Prejudice

Prejudice

How do people of different classes treat each other? This week, our group analyzed our independent reading books to search for evidence as to answer the question. I found the answer in the book series Gone by Michael Grant where a leak in a nuclear power plant has created mutated animal species and led humans to have unforeseen powers. Right before the nuclear leak all the adults disappear. The mutants or “freaks” are loathed by “normals” who are  forced to play defenseless. The protagonist, Sam, who is a mutant, is left in charge. Sam is dealing with urgent governmental issues and is now faced with a civil war. This book portrays the danger of prejudice and how it can escalate to unfathomable levels when there are no adults around to intervene.

My view is that such prejudice is inequitable because it leads to morbid violence and the powers were a complex mutation that the “freaks” had no control over.

For example, in the middle of the book Vic (a normal) begins to act on the tension building up between “freaks” and “normals”. He takes a red-hot poker straight out of a burning fireplace. He then forces Hunter (a freak) to bend to his will. All the while, Vic is screaming about how the freaks keep running around and feeding themselves. He said that the freaks think they’re so much better than everybody else just because they have some mutant powers. This caused a violent outbreak in which there were physical and mental injuries as well as a casualty. Had the two learned to work together, not only would it would have saved a life but, it could have relinquished the fight that grew to fuel a type of civil war.

Hunter got challenged again by a group that called itself “The Human Crew”. They accused him of using his powers for unjust reasons when in reality he had only defended himself against Vic. They try to hang him in the church before Sam intervenes. Such prejudice in the name of power is a complex issue. It is twisted that one who never asked for power but is suddenly given power will then be loathed by the others without power. The population who did not mutate and acquire powers is unrelentingly hateful and resentful toward those who have the mutated powers. 

The human crew decides to finally attack Sam, the protagonist and most powerful “freak”. They do so by attacking the gas station and setting the town on fire. Not only is this act violent and unnecessary- but it threatens to tip the balance between argument and full on battle with casualties. It causes an even bigger debate to spark up between the two groups. A sort of prejudice forms within them.

This inequitable justice connects to me personally because of the multiple appearances it makes in everyday life. I see kids struggle with power issues daily.  I observe how people who care less about academics disrespect those who care deeply for academics; and how people who do well academically  act disrespectfully towards those who struggle academically.  I see people look down on others for the way they are dressed, and people who are concerned with only fraternizing with the popular crowd. These actions, the disrespecting of others,  sprout from fear, envy, and jealousy.  The people out there who are listening, learning and trying to understand will learn that our differences are our strengths.  The roots of envy, jealousy, and fear attempt to uproot us all.  

Social Justice

It’s spooky to see and hear about all the darkness in reality. For example, at the Las Angeles airport, a 23-year-old man named Paul Ciancia entered the airport, shot and killed a security guard, and injured two other people. People want to be famous, they want to be remembered. They fear death and how it will end their story, so they do bad things. Don’t they realize the person they shot had a life, a family? Paul did much more than simply shoot a man, he uprooted the very roots of the lives of the people around him. Paul traumatized the US and ensured the recognition of the shadow of darkness reality seems to have cast.

My mom told me that she and my little brother Sully had been walking down the street when a car ran a red light and hit a biker. Then, the car driver got out and yelled at the biker for denting his car. Isn’t that scary? The biker could have been seriously injured and while a life is something that can’t be repaired the driver went on about his car which can be repaired or replaced. In addition, in the book Cherub: The Fall by Robert Muchamore, Lauren is doing a training exercise in the woods with some other kids when her instructor has a heart attack. She runs to the road to try and get a ride, but the lady who pulls over refuses to allow their instructor in the car because she is afraid he will throw up in her new car. These two observations seem to show that moral values have been seriously twisted- now a car is worth more than a life.

If you shine a light into reality, you might find that there are good things if you search for them and act on them. One thing I observed was in the subway, a beggar limped into the car and asked for money. The man next to me leaned over and gave him some money. I’m not saying you need to give money, that is just a physical observation. If you look into the thought you can see that this man had no duty to give this man money. He had no connection to this man. He had no responsibility and yet he helped the man to try and help him get a better life. In addition, a woman was trying to parallel park but kept backing out towards the end. A man walked up to her and said, ” You’ve got three solid feet behind you.” He helped the woman park and sacrificed his own time. He asked for no reward and had no responsibility or obligation to help the woman, he simply tried to spread good karma. Throughout my observations I found that reality was cloaked in darkness, but it faded if you used a flashlight. By lighting your own lamp or searching for good and adopting its ways the cloak will begin to fade and soon darkness will have no shadow nor reputation.

Empathy

“Reading Fiction ‘Improves Empathy’ Study Finds,” an article by Alison Flood that was published by www.thegaurdian.com claims that Young Adult Fiction helps teenagers to empathize. Alison Flood supports this idea by explaining how teens in a study were found to have associated themselves with the social groups of the books they read- in this case Harry Potter and Twilight. She continues to say that fiction provides the same types of satisfactions as associations with real-life groups. She concludes the article with the idea that the funding of these books should not be cut because in them teens are not limited to an outer view of others; in them they can read about what characters are thinking and feeling.

