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.
