Orientalist Musings and their Applicability to Three Kings :: Essays Papers

Orientalist Musings and their Applicability to Three Kings The concept of Orientalism is one in which Edward Said, a renowned intellectual with a solid background in the field of Arab study, is particularly knowledgeable. If the concepts surrounding Orientalism are broken down into specific elemental degrees, then Said portrays the American conception of Arabic entities and their inhabitants with a plethora of stereotypes that generate a false depiction of the Arabic culture. This, of course, is only an extremely small portion of the grandiose Orientalist dilemma that is currently quite prevalent in modern day society. Yet, for this paper’s ultimate purpose, this sector will be the sole focus. As Said intimates, the lens that the Americans utilize in order to acquire information about Arabs is one that reflects perceptions falsely. This lens is skewed in order to protect and support certain interests, whether they be American or western based. Movies, particularly when generated through the Hollywood action- based gen re, have an false generalization of the way in which an Arabic people are. In some respects, the Hollywood produced movie, Three Kings, is a pertinent acknowledgment of the former. In many portions of the film, the enumerated antics may cause for a feeling of disdain toward the Arab nation. Yet, compared to the majority of the typical Hollywood action-based films, Three Kings manages to break away from these abhorrent stereotypes and provide a more than average acknowledgment of the sheer complexity of the Arab people as individual, separate from Saddam Hussein. Therefore, Said’s primary proposed conception of Orientalism is challenged and the Arab is depicted as a person trying to fight Hussein. In correlation with Said’s Orientalist argument, American film portrays the Arab as the enemy, but in Three Kings this concept is challenged. Typically, by the end of an American film, there are a significantly greater number of Arab bodies than that of the superpower, in this case the United States of America. To a greater extent, Three Kings plays around with this typical film-like mentality. In the film, when the men are stranded and are looking for some way to escape from the village and rescue their man Troy, George Clooney states, â€Å"we are not supposed to be involved with this, we killed Iraqi soldiers, violated the peace accord, and a plane will not come for us.

Chronicle of a Death Foretold and the Stranger Essay

Conflict Resulting From the Negative Effects of Rigid Societal Expectations in A Chronicle of A Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and The Stranger by Albert Camus Everyone has felt the pressure of societal expectations during their lifetime. The negative effects society brings on one’s life can lead to a feeling of rejection towards the people who do not conform to meet those standards. Gabriel Garcia Marquez, author of Chronicle of a Death Foretold, and Albert Camus, author of The Stranger, both construct the external moral conflict of society versus the protagonist in order to critique the way society fails to accept the moral values of the people who differ from the norm. In Chronicle of a Death Foretold, Gabriel Garcia Marquez emphasizes the central conflict of society versus the protagonist, based on beliefs and values, through the controversy leading up to the murder of Santiago Nasar, which is based on family honor and pre-marital sex. When Pedro and Pablo Vicario ask their sister, Angela Vicario, who had stolen her virginity, her response is described as â€Å"She only took the time necessary to say the name †¦ and she nailed it to the wall with her well-aimed dart, like a butterfly with no will whose sentence has already been written. ‘Santiago Nasar,’ she said†(47). Describing Angela’s response as â€Å"only took the time necessary† indicates that she is trying to put the blame on Santiago, making him a scapegoat, in order to protect the true man who took her virginity before marriage. In the Latin American society, where the setting of the novella takes place, it is not acceptable for a woman to have pre-marital sex due to the beliefs and morals of Catholics. Santiago is represented as the butterfly â€Å"whose sentence had already been written†. Even though there is no evidence Santiago took Angela’s virginity, it is the twin’s duty to protect their sister. Therefore, Pedro and Pablo Vicario set out to kill the man who had stolen their sister’s virginity, Santiago Nasar, in order to protect their family. The twins tell everyone in town about their plan to murder Santiago, but the people in the community doubt their intentions: â€Å"twenty-two people declared they had heard everything said, and they all coincided in the impression that the only reason the brothers had said it was so that someone would