When people surrender to society’s influences, individuality will cease to exist. During the nineteenth century, the distinction between the different social classes became increasingly clearer. People were expected to act accordingly to their social classes in order to better their society. People who attempted to create an identity for themselves clashed with societal expectations, which lead to chaos within the community. The attempts at a better society came with many losses, such as the loss of individuality and religious views. In the novel, The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells, England is being invaded by Martians. On the quest to escape the attack, the narrator runs into two different individuals; they’re known as the artilleryman …show more content…
During the nineteenth century, people were born into social classes, and once born into one, the means of moving up is near impossible (Cowlard). People couldn’t fight against social classes, as failure is inevitable. Referring to Christina Zwarg, “The upper class is in a position where they have immense power and authority.” Wells illustrates the major difference in power within the social classes by representing the Martians as on top of the social hierarchy while humans are near the bottom. In the novel The War of the Worlds, the artilleryman openly accepts the invasion because he sees an opportunity for the old order to die, and he will be able to begin a new one. The artilleryman argues, "it never was a war, any more than there's war between man and ants” (Wells pg.246; pt.2.ch.7). He emphasizes the difference in power between man and Martian, similarly to lower class people compared to higher class people. The artilleryman continues on to compare the fight as “bows and arrows against the lightning” (Wells 90; 1.12). The artilleryman only seeks a better society where he is on top of the social hierarchy and where new order can thrive. Through the character the artilleryman, Well showcases the consequences of a society where social class is distinct, …show more content…
With Darwin's Origin of Species to Strauss's Life of Jesus being introduced within the nineteenth century, many questioned the true meaning and significance of the Bible (J.C.D. Clark). These ideas of evolution challenged the power of the church, and “secularization is inevitable for christianity” (Heyck). People were distancing themselves from religion as a result of the new discoveries. According to Brian Harrison, he proclaims, “While christianity is slowly losing cultural significance, new scientific discoveries flourishes immensely.” The deliberation between religion and science can be seen in the novel The War of the Worlds, with the Martians representing scientific discoveries and the curate representing the original ideas of christianity and religion. When the narrator first runs into the curate, the curate could only focus on the flames in the distance, and the flames represent the eternal punishment the curate is fearful of. The curate believes the Martian’s invasion is the result of God’s punishment, asserting that "It is just. On me and mine be the punishment laid. We have sinned, we have fallen short (Wells 221; 2.4).” The curate openly accepts the punishment as a result of his society distancing themselves from God. He argues that the Martians were sent as
...dance camp, and that I always had wanted to try and make the Bible fit within the framework of what we knew scientifically. Then I reread chapter three closer a second time and realized that the Cosmology of Genesis position, that Biblical scholars recommend for the studying of the Bible, is really the position I need to take for me to enjoy my reading and understanding of the Bible. For someone else like me who has always had those unanswered questions about how the Bible and science correlate, reading this book can help them put the studying of the Bible into a different prospective. “Let Wesley's words to a Catholic Christian characterize our disposition toward one another: “So far as we can, let us always rejoice to strengthen each other's hands in God. Above all, let us … take heed … (not to) fall … short of the religion of love.”” (loc 138 Kindle, Truesdale)
Pat Barker's novel Regeneration explores the effects that World War I has on the human condition and more specifically on the condition of the British people. One particular area of exploration is the detrimental presence of class distinctions within the ranks of the British military. This issue of class distinction is addressed specifically on pages 66 and 67 of the novel through a conversation between Billy Prior and Dr. Rivers. The characters' discussion reinforces Barker's theme of the injustices of these class distinctions and the harm they produce on the war front.
...re different and attempts to either ridicule, exemplify, or ignore them. In the Brave New World, society aims to preserve the homologous nature of living. With strict rules, crowd mentality and community actives the Brave New World attempts to get rid of the individual. Hypnopedia messages such as "When the individual feels, the community reels," and "Everybody belongs to everyone else," the Brave New World attempts to diminish the value of individuality and seeks instead to promote the idea of society first. Bernard, Helmholtz, and John are the few individuals of the Brave New World. They differ from the rest of society, because they recognize their uniqueness and realize that they are apart from society. It is because of their self-realization of their individuality that they are condemned to be ostracized from society and to live outside the Brave New World.
