Upside Down by Eduardo Galeano

1700 Words4 Pages

The novel Upside Down, by Eduardo Galeano depicts the injustices and unfairness of several branches of the global society. The differences between the colonized and the colonizer as Galeano writes is always growing and so is the gap between rich and poor. The author challenges western and eurocentric minds as to why on average, countries in the northern hemisphere have a higher standard of living than countries in the southern hemisphere. At first as a reader I thought the writer was whining about the unfairness of the world, but it is the social opiates such as the false idea of capitalism and choice that keeps us in check in this so called democracy. The author forces the reader to open their hearts to a concept that today's capitalist, power hungry society has almost forgotten Upside down is a revelation of the unfairness faced by the majority of the world's population. Eduardo Galeano writes about the education system and how there is such a difference between rich and poor children and how teachers are not getting paid enough for the work they are entrusted with. Throughout the novel, Galeano continues to challenge neoliberal ideas and how human beings are attracted to capitalism because like democracy, there is choice but according to the author, choice is limited by race, gender and religion. The author also commits to the awareness of large corporations and global financial systems such as the World Trade Organization and the International Monetary Fund controlling the world. Those with the power to gather and to change hide behind their mask of comfort, choosing to ignore the injustices faced by others. The author writes about how rich children are described in South America as money, they are taken to school in armour... ... middle of paper ... ... Down, by Eduardo Galeano allows for the reader to open their eyes to the inequality and the injustices faced by those on the receiving end of the whip in today's cultural capitalist society. Works Cited Siegel, L.J., Brown, P., & Hoffman, R. (2013).CRIM 2nd edition. Toronto, Canada: Nelson Publishers. pp. 203-205 Galeano, E. (1998). Upside Down. New York, USA: Picardo Publishers Light, A., Ureta, M. (1995). Early- Career Work Experience and Gender Wage Differentials. Journal of Labour Economics. 13 (1), pp. 121-154 Retrieved from http://ideas.repec.org/a/ucp/jlabec/v13y1995i1p121-54.html#biblio Anonymous. (2013). Gender Wage Gap Holds Steady. Journal of Financial Planning. 10 (9), pp. 26 Albert Einstein. (n.d.). Albert Einstein Quotes. Good Reads. Retrieved April 1, 2014, from http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/101458-everybody-is-a-genius-but-if-you-judge-a-fish

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