In order to express her ideas, Alison Flood includes many craft moves. She cites scientific studies on the matter in order to convince us of the verity of her claim. She also makes the decision not to address the counterclaim- she avoids the opposing claim to her article. Alison Flood additionally references books with strong empathetic results such as Harry Potter and Twilight. She goes on to quote Keith Oatley (a professor of human development) on his opinions about the subject in order to back up her opinion. Finally, she includes many loaded words in her article such as “empirical, interpersonal, empathy, sociality, satisfaction, bliss, belonging, absorption, and identification” that successfully back up her point.

I agree with Alison Flood that reading Young Adult fiction helps teens to empathize. Most fiction focuses in some way on the social interactions of its characters. In this we (teens) are able to understand character’s actions and reflect upon them in our own lives. A line that stood out to me was,” We usually take the exterior view of others, but that’s too limited.” It rings so true! In real life we don’t get a pass into other people’s minds… but in fiction we can read about similar situations and understand their point of view and thus empathize with the characters. We can then use these tools of empathy in real-life social situations.

Strength

Be Strong

Strength in itself is the ability to face reality. It takes lots of courage to walk away from your past and stay open to the future. Reality is in factuality- dark. It is ugly and horrifying. Lena, the female protagonist in the book series Beautiful Creatures and Ridley a supporting role are strong characters because they don't accept their future as predetermined; they face reality and show that they won’t bow down to such a twisted force. In Ridley's decision she is forced to stand up to her family and choose between good and evil. Lena must challenge the order of things and prove that despite the fact that her mother is the most evil and powerful caster in the world she can be light. Lena and Ridley show how strength can overcome any obstacle.

           

Ridley(Lena’s cousin) is a prime example of a character facing the reality of her situation and remaining strong enough to be herself. Ridley is constantly trying to find herself in the image that has been painted by everyone but herself over the course of this series. Her family declared she was evil because they were not strong enough to challenge the evil casters who have taken her soul. Her family abandons her.  How terrible it would be  to have your own family turn your back on you at the drop of a hat. Can you imagine how difficult it must have been for her? Ridley's difficulties don't end here, things get worst for her when the bad guys peg her as a traitor and send her away. In the end she creates her own image as a rebellious teen who cares too much for her family to turn her back on them- even as they shun her. She is strong enough to live on once she has been abandoned by both groups in her world. She goes through so much… I can’t imagine having a family who won't fight for you, stand by you and tell you that you have a choice in who you want to be. Yet, she fights alone and finds her way herself. She is strong enough to return and face her family and show them that she really belongs and loves them.

 Lena demonstrates a similar strength. She faces the reality of her situation- her mother is the most powerful dark caster of all time. Lena's mother tortures her and tries turn her dark. On several occasions Lena's mother, Sarafine, breaks through the protective barriers around Lena and attempts to kill her . Lena eventually gathers the courage to say that she won’t be dark… she will stand for what she believes in. Her mother Sarafine turns murderous when Lena chooses to turn her back on her. Sarafine attempts to contort reality around Lena to get her to change her mind. Lena is strong throughout this incessant violence. Lena stands by her decisions to not go dark even when it means that she has to watch her mother die in order to restore the order of things. It is difficult for her to watch her mother die, she knows that her mother once tried resist being evil. Imagine having a parent who  repeatedly tries to kill you for being who you want to be. Now imagine they killed many of your allies and friends. It would be terrible to have a  parent who searched for you only to torture you and bring you pain. If you had a parent like this  can you imagine trying to stand up to them and make your own way? Lena does. What would you choose? Good or evil?… and what if choosing good would cause one parent to die? Nobody wants that much guilt… especially under such extremes. However- most decisions don’t have so big a rattle.

It is difficult to imagine being abandoned by my family the way Ridley was; and  it is hard to imagine that if I were to choose good over evil I would have to watch my mother die.   As teens we all face pressure from society and from our peers.  I have first hand experience with choices between good and evil every day, but  I am not faced with decisions that have stakes as high as Lena and Ridley's. My struggles are smaller but I use my strength to choose the right path.  For example, I can sit quietly by as someone gossips about a friend or I can stand up for them.  I can watch another eight grader bully a sixth grader or I can speak up.  I choose to stand up for my friend who is being gossiped about and in turn I get gossiped about.  I speak up to the other eight graders who are picking on the sixth grader and they turn their attention on me- and begin cursing at me. Speaking up when I feel someone is being wronged is how I can use my strength to do good.  The message Lena and Ridley leave for young adults is to be strong and true to yourself. 

Daughter of the Dictator's Assassinator

        "Before we were Free" is an incredible book by Julia Alvarez that tells the story of life in the Dominican Republic under the dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillo. The story is told from the point of view of a young girl named Anita. She is the daughter of the man who takes on the rebellion after the assassination of the Mirabel sisters. Anita and her extended family live in a compound- but soon Anita's extended family finds it no longer safe to stay in the Dominican Republic and evacuates. This leaves Anita, her brother, sister, Chucha (the housekeeper), and her parents alone in the compound. Soon after, the fight for independence begins in the Dominican Republic. Anita and her family find themselves in grave danger as "The Butterflies" are assassinated; for Anita's father creates a plan to destroy the dictatorship and Anita and her mother are forced to go into hiding.