Warfare has always been experienced differently by men and women. In many cases, men are in the frontline and face different conditions as compared to women who are on the home front. World War I is one of the most discussed wars that the world has experienced so far. The sheer extent to which the war affected people in different countries around the different continents around the world is appalling. The structure of the society was shaken by World War I. People no longer lived according to the norms they had known before. Both men and women had to adjust in order to fit the societal experience brought about by the war. Though suffering was experienced by both men and women despite where they were during the war, their experiences were completely different thus making it important to look at these experiences from a deeper perspective.
There are contested views when one tries to interpret the meaning and reality of what is known as the People’s War. Undeniably, the people of England made it through the Battle of Britain, or the ‘Blitz’, with an air of unrelenting morale. With that being said, the idea of the People’s War as representative of the cohesiveness of the social classes in England, and a strong front all around, is an ideology that some argue to be contestable. To show that the People’s War generates class cohesiveness, this paper will examine both sides of the argument, and determine that the People’s War did not actually unify the whole nation. Throughout the paper, memoirs and testimonies will be used to give a representation of the acceptance of the People’s War. There is a vast amount of information to support this, such as propaganda and speeches made by Prime Minister Winston Churchill. However, the goal of this paper is to determine that the People’s War did not unify everyone in Britain, and it did not hold the theme that ‘everyone was in it together’, as seen majorly through class and gender. There are a few select groups that would disagree with the idea of the People’s War, and claim that they did not fit into this niche that is presented so popularly today.
... was strictly a congressman’s war. “With all the silence and dignity of creators you can end wars and the system of selfishness and exploitation that causes wars. All you need to do to bring about this stupendous revolution is to straighten up and fold your arms.” She claimed that if Americans could strike against the war we could “Be heroes in an army of construction” (Keller, 4).
How valuable is the protection of individuality? In a society dominated by falsified, scientifically manufactured happiness, individuality proves a rarity. Aldous Huxley’s speculative novel, Brave New World, demonstrates the consequences of this type of impassive society. Bernard, Helmholtz, and John are all unique from their peers, and they think individually as a result. Because of their individuality, the group is ultimately banned from civilization and sent to a remote location. Being segregated because of appearance or mental capacity and not subject to society’s influences stimulates individuality; however, the knowledge and truth correlating with individuality comes at a price, in this case, happiness.
[D]uring the time men live without a common Power to keep them all in awe, they are in a condition which is called Warre; and such a warre, as is of every man, against every man. . . . In such condition, there is no place for industry . . . no Culture of the Earth; no Navigation . . . no commodious Building; no instruments of moving . . . no Knowledge of the face of the Earth; no account of Time; no Arts; no Letters; no Society; and which is worst of all, continuall feare, and danger of violent death; And the life of man, solitary, poore, nasty, brutish, and short (I-13, 186).
The concept of what is "individuality" and what is not has plagued and delighted man since the dawn of time. “All the Pretty Horses” by Cormac McCarthy adds 302 more pages to the pile of all the works that have been on the quest to define individualism. In this novel, McCarthy takes us through four faces of the key character’s life, John Grady, to portray the idea of illusory individualism. He contends that John Grady is simply a product of a society in contrast to his (Grady) notion of free will. Simply put: Grady has no alternatives but an obligation to conform to society. McCarthy uses him to create the platform in which to comment on oppression of individuality, expectation of conformity to the values of the society and the fact that the concept of individualism is a myth.
