Domestic Abuse

I recently went to the movies and saw “Water for Elephants.” It was about a guy who jumps the rails and ends up with the circus. The circus needs money so they have many different animals and acts to bring in the money. All the animals are abused and mistreated by the owner, August. Not only are the animals mistreated but the workers are also abused. This movie reminded me of A Thousand Splendid Sons.

The women in A Thousand Splendid Sons were beaten and mistreated when they did not do exactly what the male wanted. When Mariam and Laila did not give birth to a boy he detested them and took his anger out on them. He even locked Laila and her daughter in a room without food and water for days. In “Water for Elephants,” August would deprive the animals of proper nutrition and make them over work. When the horse needed to be put down August would not do it. He wanted the horse to go through a slow and painful death. The new elephant, Rosie, was brutally stabbed and beaten by August when he wanted her to do anything. As was stated before he not only abused animals but also the workers. If the workers on the train and the circus did anything he did not approve of he threw them off the moving train to their death.

Things like these still happen. It just calls to my mind that society should be aware and act against relationship and animal abuse. It is not just and is inhumane. Every person and animal has the right to live. Rasheed and August are heartless. I find it absolutely appalling that they can even yell at their wives or the animals.

In these two examples of brutality, the men act like this because they are greedy. Rasheed wants a boy and complete power. He loves to be the controller and knows his wives should be inferior to him, so he acts in such a way. August wants money. He feels that by beating the animals to nearly death, he can accomplish his goal.

Both of these are recent. A Thousand Splendid Sons was published in 2007 and “Water for Elephants” just came out this spring. This shows that animal abuse and relationship abuse still occurs. No living thing should ever go through any harm.

Stereotypes

            America is a country that tends to jump to conclusions. We, as Americans, judge people by their religion, ethnicity, race, etc. The Stranger reminded me of our world today. I do not think it is the best thing to do but I can’t say I don’t do it. The man murdered in The Stranger was an Arab. Even though he was not murdered because of stereotypical reasons, there are many connections to how Americans would act and what was done in the novel.

            When an Arab walks into an airport, what is the reaction? The airport puts more emphasis in checking and searching them just because of their ethnicity. This was what I thought of when Raymond was very cautious and tense when the group of Arabs were nearby. The cautiousness and fear are present in both situations.

            It was so easy for Meursault to kill the Arab. He was not even associated in Raymond’s and the Arab’s affairs but it was so easy to murder him. Americans do not go the extent of killing people but they can easily generalize and detest all Arabs and Muslims. Just as easy Meursault completed his task. Americans easily jump to the conclusion that they are all out to get us and kill every one of us. Even though that is the intent of some, most do not have that mind set. It’s just so easy to jump to conclusions, in The Stranger the conclusion ended in the murder.

            Assumptions are part of jumping to conclusions. In The Stranger, Raymond made the assumption that the Arabs were stalking him. Even if they were, Raymond made the assumption without facts. In today’s day and age we are always making assumptions. To stick to the stereotypical assumptions; if an Arab was sitting next to you on an airplane fumbling with a cell phone the automatic assumption is they are going to bomb or hijack the plane. It’s an American’s natural reaction because of what has happened in our history.

            Even though I do not believe this is the correct thing to do that is how the world is. Things that happen in our past affect how we react in the present.

The Awakening In Another Context

            Homosexuality is socially not accepted in today’s society. Even though it is much better than it used to be there are still many American citizens that oppose of such behaviors. I do not believe it to be publically appropriate but will not speak out and oppose of it. Even though I don’t think anyone should go through such grief because of the unconscious desire to love. Don’t ask don’t tell was one example on how society did not approve of any such acts. People who are gay or lesbian must go through much pain for an unconscious choice in their life.

            I found there to be a connection between the life of Edna in The Awakening and lives of homosexuals. Edna was a female in love with a male but her actions in life and feelings can closely relate to others who are two of the same sex.

            If there was a separate story for The Awakening in a different sexuality, it would have a very similar plot. Edna and Robert in love would be like two males or two females in love in another book. Robert fled to Mexico to get away from a relationship that wouldn’t work. That ended Edna’s and Robert’s relationship for a long while.  This is like a stop to a gay relationship. The stop could be done by the parents, the partner, society, or any other external forces. Since that type of relationship is not socially accepted it would be easy to stop the relationship just as Robert did by going to Mexico.  

