Focus Question #1 Assignment

Brandon Langrock

November 8^th, 2010

                In society, we are brought together by our sets of beliefs and values that we share with others. However, in many cases, people can disagree due to varying beliefs and ways of life. In the two example sources we have been given, various levels of dedication to Collectivism, a system reliant on society as a group working together to sustain the entire group, as well as levels of Individualism, a system focused on promoting the needs of the individual and working alone, rather than working together to better the majority. Through these beliefs, both sources have also developed opinions about the system of Classical Liberalism, and whether they think it would be more beneficial to take a similar route, or whether it would be more productive to stray away from such a concept.

                The first source, written by an Inuit elder, describes the importance of working together and trying to provide equal standards for all. She believes strongly in the sense of community, and is disappointed with how the present-time communities have taken a more distant approach to the concept of the group. For example, the elder stated, “They had strong friendships and helped each other out in hard times.”, pointing out the Collectivism notion of cooperation, showing that she thought the needs of the group were more important than the needs of the individual. The elder then went on to compliment the ideal of Economic Equality, where it is believed that all people should share in a country’s wealth. “People shared food, even if they didn’t have much …” the Elder declared. The Inuit tribe described worked together as a single driving force to ensure that the entire tribe’s interests and needs were being met. “Before this community had so many people, we were all very close and helped each other in times of need.” she said, which can easily be directed to the principle of Collective Interests, where a similar interest, such as food or survival, can bring a group closer together to make certain that the group would make it through.

“The problem today is that there are too many people in the communities and a lot of them are too self-centered and involved with their own problems to help others.”

-          Mary Anulik Kutsiq, “An Elder offers advice”

Alongside speaking of the benefits of working together, Mary also speaks of the negative aspects of individual motives, which can be related to the principles of Classical Liberalism. “As the population grows, so does the gap between people. We are no longer one big family.” When the Elder tries to bring forward the thoughts of a much more distant community, she emphasizes the negative aspect of concepts such as Self-Interest, where the decisions made by people are based on the benefit and well-being of the individual, rather than the group as a whole. Also, through saying “Today, some people have so much while others have so little and do not bother to share at all.”, Mary emphasizes the fact that Economic Freedom, where people have the right to try and benefit individually in the economy, is a given right than throws society into an unbalanced mess. Easily, it can be said that this Inuit elder believes strongly in the group working together and achieving their goals as a team to further accomplish anything that is thrown their way.

The second source is a political cartoon in which a businessman is speaking to a beggar, portrayed as a bear. “In my day, bears worked for their honey”, he said to the bear. Through that statement alone, it is fair to say that the businessman is promoting the concept of Individualism, simply because he is describing how people, or bears, worked to sustain their own lives for themselves, rather than having a group to fall back on. Self-Interest is implied when he states that people were meant to look out for themselves, and it is also portrayed from how the businessman is not offering any ‘honey’ to the bear, despite the fact that he is most likely better off financially than the bear. Alongside Self-Interest, Economic Freedom can also be expressed from this cartoon, due to the fact that not everybody is wealthy. The businessman has worked hard to sustain the money and lifestyle for himself, and the whole society is not benefitting from his course of action to profit economically. Though it is not directly mentioned, it can also be implied that there is a sense of competition between the man and the bear, simply because the bear could be a potential threat to the man economically, if he were to be in the same field of business. The choice of portraying the beggar as an animal can also imply the fact that the working class businessman is of a different species than the bear, stating that the working class and the groups in financial deficit are of a different breed.

Seeing as the principles of Individualism and Classical Liberalism are very similar, it is reasonable to say that the businessman’s words are very supportive of Classical Liberalism as well. Overall, the cartoon is trying to express the fact that the needs of the individual should outweigh the needs of the group, and it also promotes the thought that everybody should simply be looking out for themselves. When the businessman looks at the bear, he does not think of the bear as a fellow member of his society, but instead, he believes that the bear is not of the same type of being, eliminating the sense of society working together, as well as the sense of equality.

Though the two sources have very dissimilar views on society, they both believe strongly in the idea of a hard day’s work. They both understand that, regardless of if they are in a group or alone, people need to work hard to try and benefit themselves. Through different lifestyles, these people have grown into different sets of beliefs and values that have ultimately shaped their opinions on how a society should be ran. In a sense, despite having similar customs and systematic beliefs, these two sources express a concept of simply wanting prosperity for the target of their kind of system.

Beliefs/Values of Group and Individual

By Brandon, Quinnlyn, Hannah, Nicholas, and Victoria

Individualism vs Collectivism -- "The Common Good"

Individualist or Collectivist?

