all were hell bent on living our lives our way then there would be no room for change, and we definitely would not be living in the country we are in today.
It is important to be open to changes around us, even if they do not seem like the best choice. We need to learn to accept that everything is not going to be the same forever, and why would we want it to? However, I do not think that it makes it okay to push cultures on other people. I am a Christian, but I do not agree with those that go around preaching it on others and saying that if you don’t do it this way then you will go to hell. Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs. We should listen to what others have to say before making our decisions about other cultures, and until we recognize that people ARE allowed to have their own opinions and way of life we won’t get anywhere.
This reminds me of Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. Okonkwo wants to be the best of the best in his town, but when he is forced to leave he has to realize that things are done differently in other places. He is afraid of change out of everything, when things begin to run differently upon his arrival home he does not know what to do. The Christians have taken over and the things that used to be important don’t really have any more value. It does not matter to them the amount of titles a man holds, or how many wives he has. Okonkwo is unable to deal with this change, and unfortunately it leads to death. I think this is a good example of what would happen if no one accepted change. If we all were hell bent on living our lives our way then there would be no room for change, and we definitely would not be living in the country we are in today.
It is important to be open to changes around us, even if they do not seem like the best choice. We need to learn to accept that everything is not going to be the same forever, and why would we want it to? However, I do not think that it makes it okay to push cultures on other people. I am a Christian, but I do not agree with those that go around preaching it on others and saying that if you don’t do it this way then you will go to hell. Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs. We should listen to what others have to say before making our decisions about other cultures, and until we recognize that people ARE allowed to have their own opinions and way of life we won’t get anywhere.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Soul Mates
During class we discussed the idea of soul mates, and whether there was any truth to the idea, or if it was a complete myth. This can be tied in with the characters Heathcliff and Catherine in Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. An article titled “Are Soul Mates a Myth or Reality?” by John Grey, also discusses both sides of this argument.
A study that was done at Rutgers University in 2001 found that 94% of people twenty to twenty-nine year olds believed that you want to marry your soul mate, and 88% believed that everyone has a special person that is just for them. Even people who do not believe in the idea of a certain person that is just for them, they still look for an “ideal” person, which can be based off of traits that they desire in a partner. John Grey is a doctor that words with couples every day, and he found that many couples immediately claim that they are soul mates in the beginning of a relationship, but what actually counts is when at the end of a decade a couple still has the notion that they are soul mates. In the beginning an individual’s mind may be clouded by the passion and “honeymoon” love stage.
Some people find the whole situation to be a scandal, but there is also another difference. There is a debate over whether you find soul mates, or if you become soul mates over time. People become soul mates by growing together and learning more and more about each other every single day they are together. It is something that has to be worked at, no matter how in love the two people are it will not be easy all the time. There is potential that when you meet someone you can believe that you are soul mates, but this is proven over time as the relationship becomes stronger and is challenged. When the couple overcomes the test or the challenge that is when it can be seen how right they are for each other. I believe that there are certain people that you will feel a connection with as soon as you meet them, but you cannot really tell that they are your soul mate until you engage in a relationship and make it through hard times.
In the world today there is a high level of divorce rates. This may be because when people fantasize about their soul mate, and then they face a challenge their partner will fall short of what their hopes were. Due to that fact alone it can cause a strain in the relationship, and lead to a downfall in the relationship. In order for it to work there needs to be more in the relationship then just love. When arguments arise in the relationship, the partner is no longer there to lift the other one up and they begin to question the whole idea of where the relationship is headed.
There is an openness that needs to be established in order to even find the soul mate. I find the idea of soul mates really fascinating. I do believe that everyone has someone else that is made for them, but as the John Grey said there is the idea of becoming soul mates. There is not necessarily a way to know from the start, but after working alongside the other person and growing together you will be able to tell. I do believe that Heathcliff and Catherine were soul mates, and you can even see that when they were not together neither of them were truly happy. They would work so hard so make sure the other one would not be completely happy, ultimately hoping that they would see what was missing. At this point someone needs to start questioning what is going so wrong that the divorce rate just continues to increase. The reality or myth of soul mates really can relate to everyone because people desire to be wanted by a significant other, and it can even be related to the high divorce rates.
A study that was done at Rutgers University in 2001 found that 94% of people twenty to twenty-nine year olds believed that you want to marry your soul mate, and 88% believed that everyone has a special person that is just for them. Even people who do not believe in the idea of a certain person that is just for them, they still look for an “ideal” person, which can be based off of traits that they desire in a partner. John Grey is a doctor that words with couples every day, and he found that many couples immediately claim that they are soul mates in the beginning of a relationship, but what actually counts is when at the end of a decade a couple still has the notion that they are soul mates. In the beginning an individual’s mind may be clouded by the passion and “honeymoon” love stage.
Some people find the whole situation to be a scandal, but there is also another difference. There is a debate over whether you find soul mates, or if you become soul mates over time. People become soul mates by growing together and learning more and more about each other every single day they are together. It is something that has to be worked at, no matter how in love the two people are it will not be easy all the time. There is potential that when you meet someone you can believe that you are soul mates, but this is proven over time as the relationship becomes stronger and is challenged. When the couple overcomes the test or the challenge that is when it can be seen how right they are for each other. I believe that there are certain people that you will feel a connection with as soon as you meet them, but you cannot really tell that they are your soul mate until you engage in a relationship and make it through hard times.
