April

    Absurdism is the belief that human beings exist in a purposeless, chaotic universe. The use of absurdism in literature can emphasize the point of view in literature, and sometimes the irony of a situation. It can go hand in hand with existentialism which revolves around the idea of the individual and the disconnect with society. Absurdism and existentialism place emphasis on the meaningless monotony of life, and how there is truly to purpose, and that madness overrides all.  This is expressed through the characters actions, thoughts, and motivations.

    The expression of absurdism and existentialism are both seen in The Stranger by Albert Camus and the thoughts of Meursault. This is clearly seen in the reaction to some major events in Meursault's life such as the death of his mother, and the funeral he attends where the biggest issue for him throughout is the heat of the sun. The actions taken on the beach with the Arabs also lead one to think that the simple actions of events were of Meursault's choosing and once again the biggest motivation behind the murder was the immediate discomfort Meursault felt from the weather. The course of legal action taken was to plead guilty for insanity, something that many innocent and not innocent victims plead to avoid longer sentences.

    A 1313 English court referred to insane people as “the witless, who do not have reason whereby they can choose the good from the evil.” The use of the insanity plea is sometimes seen as a “get out of jail free card” and to shorten the sentence for those that are guilty. Where the line becomes blurred however, is when can a person be truly deemed as insane and not fully aware of the course of their actions? This is the question that the justice system must answer.

    I believe that there should be nationally recognized testing for the victim to take prior to trial so that they can be deemed mentally healthy or not. I believe that a closer look at a victims history and childhood and trauma that could have ensued could serve as red flags for the defendant. Perhaps if Meursault were to take said test, he would be deemed insane, when the absurdist form of literature is written to express the independent state of mind rather than the insane.

March

     The conversations that circled about human nature caught my attention, as human nature is typically used as an excuse for the faults that people have. But is it human nature to desire what we can't have? Most would respond yes, and this is proven in the texts analyzed this month. The constant change that is present in todays society allows for technology advancements that circulate ideas faster than ever, and is likely a contributor to the changes people wish to have on themselves rather than it being a source of human nature to desire these changes.

     The idea of altering oneself is brought up in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Stevenson who brought the idea to a new life with the transformation of Dr. Jekyll into an entirely separate being who carried out the deeds Dr. Jekyll would never have gotten away with. This goes along the lines of maintaining a reputation as well, and the risks taken that adds weight to maintaining this reputation. The same is true for the opposite, where the idea of keeping something that is meant to change is also an idea brought fourth in The Picture of Dorian Gray, where beauty was valued over morals and ultimately lead to the downfall of Dorian Gray.

     Using science and technology as Dr. Jekyll did to alter oneself is popular today with surgeries transforming ones nose, lips, or gender. All of these transformations are done to achieve something that they originally did not have, and most of the time plastic surgery is done to appear younger and maintain their idea of beauty despite their age. The media that portrays beauty in such an unnatural and often unhealthy way only contributes to this ideal that is impossible to achieve, but can be done with additives such as plastic surgery or steroids.

     I find that those who physically alter themselves are seeking more than just a straighter nose or fuller lips, but confidence in themselves as a whole. I think there is only false confidence that is achieved through alterations, as the ideal that people are trying to achieve in the first place by performing these surgeries is simply wanting what they can't have, but are always seen on the covers of magazines. This false confidence can become dangerous as it can become the only way that peace is achieved when peace should come from within, not from the outside.

February

    Albert Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Irrational thinking and behavior can become dangerous to others or to oneself, and is a controversial topic, aren't we all insane to some degree? Insanity can be used as defense in the courtroom as well, bringing an entirely different context to he word, and broadens the term to create a vagueness about it. So what really determines insanity and is it always bad? Losing contact with reality is certainly dangerous by society’s standards and is exactly what happened in The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Gilman.