come over to hear them†(51). The people in the town who â€Å"[coincide] in the impression that the only reason the brothers had said it was so that someone would come over to hear them† shows how oblivious the townspeople act owards a societal member’s life. Society looks past at the fact that a murder is about to occur, but focuses on the purpose; family honor, which is highly respected. Since it is unacceptable for a female to have sex before marriage, Santiago is viewed in a negative light by society because he is accused of taking the virginity of an unmarried woman. The debate surrounding Santiago’s death highlights the conflict between society and the protagonist, where Santiago is a man who is accused of committing an act that society does not accept. Albert Camus, in The Stranger, constructs the protagonist, Monsieur Meursault, as a man who has absurdist morals and values, which society does not accept. Meursault has an intimate relationship with Marie Cardona, a former typist, but the connection does not go beyond a physical attraction; â€Å"she wanted to know if I loved her. I answered the same way I had the last time, that it didn’t mean anything but that I probably didn’t love her† (41). By Meursault stating â€Å"it didn’t mean anything† and â€Å"I probably didn’t love her† highlights his absurdist views on life; he believes life contains no purpose, thus he cannot love Marie because loving Marie would give life a purpose, which Meursault does not believe. He simply associates with Marie, because he likes being around her. There is no need for an emotional connection because the physical appearance of her is satisfying enough. Absurdism is not accepted in society therefore it does not accept Meursault. He is an outsider in a world he did not choose. Meursault is a man who does not show his emotions very well, but instead focuses on his physical need; â€Å"I explained to him, however, that my nature was such that my physical needs often got in the way of my feelings† (65). Meursault saying â€Å"that my physical needs often got in the way of my feelings† emphasizes the simplistic life he live—a life without meaning. Showing emotions would signify a life with purpose, which Meursault does not believe. The Algerian society, in which the novella takes place, does not accept the type of lifestyle Meursault lives and believes every life should be lived with a purpose. Society’s expectations clash with Meursault’s values because his beliefs and outlooks on life are not accepted by society, which sets up the external conflict between the two. In the external conflict between society and the protagonist, Garcia Marquez emphasizes the negative effects society has on a person who goes against the social norm by showing the biased opinions towards the Pedro and Pablo Vicario regarding Santiago’s murder. After brutally stabbing Santiago to death, the Vicario twins sprint to the church to inform the priest of their barbaric act; â€Å"Both were exhausted from the barbarous work of death, and their clothes and arms were soaked and their faces smeared with sweat and still living blood but the priest recalled the surrender as an act of great dignity†(49). The priest calling the murder â€Å"an act of great dignity† shows how, in the Latin American society, family honor is highly valued, no matter how far it is taken. Even though the twins have committed the worst crime imaginable, it is acceptable because it was done in order to protect their family. Pedro and Pablo Vicario are viewed as meeting expectations, as opposed to Santiago, who fails to follow them. When the crime was brought to court, the twins had already won before it even started; â€Å"The lawyer stood by the thesis of the homicide in legitimate defense of honor, which was upheld by the court in good faith, and the twins declared at the end of the trial that they would have done it again a thousand times over for the same reason† (48). The lawyer stating the homicide as a â€Å"legitimate defense of honor† verifies that society values family honor over a man’s life. The court case represents the conflict of society against Santiago and since he goes against society’s values, Santiago ends up dying, indicating society’s victory. The twins do not receive any severe punishment, because of their intentions to protect their family. Through Santiago’s death, Garcia Marquez stresses the harmful effects society can have on someone whose beliefs differ from societal standards. Camus constructs Meursault’s trial to critique society’s lack of acceptance towards the people who do not meet expectations. Throughout the court case, Meursault is quickly judged by the prosecutor due to his actions concerning his mother’s death, â€Å"He said the truth was that I didn’t have a soul and that nothing human, not one of my moral principles that governs men’s hearts, was within my reach† (101). The