In the world today there is a high level of divorce rates. This may be because when people fantasize about their soul mate, and then they face a challenge their partner will fall short of what their hopes were. Due to that fact alone it can cause a strain in the relationship, and lead to a downfall in the relationship. In order for it to work there needs to be more in the relationship then just love. When arguments arise in the relationship, the partner is no longer there to lift the other one up and they begin to question the whole idea of where the relationship is headed.
There is an openness that needs to be established in order to even find the soul mate. I find the idea of soul mates really fascinating. I do believe that everyone has someone else that is made for them, but as the John Grey said there is the idea of becoming soul mates. There is not necessarily a way to know from the start, but after working alongside the other person and growing together you will be able to tell. I do believe that Heathcliff and Catherine were soul mates, and you can even see that when they were not together neither of them were truly happy. They would work so hard so make sure the other one would not be completely happy, ultimately hoping that they would see what was missing. At this point someone needs to start questioning what is going so wrong that the divorce rate just continues to increase. The reality or myth of soul mates really can relate to everyone because people desire to be wanted by a significant other, and it can even be related to the high divorce rates.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Hypocrites
In class we discussed the philosophy of Ayn Rand, and the idea of individualism. The idea of her perfect man can be seen through Howard Roark, from The Fountainhead. She believes completely in the idea of individualism, and people making their own path in the world rather than doing what everyone expects them to do. Howard Roark may even have been considered stubborn when it came to his ideas. He did not want input from anyone, and he wanted to do everything his way. At one point, he even blows up his own building because he does not want there to be an alterations made to it. This is very significant in the society that we live in today because people have the option to be a completely original person, or they can conform to how those around them act. Individualism comes along with being independent, Rand believed that everyone should fend for themselves and be able to stand on their own two feet without the help of others. She believed very strongly in her philosophy, and I truly believed that she would back up her words with her actions.
A recent article, "The hypocrisy of Ayn Rand," states that once Rand was diagnosed with cancer she used money from her husband's Medicare in order to pay her bills. This goes completely against anything Rand claimed she believed in. She mostly likely had a lot of influence from those around her, telling her that the money was there for her. However, as someone who so strongly backs the idea of individualism it's hard for me to fathom that she actually did this. The Fountainhead changed the way some people looked at life, and they started living by Rand's philosophy and based on this it would seem as though all of that is a lie. The article also state that Rand "despised government involvement," and she still took the money from her husband's Medicare. I always thought that you could tell a lot about someone's character from the way they act in a moment of crisis, or crucial thinking. Based on those facts alone I would say that Rand is a complete fraud. She talked all about being independent and having a complete identity of your own, but as soon as things got a little rough in her life she became a coward and ultimately the type of person she despised.
I think that more people are starting to think on their own and have ideas that are completely of their own fault. This can be seen in our country through people who protest government or even corporations. They think that things are not being taken care of in the right manner and they want to do something about it. When this country started people would do whatever they possibly could to "fit in" with society and be socially accepted. In present time, some people prefer to stand out and more importantly make a difference.
It would be wrong to sit here and point fingers at Ayn Rand and call her a hypocrite, even though she went against everything she felt so strongly about. However, the truth to the matter is that at some point in our lives we have all said one thing and did something different. My mom would always say, "Do as I say, not as I do." This is also in the article, and even though Rand could not live parallel to the philosophy she created, it does not mean that she wouldn't want others to do so. Everyone makes mistakes, but as time goes on maybe more people like Howard Roark will exist in this world.
A recent article, "The hypocrisy of Ayn Rand," states that once Rand was diagnosed with cancer she used money from her husband's Medicare in order to pay her bills. This goes completely against anything Rand claimed she believed in. She mostly likely had a lot of influence from those around her, telling her that the money was there for her. However, as someone who so strongly backs the idea of individualism it's hard for me to fathom that she actually did this. The Fountainhead changed the way some people looked at life, and they started living by Rand's philosophy and based on this it would seem as though all of that is a lie. The article also state that Rand "despised government involvement," and she still took the money from her husband's Medicare. I always thought that you could tell a lot about someone's character from the way they act in a moment of crisis, or crucial thinking. Based on those facts alone I would say that Rand is a complete fraud. She talked all about being independent and having a complete identity of your own, but as soon as things got a little rough in her life she became a coward and ultimately the type of person she despised.
I think that more people are starting to think on their own and have ideas that are completely of their own fault. This can be seen in our country through people who protest government or even corporations. They think that things are not being taken care of in the right manner and they want to do something about it. When this country started people would do whatever they possibly could to "fit in" with society and be socially accepted. In present time, some people prefer to stand out and more importantly make a difference.
It would be wrong to sit here and point fingers at Ayn Rand and call her a hypocrite, even though she went against everything she felt so strongly about. However, the truth to the matter is that at some point in our lives we have all said one thing and did something different. My mom would always say, "Do as I say, not as I do." This is also in the article, and even though Rand could not live parallel to the philosophy she created, it does not mean that she wouldn't want others to do so. Everyone makes mistakes, but as time goes on maybe more people like Howard Roark will exist in this world.
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