    The Yellow Wallpaper follows the thought process that the narrator has while cooped up in a room, by doctors orders, and is forbidden to see anyone. Instead of curing her initial illness, the narrator spirals out of mental stability and into the depths of insanity. The object she becomes fixed on while in the room is the wallpaper. She acknowledged it from the start but slowly continued to be fixated on the color and design of it- to the point where it was all she talked about. She started giving life to the wallpaper and seeing people within it, trapped, that it was her sole purpose to release. This was a clear example of a character losing touch with their surroundings.

    For as long as there have been celebrities, there have been those that could not cope with the fame that came along with it, and often turn to drugs as methods of coping. This was exactly the case for Britney Spears who was idolized for her music by millions, when the prying turned to her personal life, it was clear she wanted out. She has reported drug abuse in this time and famously shaved her head because she was “tired of everyone everyone touching her.” Just like the narrator in The Yellow Wallpaper, she was forced into situations, and under a lot of scrutiny. The media also blew up the entire scenario for Britney and easily portrayed her as one who is insane, likely without knowing the whole story. 

     Personally, I believe that the justification for losing touch with reality can only be done in extreme cases, as the narrator in The Yellow Wallpaper believed that the people she saw on the walls were real, and little was done by her family to relate to her condition of being alone inside for months at time. The definition for insanity seems to be a very vague line that anyone can cross, but put under certain pressures can lead to true madness. 

January

                                             Gender Inequality within the Taliban

The gender inequality issue can be recognized globally, but is less pronounced in modern cultures. The reaction between gender inequality and war are closely related primarily in Afghanistan, where the Taliban came to governmental power and greatly restricted women rights in all areas of life, could not drive cars, and were completely removed from the public. With this lack of women’s voice in society, there was no  voice for women in politics either.  Women faced violence if their ideals clashed with those of the Taliban, completely suppressing the female role in society.

The issues associated with war primarily in Afghanistan, is presented in “A Thousand Splendid Suns” by Khaled Hosseini. Although not followed along the main plot, the parallel plot of the war and the Mujahideen people certainly influence the characters decisions and actions throughout the novel. The reinforcement of the male role in society and in war specifically also adds to the struggles of the female characters, and the rights they are denied in such a society.

The war in Afghanistan that was a result of the terrorist attacks on America in 2001, was the attempt at dismantling al- Qaeda and the Taliban government itself. Lasting 13 years, 31,520 casualties total, the toll for those in Afghanistan was tall. The war ravaged civilians faced a death toll of 26,270. The Afghans have seen war before, with the Soviet War in Afghanistan, lasting ten years from 1979-1989. The civilian casualties in this war in particular was of great significance, totaling 850 thousand to 1.5 million.

The treatment of women has often been less than that of men, in all cultures and time periods, and certainly exists today. Although not as prominent of an issue in most modern societies, there is still room for change to bring equality for women in athletics, politics, and society as a whole. Reading about the specific treatment of the suppressed sex in Afghanistan in the 20th century certainly shines a light on the unnecessary cruelty these women faced, and changing  this position was even more difficult than escaping it. I find that Hosseini accurately portrayed the fixed role of women that was expected by the male figures in Afghanistan. The war certainly alleviated the pressure of this expectation, and was a huge force in the war.

December

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is most commonly associated with soldiers who have witnessed the extremes of human violence in war. PTSD can in fact be the result of 

any traumatic experience.  Defined as an anxiety disorder, symptoms include nightmares, reliving the event, hyperarousal, and lack of sleep.

The psyche of the author of Slaughterhouse Five can be reasoned as anxiety from PTSD. His accounts from the war and more specifically the bombing of Dresden could be an analogy for the psychological state he resorted to. Clearly an anti-war novel, Slaughterhouse Five resonates the horrors of war, and how the basis of humanity can truly be evil. Living through events like war changes people, and coping methods vary from person to person. The masked identity that Billy served throughout the novel is an example of this as if it never happened to the author in the story. Furthering the unstable psychological state would be the references to the aliens and a time travel, giving it futuristic or science fiction elements to the novel, which I don't think was intended to enforce the crazed ideals.