2. Dike (p.77 to 79) Robert Ross shows his perseverance, when he tries to save himself from drowning in the dikes. He fights against Mother Nature, and thinks strategically by pushing himself and not giving up. He was fearful of drowning, mentally motivated himself to get out and avoid dying, and soon eventually breaks free. This shows how strong Robert is when motivated by the will to survive. Although he was fearful, he overcame it and saved himself, since some would just give up. Before entering the war, it was seen that he would run away from his problems (Rowena’s death), but now as he realizes that there is no point of return, he finds a new sense of drive. He shows his willpower, by maintaining an independent, and strong, logical mind when faced with fear, and learns to fight so that was doesn’t get the best of him. “I don’t want to drown, he thought. Please don’t drown. He pushed himself up with his head hanging down,” (Findley 79).
Imagine a group of friends or children were responsible for a man's life who desperately sought for help, but the children mocked or even ignored him instead. This example was the same concept used to develop the plot for the story "The Man in the Well" by Ira Sher. An interesting theme of this story is that groups of people tend to act based on their groups impulse and not their own. Though the negative effect of peer pressure might be the cause of why groups, cliques, and gangs do what they do, their behavior alone tends to be much different than when they are alone. It's as if each character themselves goes through a sudden and temporary transformation. However, it's through important concepts of personality, action, and decisions that help
The people in a society are often a product of the presiding government’s policy. In Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, many of the citizens are artificially made and act like robots. However, in a reservation next to the new world, there exists a boy named John who was born and raised like a human. John is excited to go the new world because he believes that life will be better there. When John enters the new world, he sees many abnormalities that go against his beliefs, and the citizens call him a savage because he is not one of them. By juxtaposing John, the so-called savage, against the “refined” society, Huxley demonstrates the extreme extent of humankind 's atypical actions under the subjugation of a totalitarian government.
“He who loses individuality, loses all” (Good Reads, 2012). This quote said by Mahatma Gandhi, one of the most recognized leaders of the 19th century, can easily be used to acknowledge the importance of a society possessing unique individualistic traits and characteristics as individuality is the fuel needed to run a society. In a world, where even a mere speck of individuality is not present, that society is likely to shatter into utter destruction. Moreover, individuals should possess the ability to embrace their own uniqueness through which they will have the ability to understand distinctive phrases such as that said by William Channing, “no one should part with their individuality and become that of another”. The concept of individuality being vital to society is explored within Caitlin Tom’s essay Individuality vs. Fitting in, the American novel Little Women by Louisa Alcott, and the romantic yet empowering dramatic film Jane Eyre. The concept presented in these three works portrays how it the essence of individuality is a fundamental component for society as it aids with the recognition of societal barriers, allows the ability to empower change, and permits appreciation of the invoked change.
World War I is recognized as the first war, the Great War, the war of the nations and the war to end all wars. It was a conflict of wars that lasted from august 1914 to the final truce on November 11, 1918. Although it only lasted four years, it was the most destructive war that had ever happened in history. The death toll was about eight and a half million people and it wounded roughly twenty million or more. The war ended up destroying empires and economies and forever changing all of Europe. The allied powers had defeated the central powers, therefor leading to the fall of four empires and a huge change in the map of Europe. There are plenty of reasons on why World War I was so different from all the past conflicts. For example it was the first time in nearly one hundred years that all major countries where fighting. Another reason on why it was a different type of war was of the fact that the over sea had possessions. All the fighting was inevitable. A huge roll that made World War I truly modern was the Industrial Revolution. It was no longer a man-to-man war. The invention of guns as well as the machine gun made anybody a death threat.
In the 1920’s, people lived life however they felt like. Coming off a colossal war, many of the citizens believed they had this right. Examining humanity during this time period shows that groups of people fell into a hierarchy. By living life recklessly the high society class hurts others along the way. The people in the Valley of Ashes have lost all optimism. And the middle class which is portrayed as straightforward hard workers is left with self pride. After further social examination, the ranking of humans is purely based upon their wealth and status; breaking down into three classes of people. A high class made of money; a lower class in desperation … And a middle class is that the only societal group to have balance between work and play.