Memoirs are a Challenging Sources for Attaining the Truth
Memoirs have become an increasingly popular genre of literature. In light of not
only their popularity but their influence on the audiences who read them, it is
important for readers to consider the various motivations and influences that shape
the narrative and the details of these stories. This is especially true of memoirs
that are intended to educate the public on the instances of human rights abuse, in
situations when the general public may know little else about the subject. When
such a book is published with the intention of informing the public and galvanizing
support for human rights, the author may have even more of an obligation to stick
to the facts than he or she would if the purpose of the book were solely
entertainment. This concern will be of particular interest to the readers of the
Dean’s Book selection for fall 2006, The Aquariums of Pyongyang, a memoir written
by a North Korean defector with the intention of exposing the human rights abuse
in the North Korean government’s systematic use of enforced hard labor camps on
its people. This memoir and others like it are extremely effective in spreading
awareness of human rights violations. At the same time, however, the reader must
be aware of numerous factors that shape and complicate the story that is told.
According to Kay Schaffer, author of “Conjunctions: Life Narratives in the Field of
Human Rights,” there is a growing market in America for books marketed as
memoirs. Writers such as Dave Eggers, author of A Heartbreaking Work of
Staggering Genius, and David Sedaris, author of numerous short story collections
that are based on his life experiences, have helped propel the memoir genr...
... middle of paper ...
...(Fall 2000): 543-559.
05 March
U.S. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea. “Hidden Gulag, The: Exposing
North Korea’s Prison Camps.” Ed. Richard Hawk. 2003. 16 Feb
Walker, Barbara. “On Reading Soviet Memoirs: A History of the ‘Contemporaries’
Genre as an Institution of Russian Intelligentsia Culture from the 1790’s to
the 1970’s.” Russian Review. 59.3 (July 2000): 327-352. 05 March
Watson, Jinx Stapleton. “Reading Memoir to Make Sense of Sensitive Histories:
Civil Rights Movement (USA), Apartheid South Africa & Cultural Revolution
(China).” 22 Feb
Wyatt, Edward. “Live on 'Oprah,' a Memoirist Is Kicked Out of the Book Club.” The
New York Times. 27 January 2006: A1. 05 March
com>
The authors from all four memoirs overcame their childhood obstacles by realizing that one action can fix their problems. Gary Soto accepted working in the fields after he realized that coming back to work would fix his problems. Laurence Yep chose to go with his father to kill the rat after he noticed that choosing to go with him would make them bond. Barack Obama and his friends were able to accept Barrack after his dad gave a presentation to his class about heritage. Julia Alvarez’s mother helped Julia through the process of moving to the United States, when Julia didn’t realize that the Dominican Republic was doing anything wrong. All four memoirs describe overcoming obstacles to teach readers that it is possible to overcome any problems that happen in life.
Schattuck, John. “Overview of Human Right Practices, 1995,” Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. March 1996: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 10 Oct 2013.
As we have learned already, the author of a text has a purpose. This purpose may be to inform, entertain or to persuade, among many other purposes. In order to determine the author purpose one must first know what it is that they are reading. If you are reading a textbook, the author wants to inform you. If you are reading a story, the author wants to entertain you. If you are reading a brochure or speech, the author wants to persuade you.
Center for the Study of Human Rights, Columbia University. (1994) Twenty-five Human Rights Documents. New York: Columbia University.
"Universal Declaration of Human Rights." Amnesty International USA - Protect Human Rights. 19 May 2009 .
Every person throughout their lifetimes has wanted to go back and change the outcome of the past. People have had deaths of loved ones, tragic events, or made the wrong choice in a relationship that was a big mistake. But the idea of the changing your timeline would be considered the “Butterfly Effect”. Scientifically it would be explained by changing the past that can alter the present. The worst thing to happen to any child is a parent’s decline to alcoholism.
Happiness is fake, like something forced upon me; something not real, fabricated and I don’t like it. I’m supposed to like it though. I’m supposed to like everything the government forces on me. I feel like I’m the only person who doesn’t feel content with my life, everyone else seems to be perfect while I’m falling apart at the seams.
As a child, I was always told to try my hardest and be respectful. This mainly applied to school and led me to believe that working hard was one of the few meanings in life. But as I aged, I realized I don’t even care about finding points x and y on a graph. What matters is forming relationships with others and finding those exciting moments that make you feel as though you’re walking on air. Life is hard but in the end, it pays you back, not with money, but happiness and memories. Looking back through photos like the one below, I now know that cheerful moments and the people who are a part of them are what truly matter. Make sure to enjoy every moment before it 's gone, life may be hard and even unfair, but you need
What’s the most influential story ever told? Who wrote it and Why? What emotions did it pull? All aspects of life are based on the stories told and history held within them. A piece of prose, a poem, and even a song tells a story and have the ability to evoke a wide range of emotions from the audience. My obsession with being a storyteller and The University Of Iowa’s M.F.A writing program is the perfect recipe to impact audiences across any medium.
I’ve had to overcome a lot of struggles, but one I remember is before I knew how to open applesauce jars I would have the hardest time trying to open it. After doing it so many times and I couldn’t get it I just stop trying to open them, until one day I read the instructions and it made something hard look easy. All I had to do was read the top but I never did that I just tried to open it and wondered why everyone else could get it open. I nearly broke a few jars out of frustration just because I couldn’t open it. When I finally opened it I felt dumb because it was so simple.
Coming to Spartanburg High School has been a great experience. Many people get intimidated due to the new campus, new classes, new teachers, and new students. Unfortunately, everyone is told that high school is the worse but, my painful experience was in middle school.
When we pulled up to the house we weren’t sure if it was the right house. We got out the car and one little puppy ran to my feet. My dad said, “I think we are at the right house”. There were ten puppies; they were so adorable. We were at that house to pick out a puppy for my mom after the accident. We picked two puppies out and named them Bonnie and Clyde.
Mainstream media, as well as the government, typically attempt to maintain a narrow focus, and provide select information on what they want the public to acknowledge. On many occasions, these facets of information capture our attention, and suppress our curiosity by turning it away from the significant topics or important facts, rather than encouraging people to engage in critical discussion towards a situation in its entirety. Instead, much of the mainstream media focuses on stories that are often slanted, misleading, or missing details. Human Rights Watch is an independent and worldwide organization who acts as a form of media, which is determined to expose as many facts as possible when it concerns human rights cases. Not only do they conduct
Ball, Olivia and Paul Gready. The No-Nonsense Guide to Human Rights. Oxford: New Internationalist Publications Ltd, 2006.
To further understand the significant impact of the Human Rights website it is important to highlight the accolades of the company. The site implements fact-finding strategies, by use of media outlets and addressing issues that affect people globally and are in need of advocation. These problems are published and put up for discussion in more than 90 countries.The Human Rights Watch collaborates with many different organizations such as the United Nations and other economic e...