prosecutor bluntly stating that Meursault â€Å"didn’t have a soul† and is incapable of having â€Å"moral principles that governs men’s hearts† highlights how society does not understand Meursault’s morals and values, thus critiques his character and neglects him. Meursault is looked down upon because of how he acted on the day of Maman’s funeral. He does not express feelings towards his mother’s death because he is an absurdist and believes death is inevitable. Society believes that there is purpose to every societal member’s life, and since Meursault shares absurdist views, he is not accepted by society. To close his final argument against Meursault, the prosecutor states, â€Å" ‘I ask you for this man’s head†¦never as strongly as today have I felt this painful duty made easier, light, clearer by the certain knowledge of a sacred imperative and by the horror I feel when I look into a man’s face and all I see is a monster. † (102). The whole trial is based around Meursault’s character, and him being called â€Å"a monster† stresses the fact that society is unwilling to accept anyone who does not follow the expectations. Meursault does not share the same views that society wants, and as a result, he is rejected because of his moral values. By asking â€Å"for this m an’s head† the prosecutor shows how society neglects the people who share different views and therefore want them out of society completely. Camus uses the trial and Meursault’s crime to emphasize the external conflict of society versus the protagonist, Meursault, to demonstrate how society does not accept people who share different moral values. The negative effects society has on the people who do not meet expectations are emphasized through the external conflict, based of moral values, between the protagonist and society in the Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and The Stranger by Albert Camus. Both novellas show the harmful consequence faced by the protagonist, who do not conform to societal expectations, which evidently resulted in death.

The Themes Of Love And Violence In George Orwells 1984

â€Å"Love, friendship, and respect do not unite people as much as a common hatred for something.† (Anton Chekhov). As depressing as it sounds, many of life’s societies are founded solely on hatred, eventually corrupting the people so that their only â€Å"hope† or â€Å"relief† is found in the government’s control. George Orwell, English novelist (b.1903-d.1950) utilized the concepts of love and hatred within his dystopian novel, 1984, which is a totalitarian society under a government by the name of the Party, ruled by Big Brother, the â€Å"deity† of Oceania. However, both emotions aren’t as they are in real life, for they are forced upon the people of Oceania through government promoting propaganda; thus, love and hatred are purely influenced by the Party†¦show more content†¦Not only is the Two Minute Hate is a way to get rid of any built up anger, but it serves to keep the population’s frustration of their repress ed lives since the Party is providing a â€Å"face† for the people to direct their detestation to. In current society, this daily release of pent-up anger could actually be seen as beneficial, since one would not feel that negative emotion until the following day; nevertheless, it demonstrates how manipulative the government can be if allowed the direct control over personal emotions. Regrettably, this â€Å"public hatred† has been already used by the U.S, with the government focused on publicizing hatred towards Osama Bin Laden after the incident in 9/11; the public was so occupied with their despise of Laden, that they paid no heed to the U.S’ bombing of Afghanistan, which was killing hundreds of innocent civilians. Across the novel, it is clear that one of the Party’s main motives is to replace all sentiments of family love with only loyal love to Big Brother. In reality, the only form of â€Å"love† that exists in 1984 is based on fear of being punished, tortured, orShow MoreRelatedBetrayal Like Its 1984 Essay929 Words   |  4 Pagesseveral examples of this throughout the novel. Some of these examples are when Charrington betrays Winston and Julia, when Parsons is betrayed by his children, when Winston and Julia betray one another, and when Winston finally betrays himself. George Orwell used these examples to demonstrate how the party was able to sever any type of loyalties between people and even one’s self. This betrayal only perpetuates the fear of relationships causing people to welcome isolation. One of the first examplesRead MoreMargaret Atwood s The Handmaid s Tale Essay1624 Words   |  7 PagesThroughout history, this bodily autonomy has been impaired by sexual control and dominance. By painting dystopian societies that heavily restrict reproduction and sexuality, Margaret Atwood’s novel The Handmaid’s Tale, her poem A Woman’s Issue, and George Orwell’s 