River Comparison -- "On the Rainy River" vs "The Return"

Inanimate figures in short stories can play a very empowering role and make a lasting impression on the characters that interact with them. For example, in stories such On the Rainy River by Tim O’Brien and The Return by Ngugi wa Thiong’o, rivers are used to bring forth new kinds of action and perceptions out of the main character, resulting in personal development of the individual. Though the two story’s rivers have some similarities in the impact they cause, much of how it is brought about is varied.

            On the Rainy River placed Tim O’Brien in the struggle of his life, causing him to run away from his mandatory draft into the United States army. Upon reaching the climax of the story, O’Brien finds himself drifting in a boat along the Rainy River, stuck in between a life of violence and regret, or a life in Canada, which he assumed would offer the freedom he desperately craved. However, something about Tim’s perception changed when he was forced to make a decision. For him, being on the water represented a point-of-no-return, as if the river itself was forcing him to come to terms with the reality of the choice he had to make. With the current moving swiftly and the winter steadily approaching, the Rainy River brought forth the ultimatum that O’Brien had to make. Though the river firmly conveyed the message, it also provided a clear outlook on O’Brien’s two options, allowing for him to choose whatever he believed was the most reasonable path to take. In The Return, the Honia River also brought forth the coming to terms in a portion of the life of the main character, Kamau. After being released from captivity after five years as a political prisoner, Kamau was eager to make his way back to his home village, expecting to reacquaint himself with his family and wife. Upon reaching his home, Kamau was faced with intense disappointment when he discovered that his wife had left the village with Karanja, a member of the same clan. Feeling worthless, as if he had nothing left to live for, Kamau contemplated drowning himself in the same Honia River that once provided him with unending happiness. However, when his small bundle of possessions rolled down the bank and quickly drifted down the river, his concerns began to do the same, almost as if the river had cleansed his sorrows and helped him begin to straighten things out in his mind. In the end of both stories, the river played a key role in allowing the main characters to move forward and face the realities they are given, despite the outcomes they were facing.

Though both rivers were responsible for assisting the lead character in the stories, each river took a unique way of providing such assistance. Taking more of a reactive role, the Honia River responded to the feelings that Kamau was expressing after the final outcome occurred, instead of being responsible for providing a push forward in the decision-making process like the Rainy River. However, despite the varying methods, both of the rivers provided support when it was needed most.

Regardless of what situation the stories may have held for their characters, it is unsure how the situations would have played out if they didn’t have the implied assistance from the rivers that guided them along their journey of life. Even though Tim and Kamau still could have possibly followed the same paths without any assistance, the fact that they had some form of aid to help shoulder their burden undoubtedly made their personal struggles signifnicantly easier.

On the Rainy River -- Personal Response

Respected by others, or respected by myself?

A life of blood-stained hands, feeling trapped within my own skin,

Or a lifetime free from the shackles of expectation?

Condemned for my cowardice from the ones who love me,

Or honoured for living a lie?

A decision was made on the Rainy River.

I am a coward,

Sentenced to a life of respect and admiration I don’t deserve.

I fought, and I survived,

But a part of me was lost to the fog of war.

On the outside I may stand strong,

Yet my wounds will never heal.

I can not and will not justify my actions,

For a choice I made for the sake of others.

At the most important time in my life,

My courage reservoir was drained dry,

My heroic attributes non-existent.

We won the battle, but I was the sacrifice.

Let my story be told again and again,

Let them shout it from the heavens, despite my betrayal.

I am no soldier, no Lone Ranger,

No secret hero of olden days.

I am simply a man, no more and no less.

My resolve, unfortunately, not strong enough.

I don’t expect to be understood or forgiven,

But this conscience has waited far too long for rest.

Independent Novel Study: 'Fahrenheit 451' by Ray Bradbury

  

For our independent novel study, I have decided to read Fahrenheit 911 by Ray Bradbury.

"Guy Montag was a fireman whose job it was to start fires...

The system was simple. Everyone understood it. Books were for burning ... along with the houses in which they were hidden.

Guy Montag enjoyed his job. He had been a fireman for ten years, and he had never questioned the pleasure of the midnight runs nor the joy of watching pages consumed by flames... never questioned anything until he met a seventeen-year-old girl who told him of a past when people were not afraid.

Then he met a professor who told him of a future in which people could think... and Guy Montag suddenly realized what he had to do!"

Personally, I am intrigued by the concept of a society where free thinking is considered as treachery. In a world without order and justifications, as in the novel, people run around and do whatever they want, whenever they want. Seeing how the main character Guy would be perceived in our own society extremely negatively, I am interest in seeing how the story progresses and influences him to rethink his entire perspective on the world around him. Also, I'm generally interested in seeing how Guy's influence may directly alter the society area around him.