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morality in pop culture
morality and values on television
morality and values on television
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"The Quiet American"
How long can you sit on the fence and not get involved? How long before you're forced to choose sides? Thomas Fowler learns the answers to this dilemma the hard way.
Fowler at the onset of our story, describes himself as being an objective observer, purposely not taking sides, just telling over the facts. "My fellow journalists called themselves correspondents; I preferred the title of reporter. I wrote what I saw, I took no action- even an opinion is a kind of action. (20)" He even goes to the extent of frequently using opium so as not to have an opinion about his own well being. It came to the point where he felt that being alive was neither a good nor bad thing. "Aren't we all better off dead? the opium reasoned with me. (10)"
It seems Fowler doesn't even develop an opinion about the relationship between Pyle and himself. In response to Vigot's statement about being friends with Pyle, Fowler responds "I am a friend
Why not? (9)". Thomas also has a relationship with Phuong, but only views it in terms of a physical aspect and a service aspect, not letting emotions get involved. Thomas uses Phuong for her body and to prepare his opium pipes. Even when faced with the challenge of losing Phuong to Pyle, he only expresses her meaning to him exaggeratedly to his wife back home and not to Pyle or Phuong. And in the end, Fowler only "wins" her back as a result of Pyle's death, not anything he did.
Fowler wasn't judgmental of anyone. When trying to accurately describe Pyle to Vigot, Thomas says "A quiet American, I summed him precisely up as I might have said a blue lizard,' a white elephant.'(9)" The final way that Fowler decides to describe Pyle, even after setting him up to be killed is in three words, ...
... middle of paper ...
...That Pyle's importing of weapons and plan to intervene is really causing so much devastation. Pyle was still thinking that there had been a mistake that really, it wasn't supposed to be a market day and that there was supposed to be a military march. Pyle was going to keep acting on his plane to intervene unless Fowler stopped him.
So when do we choose sides, when do we stop being objective? Fowler remembers what Vigot said, "What was it he had said? Something about all of us getting involved sooner o later in a moment of emotion. (160)" When we are free and clear of the problem and it doesn't truly strike a chord inside us; it's easy to maintain our objectivity. However, when we are finally pushed into a corner with our backs against the wall, and that certain something forces us to choose, we do and we stop being uninvolved.
all quotes are from the quiet american
“I repeatedly forgot each of the realizations on this list until I wrote it down. For me, white privilege has turned out to be an elusive and fugitive subject. The pressure to avoid it is great, for in facing it I must give up the myth of meritocracy. If these things are true, this is not such a free country; one’s life is not what one makes it; many doors open for certain people through no virtues of their own.”
...display how the average citizen would see war for the first time. Colonel Kelly sees her as “vacant and almost idiotic. She had taken refuge in deaf, blind, unfeeling shock” (Vonnegut 100). To a citizen who even understands the war process, war is still heinous and dubiously justified when viewed first hand. The man who seems to have coldly just given away her son’s life without the same instinct as her has participated in this heinous wartime atrocity for so long, but it only affect her now because she cannot conceive of the reality of it until it is personally in front of her. That indicates a less complete political education of war even among those who war may have affected their entire lives. The closeness and the casualties of this “game” will affect her the most because she has to watch every move that previously could have been kept impartial and unviewed.
Since 1945, in what is defined by literary scholars as the Contemporary Period, it appears that the "refracted public image"(xx) whites hold of blacks continues to necessitate ...
acts mean towards Huck, even though Huck is his own son. Not only is Pap
Prior to beginning my readings on white racial identity, I did not pay much attention to my white race. If someone had asked me to describe my appearance I would have said short blond hair, blue eyes, average stature, etc. One of the last things I would have noted was the color of my skin. Growing up in overwhelmingly white communities, I never thought to use the color of my skin to differentiate myself from others. Over the course of this dialogue I have learned that my white racial identity is one of the most defining aspects of my appearance in this society. There is a certain level of privilege that I am afforded based solely on the color of my skin. According to Peggy McIntosh, “White privilege is like an invisible weightless knapsack of special provisions, assurances, tools, maps, guides, codebooks, passports, visas, clothes, compass, emergency gear, and blank checks” (71). All these objects listed by McIntosh are things I have access to and certainly take for granted. Due to a history of non-white racial oppression, which transformed into decades of racial discrimination that still lingers today, the white race has dominated our society in terms of resources and prosperity. The ideas of wealth, higher-level education and ambition to succeed are all traits commonly linked to people of the white race that collectively define privilege. The aspect of privilege can also produce disadvantages for people of the white race as well. In the book Promoting Diversity and Justice, the author D. Goodman notes that people of advantage groups develop a sense of superiority, which will sometimes lead them to wonder if, “their achievements were based on privilege or merit” (107). Along with a diminished sense of accomplishment, the cost ...
