Ignorance Is the Lock, Knowledge Is the Master Key

1484 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Impact of communism in china

Throughout childhood to adulthood, one may oftentimes hear the quote “knowledge is power”. It is a quote usually drilled into the heads of elementary to college-aged kids in order to encourage his or her pursuit of an education. As much as privileged students roll his or her eyes at the utterance of this quote, it is hard to deny the weight of truth in this quote when examining the history of many countries. This is especially true during times of oppressive rule. Freedom of press, information, and lines of communication are usually the main thing to be restricted when there is a hunger for complete control over a group of people. The shadow of ignorance is used to blind the oppressed and keep/hide them in the dark from any potential aid.

In 1989, student demonstrations broke out in Beijing, China in Tiananmen Square. Since the 1970s, China was going through economic reforms under Deng Xiaoping, China’s leader. As time went on complaints were being made over inflation, low job opportunities, and suspected corruption in the national party. The Communist governments of Eastern Europe were failing, causing unrest and lost of faith amongst the Chinese citizens. The breaking point was “the death of reformist CCP general secretary Hu Yaobang” on April 15th of 1989 (Online). Students congregated in the square to mourn Yaobang’s death. According to the Berkshire Encyclopedia of China the government-run press fabricated what truly going on and attempted to taint the image of the protesters:

The party mouthpiece, People’s Daily, published an editorial on 26 April accusing a “handful of plotters” of creating “turmoil” with the object of overthrowing the regime. The next day, 200,000 students from over forty universities marched to the squ...

... middle of paper ...

...ite the wicked mistreatment of the slave. Despite being unhappy with their situation, the slaves could not effectively rebel because they did not have enough knowledge and information to do so.

Knowledge truly is a power that can be used to help you or used against you. It can help you be in control or be controlled. For this reason, freedom of press and speech are constantly being fought for in many civil wars. Without knowledge, a person is subjected to the control of a person with greater knowledge.

Works Cited

James, C.L.R. The Black Jacobins: Toussaint L’Overture and the San Domingo Revolution. 2nd ed. Revised. New York: Vintage, 1989.

"Tiananmen Square." Berkshire Encyclopedia of China: Modern and Historic Views of the

World's Newest and Oldest Global Power. Great Barrington: Berkshire Publishing

Group, 2009. Credo Reference. Web. 10 May 2012.

Show More
Related

  • Summary Of Tom Weylin And Rufers's 'Slavery'

    1147 Words  | 3 Pages

    Slavery, when most people hear this word they cringe. Some people say slavery dates back to as far as 8000 BC.But what exactly is slavery? According to Merriam Webster slavery is defined has, “Drudgery, Toil, Submission to a dominating influence” (Slavery). But lets define it a little more, the first word we see is Drudgery which means “ dull, irksome, and fatiguing work : uninspiring or menial labor” (Drudgery). In Kindred Dana remarks that “Slavery is a long slow process of dulling.” (Kindred 183) which you can see to be true from the fact that dull comes from the very definition of slavery. Slaveholders would use many different forms of dulling the slaves in order to make them obedient and submissive to their owners.Throughout the story both Tom Weylin and Rufes use different ways to dull the slaves into to knowing their place on the plantation, sometimes it works, but

    Read More

  • Oakes The Ruling Race Summary

    1356 Words  | 3 Pages

    There was a constant tension characterized through slavery between slaves and masters. Slaves made the world of the masters and constantly threatened to unmake

    Read More

  • Slaves And Summary: The Transatlantic Slavery By William Snelgrave

    1572 Words  | 4 Pages

    As these sources have illustrated due to the high demand for free labor, slavery became a prominent problem through this era. However, African enslaved did not simply obey their capture. The primary source The Slaves Mutiny written by in 1730 by William Snelgrave focuses on another aspect of slavery that the other sources didn’t quite touch on, or go into much depth, and that would be slave revolt or mutiny. Author Snelgrave explains that “several voyages proved unsuccessful by mutinies.”# As author Snelgrave states upon ““what induced them (the African slaves) to mutiny? They answered, “I was a rogue to buy them, in order to carry them away form their own country, and that they were resolved to regain their liberty if possible.”# Author Snelgrave states, “They had forfeited their freedom before I bought them, either by crimes or by being taken in war, according to the custom of their country, and they now being my

    Read More

  • Themes In Alejo Carpentier's 'The Kingdom Of This World'

    1591 Words  | 4 Pages

    However, through a more careful and close observation of this segment, this revolt goes beyond the simple cultural divide and exposes the deeper, underlying theme of the entire novel as a whole: tyranny. Through this act, the slaves set forth a brutal cycle of tyranny and oppression, which, upon first glance, appears to be likely to lead to their liberation. And, although they do eventually receive ‘freedom’ from their imperial masters, the black inhabitants of the island are continually held down by whomever is in power at the time. In terms of this segment and chapter, the slaves see an opportunity to seize the freedom they so desperately desire and believe they deserve. However, when they do achieve this sense of freedom, which can be represented by their successful raid of the plantation house, they immediately engage in the vices of the white men by drinking the liquor in the basement and acting in an uncivil manner.