PTSD affects millions, and not just war veterans but anyone who has experienced near death trauma, abuse, combat, terrorist attacks, or natural disasters such as tornados and tsunamis. This reoccurring trauma and restlessness can interrupt lives even when the trauma has ceased. “PTSD creates an acuteness vital to survival. You want to be vigilant, you want to react to strange noises, you want to sleep lightly and wake easily, you want to have flashbacks that remind you of the danger, and you want to be, by turns, anxious and depressed. Anxiety keeps you ready to fight, and depression keeps you from being too active and putting yourself at greater risk.” says a PTSD sufferer Sebastian Jenger. 

I find PTSD to be a very serious condition, from the research I have done it often lasts a lifetime and raises the question if it is worth being placed in that situation. Of course the majority of the time, the trauma cannot be prevented but with research proving American soldiers to have the greatest amount of reported PTSD, the violence of war clearly resonates far from the battlefield.

November

Cultural Relativity

            Cultural Relativity refers to the alternating ideals in a society regarding social, religious, and everyday customs are often regarded as absurd or disrespectful in other cultures. These customs can also reflect the time period they were exhibited in. A culture is defined by a group of people who live the same way in the same group, often working towards the same goal. To deny respect to other people’s beliefs is often simply considered to be ignorant, as many factors must be taken into account such as traditions, and that what is considered to be the ‘norm’ for some is anything but ordinary for others.

            The Cultural Relativity present in Hamlet allows the readers to truly appreciate the time period that Shakespeare drew from. The emphasis placed on the legacy and honor of being a noble human at that time period as something worth dying for is rare in modern American society. Parallels could be traced with the Aristocracy in present day England without the treachery that surrounded the crown within the story of Hamlet. Sabotage and revenge were also very strong themes in Hamlet that were taken to an extreme form in the final act of the play. The idea of avenging murder with poison and guaranteed death is certainly an extreme in today’s society, and is difficult for modern readers to grasp as acceptable.

            Many connections can be made in different societies on their cultural norm, the most obvious being on religion. Religion is often the basis of the greatest ignorance in humanity, as what someone believes in is so rarely accommodated by what others believe in. When one believes something is right based on what they have been taught, bad things such as religious persecution can be the dangerous result. Slavery is another example of cultural ignorance, by deeming some people as superior than others based off of skin color, genocides and enslavement ensued.

            My personal opinion on cultural relativity is that it is not stressed enough to appreciate all walks of life and respect others traditions in a moral and ethical manner. I find there would be greater peace among nations if this understanding was something that was engraved into us from the start. It is never too late however, in my opinion, to appreciate other cultures and learn from them, after all knowledge is the true source of power.

October Monthly Blog

Good vs Evil within a Society

The distinction between good and evil is a common theme that is integrated in us from a young age. Labeling something as good or bad is what enables people to make a decision and act on whether they support that cause. Sometimes there is little difference as to what can be called "good" or "evil" and these assumptions are often based off of biased or twisted information from faulty sources. I find it interesting to look at classic ideas of good or evil with a varying perspective and perceive it in an entirely new light.

This ideal of labeling people, things, or ideas as good or evil is the basis of the plot within Beowulf. Grendel is stated outright as having evil qualities and wreaking havoc on the society. Beowulf thus is dubbed the good force that battles and defeats this force of evil. A prime example of biased characterization is of the character gender. Exposed in his true form in the text Grendel, this character receives more pity and the lines of good and evil begin to blur.

The forces of good and evil is what has always driven wars and the basic instinct to fight, a form of defense for what one believes in. The hated enemy is seen as possessing evil motives that the good men contrast and protect what is "good." For example, terrorists groups are easily labeled as evil for the actions they perform and what they stand for as a unity. Fighting these actions are the good forces, essentially everyone who is attacked by these terroristic groups. It should also be taken into account however that groups such as Isis believe what they are doing is right and just.

Personally, it is so easy to set apart ideas and people as good or bad, a flaw in our society. I believe that the society is the sole factor in shaping what is evil and what is good. Without society, there is no villain, nor is there a hero. I believe self judgement is the best form of judgement when distinguishing between right and wrong.