            While Robert was gone Edna desires to be with him. She isolates herself and lacks her motherly duties. It is human instinct to love. One could have the desire to love someone of the same sex but since that is looked down upon they may shut themselves off from the world. That isolates them just as Edna did to herself. When Edna did this her husband started to worry and consulted a doctor. There are many instances when parents have consulted doctors, medical physicians, or therapists because their child is “not normal.” The children may not be like other kids but that does not mean they are not normal. Normal does not exist everyone is unique.   I found a direct connection between what Leonce did and parents of gay children do.

            Edna’s next move was moving out to be independent. In today’s world it is not uncommon for kids to move away from their society, parents, or whatever is holding them back from being independent and loving who they wish. For example they may move to a state that allows gay marriages. Again a correlation between the book and the time of the world.

            When Robert comes back and says he cannot see Edna anymore. In this instance Robert is representing society separating homosexual love. Edna kills herself by drowning in the Gulf of Mexico. This is very similar, in other context, to the young college student who jumped off the George Washington Bridge after having his personal relations displayed to the public. This is not the only case of suicide. Many gays commit suicide because they can’t bear the humiliation. There is no reason anyone should be so embarrassed to that extent. Even though Edna had a different reason for committing suicide I related the two.

            As Kate Chopin said, “She was seeking herself and finding herself in just such sweet, half-darkness which met her moods. But the voices were not soothing that came to her from the darkness and the sky above and the stars. They jeered and sounded mournful notes without promise, devoid even of hope." Today homosexuality seems to be more prevalent than it used to be. There is a lot of controversy about it; like marriage and the army. Homosexuality was parallel to The Awakening in the sense of what happened and what the characters did.

Man vs. Society

“We live in a dirty and dangerous world. There are some things the general public does not need to know and shouldn’t. I believe democracy flourishes when the government can take legitimate steps to keep its secrets and when the press can decide whether to print what it knows.” Katherine Graham explained society well in this statement.  What we know and how we live our lives depends on what society tells us. People conform to society. It shapes our views and through it do people encounter observation and experience.  

Who would people be and what would they do without society’s influence. I don’t believe they would be anyone. Everyone’s actions and decisions are affected by experience. Society is affected by government, media, advances in technology, war, money, time, communication, health, law, race, education, politics etc. Because of the advances in technology the media has grown. We, as beings of society, trust the media. We rely on media. The media tells us what we should deem as important.  Without this constant immersion in our lives people would not be anyone. Society is the one who “says” the individuals are the ones who “do.”

In A Thousand Splendid Suns I saw this same kind of effect on the Afghan citizens. They know there is better lives out there but their society is the only one they know. They live in a brutal world. There are so many changes in their government and reign over the country that the people are constantly bombarded with the rules of society. They can do this, can’t do this, must do this, changing has them conforming to society frequently.  The people there view the world as dangerous and treacherous because they are constantly exposed to war, revolutions, and oppression. Some of the laws of that society was no music, no movies, no TVs, no VCRs, they must do prayers every day, women must wear burqas, etc. Without these rules set what would they do?

Society in the United States of America is different than that in the Middle East. In America men and women may marry when they please and who they please and leave each other if so desired. In the Middle East they women are made to marry at a young age and are severely punished if they tried to leave their husband. For example when Mariam and Laila tried to run away from Rasheed he locked them away for many days without water or food.  They also had to marry because of a rule of society. If they did not have a husband then they would starve in their own house because women were not allowed out of the house without a male. In America it is against the law to beat anyone. On the contrary in A Thousand Suns the male was allowed to beat the women whenever he felt need to and “what happened in his house stayed in his house,” meaning the government could not do anything about it.

I believe the best example in A Thousand Splendid Suns of not knowing who you are or what to do without society guiding you, is Laila wanting to move back to Kabul. She was so accustomed to that society that she was not comfortable in another one. This is almost like the Amish.  The Amish are allowed a year to try out the “modern world.” Many Amish go back to the Amish society because that’s who they are at heart. Without a society a person is lost within themselves.