    Read More

  • Frankenstein Knowledge And Power

    816 Words  | 2 Pages

    The free dictionary online defines knowledge as “an awareness, consciousness, or familiarity gained by experience or learning”. Power, on the other hand, means “the ability or official capacity of a person, group or nation to exercise great influence or control and authority over others”. In Voltaire’s “Candide”, Goethe’s “Faust”, and Shelley’s Frankenstein, the quest for more knowledge and power sets the stage for the story yet the characters, Candide, Frankenstein, and Faust remain unhappy after acquiring the much desired knowledge and power. It can be said, therefore, that knowledge, and even money, often times twists and corrupts the mind because of the control (power) it gives people over others. For instance, Voltaire states how Candide

    Read More

  • Awareness versus Ignorance

    1389 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout the history of mankind there have been numerous cases in which people were victims of oppression or hate. Among these cases the sole reasoning behind this oppression or hate being based on the perception of others. History has shown that society is responsible for labeling groups of people, generally these labels are misleading.

    Read More

  • The Life of Frederick Douglass

    2296 Words  | 5 Pages

    ...ility to manage slaves, to whip, alarm their fears a strike terror. Look word motion mistake accident want of powers all matters for which a slave may be whipped at anytime.

    Read More

  • White Man's Burden Summary

    1766 Words  | 4 Pages

    Slavery is the idea and practice that one person is inferior to another. What made the institution of slavery in America significantly different from previous institutions was that “slavery developed as an institution based upon race.” Slavery based upon race is what made slavery an issue within the United States, in fact, it was a race issue. In addition, “to know whether certain men possessed natural rights one had only to inquire whether they were human beings.” Slaves were not even viewed as human beings; instead, they were dehumanized and were viewed as property or animals. During this era of slavery in the New World, many African slaves would prefer to die than live a life of forced servitude to the white man. Moreover, the problem of slavery was that an African born in the United States never knew what freedom was. According to Winthrop D. Jordan, “the concept of Negro slavery there was neither borrowed from foreigners, nor extracted from books, nor invented out of whole cloth, nor extrapolated from servitude, nor generated by English reaction to Negroes as such, nor necessitated by the exigencies of the New World. Not any one of these made the Negro a slave, but all.” American colonists fought a long and bloody war for independence that both white men and black men fought together, but it only seemed to serve the white man’s independence to continue their complete dominance over the African slave. The white man must carry a heavy

    Read More

  • Slavery Essay

    1014 Words  | 3 Pages

    Slavery was one of the most disturbing acts to ever happen to African Americans. It was considered inhumane to the abolitionists in the North. Slave owners and the people of the South would use the Bible to justify their despicable actions. It all began when slaves were brought to the North American colony of Jamestown, Virginia to help with the production of crops such as tobacco. Slaves endured many hardships such as being raped, beaten, and overworked by their slave masters. They were hardly considered as people to the white Americans.

    Read More

  • American Civil War

    1028 Words  | 3 Pages

    Slavery in America was a problem. Most people did not see it but there was a select few who saw through the veil and into the evil of slavery. They hesitantly proposed that slavery be abolished. Soon they became increasingly loud about their complaints. Their main argument was that it said in the constitution that “all men are created equal.” Slavery was against the constitution that America was founded on and should be abolished. These people were called “Abolitionists.”

    Read More

  • Gilgamesh Greed Quotes

    1382 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Knowledge is power. Power to do evil...or power to do good. Power itself is not evil. So knowledge itself is not evil.” - Veronica Roth, Allegiant

    Read More

  • The Black Jacobins

    1188 Words  | 3 Pages

    The San Domingo revolution led to the abolition of slavery, independence of Haiti from France and the proclamation of a black republic. However, unlike many historians, CLR James in his work, The Black Jacobins, does not depict the struggle for independence as merely a slave revolt which happened to come after the French Revolution. He goes beyond providing only a recount of historical events and offers an intimate look at those who primarily precipitated the fall of French rule, namely the black slaves themselves. In doing so, James offers a perspective of black history which empowers the black people, for they are shown to actually have done something, and not merely be the subject of actions and attitudes of others.

    Read More

  • Lack Of Knowledge In Fahrenheit 451

    723 Words  | 2 Pages

    Knowledge helps people make conclusions, lets them be skillful, smart, and keeps them aware. People gather knowledge through experience, whether it's from school, mistakes, witnessing a situation, or trying new activities out. Including in “Fahrenheit 451”, the author, Ray Bradbury does an amazing job in explaining and describing to his audience of how society results in a setting without reasonable amounts of knowledge. People in the society of “Fahrenheit 451” begin to lose common sense after the books are prohibited to keep. In the novel 451 Ray Bradbury warns the audience that without knowledge people are manipulated easily. In reality knowledge is the key to surviving.

    Read More

  • The Destructive Desire for Knowledge: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

    1118 Words  | 3 Pages

    By definition, knowledge is the fact or condition of knowing something with familiarity gained through experience or association (Merriam-Webster.com). In the novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley considers knowledge as a “dangerous” factor. The danger of it is proved throughout the actions of the characters Robert Walton, Victor Frankenstein, and the creature. The characters all embody the theme of knowledge in different ways. Shelley supports her opinion on knowledge by using references from the Bible and Paradise Lost.

    Read More

  • Peaceful Protest

    448 Words  | 1 Pages

    BEIJING, June 5, 1989 --What started as a peaceful protest weeks ago in Beijing, China ended yesterday in a massacre of an unknown number of Chinese students in Tiananmen Square. The protest, which began in April, was triggered by the death of former Communist Party General Secretary, Hu Yaobang, a liberal reformer. Unsuccessful in his attempts to facilitate political and economic changes, Yaobang had garnered the support of university students who marched and gathered in Tiananmen Square on the day of his funeral. Over the course of the next several weeks, the number of students grew and they were joined by other citizens seeking political, social, and economic reforms.

    Read More

More about Ignorance Is the Lock, Knowledge Is the Master Key

Open Document