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.