In today’s world, the American still has barriers to overcome in the matter of racial equality. Whether it is being passed over for a promotion at the job or being underpaid, some people have to deal with unfair practice that would prevent someone of color or the opposite sex from having equal opportunity at the job. In 2004, Dukes vs. Wal-Mart Stores Incorporation was a civil rights class-action suite that ruled in favor of the women who worked and did not received promotions, pay and certain job assignments. This proves that some corporations ignore the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which protects workers from discrimination based on sex, race, religion or national origin.
Friedan fails to acknowledge other classes and races such as low-class African American individuals. It was almost like these individuals did not exist to her. In addition, Hook’s highlighted the fact that African-American had to face the "double bars" for being both a women and an African American. For such an influential piece of writing, it is unfortunate that The Feminine Mystique neglects to recognize other individuals besides upper- middle- class white
In chapter four Huck sees Pap's footprints in the snow. So Huck goes to Jim to ask him why Pap is here. Jim gets a hair-ball that is the size of a fist that he took from an ox's stomach. Jim asks the hair-ball; Why is Pap here? But the hair-ball won't answer. Jim says it needs money, so Huck gives Jim a counterfeit quarter. Jim puts the quarter under the hair-ball. The hair-ball talks to Jim and Jim tells Huck that it says. "Yo'ole father doan' know yit what he's a-gwyne to do. Sometimes he spec he'll go 'way, en den ag'in he spec he'll stay. De bes' way is tores' easy en let de ole man take his own way. Dey's two angles hoverin' roun' 'bout him. One uv'em is white en shiny, en t'other one is black. De white one g...
This seems to be what Palmer speaks about for the rest of the essay, and this is clearly shown through his main quote; “In a dark time, the eye begins to see” (Roethke). He uses the words of the great poet Theodore Roethke frequently throughout the essay, almost as though to reassure its readers that out of our dark and hatefully time now will come a new era filled with understanding and peace. He says himself that “... the best therapy for personal problems comes from reaching out as well as looking in” (Palmer 4). With this we are reminded to learn our own opinions about our problems, and at the same time express them to others so that we collectively as a people can learn from our mistakes. For example, he tells stories of how pro-life and pro-choice supporters were able to hold a more respectful difference when they shared the stories that compelled them to choose their side of the issue. “When two people discover that parallel experiences led them to contrary conclusions, they are more likely to hold their differences respectfully” (Palmer 5). This sounds to be an easy task, but in our world sadly it isn’t. If we all begin to listen to other people's opinions instead of screaming ours, perhaps we can reach a mutual understanding. We have been shown the problem and presented its answer: “...I need to listen with openness and respect, especially to “the other”, as much as I need to speak my own voice with clarity and conviction” (Palmer 43). This is why in today’s world we need to start closing our mouths and opening our
He refers to all the immigration groups in a judgmental way. He complains about the intelligence levels of the Italians, how dirty and deceitful the Jews are, and even the immaculate cleanliness of the Chinamen. Although he does possess quite a bit of bigotry that boarders on the line of prejudice when it comes to African Americans he recognizes that they are suffering from racism and he sympathizes with th...
Throughout this unit, surprisingly, I learned a lot about perspective and middle ground. As we progressed along in Frankenstein, I found myself in many instances where I would ask the question, “Who’s side am I on?” with a tag along question, “Who is right?”. I would get stuck and ponder over these questions for long before I realized: I couldn’t pick a side. It just wasn’t that simple for me to choose that one person is right over the other. It felt like I was torn because I could see in both ways. Half of me was siding with one person while the other half pulled me in another direction. Struggling to choose, I chose to stay in the middle.
There are more than 200 million people in the U.S.A, and every one of them lives an individual life. When people see that their life is starting to be too redundant, they try and make a liberating change that will help others and themselves recognize their identity. In “The Vanishing American” by Charles Beaumont, Mr. Mitchell and his interactions with the “King Richard” lion statue reflect the theme of people’s lives being so redundant that they disappear out of the existence of everyday life, unless they step off of their regular road of life and perform more liberating actions.
Anand Giridharadas’ book, The True American, combines both sociology and history into a story that describes the constant struggles people have to endure daily. By bringing together the lives of many different people, Giridharadas describes what living in the United States is really like for the different cultures. He indirectly uses the story as an example of the false assumptions regarding certain groups of people and shows how things aren’t always as they seem. The True American argues that instead of living in a unified society, a great divide between immigrants and the American poor exists, which is caused by contradicting beliefs regarding the importance of family, as well as the prospect of education.
A social inequality that I would say I’m concerned with would be, racial and ethnic inequality. Racial or ethnic inequality is often established based on characteristics such as skin color and other physical characteristics, or a person’s place of origin or culture. Another meaning of racial inequality would be the advantages and disadvantages that affect different races within the Unites States. Race has become a socially constructed category capable of restricting or enabling social status. Racial inequality can lead to diminished opportunities, which can also lead to cycles of poverty and political problems. With this minority members in a society can result in discriminating actions such as; exclusion, oppression, expulsion, and extermination.
‘A dispute is a problem to be solved, together, rather than a combat to be won.’