1984 all convey that sexual repression undermines individual identity and autonomy. In The Handmaid’s Tale, Atwood uses her description of the Ceremony to emphasize how Gileadean society controls sex in order to manipulate its citizens and forceRead MoreGeorge Orwell s Brave New World And 19841537 Words   |  7 PagesAldous Huxley and George Orwell address the major oppressive issues by composing futuristic dystopian novels. Their societies, whether it be London or Oceania, were created in order to emphasize humanistic values. In the novels Brave New World and 1984, the authors display the resemblances and disparities of modern ideals. Both of Huxley and Orwell’s viewpoint of relationships, technology, and brainwashing reveal the underlying theme that a totalitarian state is dangerous; displaying them in variousRead MoreDivergent Trilogy by Veronica Roth1030 Words   |  4 Pages A person can often be fascinated by the idea that the government may not always possess as much control as it appears to have. Dystopian novels from any time period have very similar themes. The novels of the Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth and 1984 by George Orwell develop character individuality by using oppressive governments. These novels explore individual’s struggles for identity under a tightly managed government by looking at character attempts to be different, and how governmentsRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s A Clockwork Orange 1611 Words   |  7 Pagesconnected but never truly free to do as we please. Or is this the path we are heading towards? 1984 and ‘A clockwork orange’ show a projection of a harsh dystopian future where the people are ruled over and oppressed by dictatorial governments. The minority who are brave enough to rebel are quickly brought to a halt and then conditioned to fit back into a ‘perfect’ society. In George Orwell’s novel ‘1984’, the reader can see how a totalitarian regime can control people s lives through the use ofRead More1984 and North Korea1278 Words   |  6 Pages1984 demonstrates a dystopian society in Oceania by presenting a relentless dictator, Big Brother, who uses his power to control the minds of his people and to ensure that his power never exhausts. Aspects of 1984 are evidently established in components of society in North Korea. With both of these society’s under a dictator’s rule, there are many similarities that are distinguished between the two. Orwell’s 1984 becomes parallel to the world of dystopia in North Korea by illustrating a nationRead MoreA Brief Look at The Beatles and Their Music2906 Words   |  12 Pagesâ€Å"The Beatles would ultimately pursue a goal quite similar to that of Marx – to change the way people think about the world In order to create a better, more just world – a theme particularly relevant in their later work.† Discuss. Baur, S (2006) The Beatles and Philosophy Chicago: Open Court p87 Beatles music makes you feel good, even 30 years after first hearing it, I and many other fans get intense pleasure from listening to the songs. By the age of 4 I was a keen listener, and by the ageRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s 1984 And The Reason Behind Ted Kaczynski s Motives1957 Words   |  8 Pagesproperty, such an individual can go to any destructive length to achieve their objective, even to the point of personal injury or ultimately leading to death. Instances like these are evident throughout history and are shown in novels such as 1984, by George Orwell, and other sources, including 9/11 and the reason behind Ted Kaczynski s motives. These types of individuals can become a very deadly threat to society that cannot be easily stopped, since they do not respond to the usual incentives thatRead MoreThe Road By Cormac Mccarthy, Ray Bradbury, And 19842199 Words   |  9 PagesBradbury, and 1984 by George Orwell. All of these books are categorized in the dystopian genre but have very different symbols, styles, and implications. Each of these novels have different styles because some include a society with overbearing rules, such as Fahrenheit 451 and 1984, whereas The Road has virtually no society. Despite their differences, the purpose of these novels is to demonstrate that the only thing strong enough to conquer a corrupt and inhumane society is through true love and passionRead More The Turbulen Sixties Essay1645 Words   |  7 Pagesracism and militarism, two main focal points which were principal in many early sixties protest songs (Pichaske 58). Dylan used conventional symbols to blatantly state his point; a white dove representing peace, flying cannon balls describing war and violence, and roads and seas symbolizing the hardships and struggles there would have to be with eliminating the war. Demonstrations against the Vietnam War took place in many major cities and college campuses. While many of these demonstrations had only