Theme Notebook Entry Two
7, September 2010
Theme Statement- Showing compassion builds character.
7, September 2010
Theme Statement- Showing compassion builds character.
Langston Hughes Thank You, Ma’am explores one’s compassion towards another builds character. Roger, the frail fourteen year-old, lived on the wrong path of struggles, fear and despair. He encounters the protagonist, Mrs. Luella Bates Washington when he tried to snatch on her purse. Unfortunately for Roger, he dwelled with the wrong person and ends up as a hostage to Mrs. Luella. Roger was lost in the world, having ‘nobody home’ and eventually ends up walking the path of crimes. A bond appeared between Roger and Mrs. Luella as she altered him away from the wrong path. “Well, you didn’t have to snatch my pocketbook to get some suede shoes,” said Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones. “You could of asked me...I have done things, too, which I would not tell you, son.” Mrs. Luella’s compassionate character shaped him to be a ‘better’ person. Roger was just a stranger stepping into her world and yet she would provide his wants and needs. Instead of taking him to the police, she took care of him in her own way that works for her. She told him that she did things in the past that she was ashamed of, she tried to relate her experience with what Roger is facing right now. She gave him the love a mother would give and called him her ‘son’. Mrs. Luella’s excessive compassion for Roger shaped his ‘better’ self. He now gained trust and ‘did not want to be mistrusted’ again.
Expressing one’s compassion towards another, shapes people’s character as proven in the article ‘Young Offenders Should Meet Victims of their Crime’. Adam Murray, the victim of the crime who was assaulted, offered a restorative meeting with his attacker despite of the incident. “It was pretty scary actually, the idea of seeing him face to face again.” His compassionate self made him agree to the fact of meeting the man who punched him in the face and gave him a second chance. It was very humane of him and he knows that by doing this, he can truly changed his attacker’s character. Although Adam ‘felt frustrated that he was not engaging in the process and seemed very insincere’, he gave him a second go once again. This emphasize heavily on how Adam’s heart was a bright gold because he would give him another chance to fix his mistakes. He would not give him up and would keep trying to shape his character and behaviour. The second meeting went as Adam expected it to be, “he had a higher self-esteem and he seemed to be embarrassed by the fact that he had to do all of this, that he had hit me. You can tell that he was actually a really good guy.” Adam’s believe in him and gave him another chance altered the path of crime, in which he was on. He transformed him and now he’s able to do something productive in his life. Adam succeeded in changing his attacker’s character.
Showing compassion builds character should be used in any given situations, even if the setting differs. Expressing your compassion alternates the mindset and improve one’s character. If your character is filled with benevolence, you can easily effect and shapes people’s character. In Thank You, Ma’am, Mrs. Luella’s compassionate character leads her to helping the young boy, Roger, to overcome his ‘bad’ reputation. She gave him what he wanted and treated him like her ‘son’. This made him feel grateful and have respect and trust to her and to others as well. While in the article, Adam alternates his attacker’s mind and behaviour by simply giving him chances. He gave him chances to fix his mistakes instead of ignoring him to rot in jail. He knows that the best way to help him was to give him some love and time to change his mindset. When facing problems, showing compassion to others builds their character so that they feel the need to return their gratefulness.
Expressing one’s compassion towards another, shapes people’s character as proven in the article ‘Young Offenders Should Meet Victims of their Crime’. Adam Murray, the victim of the crime who was assaulted, offered a restorative meeting with his attacker despite of the incident. “It was pretty scary actually, the idea of seeing him face to face again.” His compassionate self made him agree to the fact of meeting the man who punched him in the face and gave him a second chance. It was very humane of him and he knows that by doing this, he can truly changed his attacker’s character. Although Adam ‘felt frustrated that he was not engaging in the process and seemed very insincere’, he gave him a second go once again. This emphasize heavily on how Adam’s heart was a bright gold because he would give him another chance to fix his mistakes. He would not give him up and would keep trying to shape his character and behaviour. The second meeting went as Adam expected it to be, “he had a higher self-esteem and he seemed to be embarrassed by the fact that he had to do all of this, that he had hit me. You can tell that he was actually a really good guy.” Adam’s believe in him and gave him another chance altered the path of crime, in which he was on. He transformed him and now he’s able to do something productive in his life. Adam succeeded in changing his attacker’s character.
Showing compassion builds character should be used in any given situations, even if the setting differs. Expressing your compassion alternates the mindset and improve one’s character. If your character is filled with benevolence, you can easily effect and shapes people’s character. In Thank You, Ma’am, Mrs. Luella’s compassionate character leads her to helping the young boy, Roger, to overcome his ‘bad’ reputation. She gave him what he wanted and treated him like her ‘son’. This made him feel grateful and have respect and trust to her and to others as well. While in the article, Adam alternates his attacker’s mind and behaviour by simply giving him chances. He gave him chances to fix his mistakes instead of ignoring him to rot in jail. He knows that the best way to help him was to give him some love and time to change his mindset. When facing problems, showing compassion to others builds their character so that they feel the need to return their gratefulness.
August 16, 2010
One’s identity is formed by social expectations.
Roald Dahl’s Lamb to the Slaughter explores the theme that one’s identity is formed by social expectations. Mary Maloney, the protagonist of the story, embodies all of the elements of a ‘perfect’ housewife of the 1950’s. "The room was warm and clean, the curtain drawn." She devoted her life to her husband- waiting for him to come home, serving him drinks, keeping the house clean, cooking him a lovely supper, whatever it takes to meet his needs. She truly lived in a state where housewives were expected to act. She was delusional that her life would always be this blissful, until her husband decided to leave. She drowned in a sea of disbelief, “to reject it all”. Eventually her legs dragged her to the kitchen supposedly to make supper, only to find the leg of lamb. She then broke out of her ‘perfect’ skin and killed her husband with the leg of lamb. The society pressured women to be the perfect housewife and if only people knew this, her life would never mend again. She would be a shame to society and people would look down on her. Dahl emphasize heavily on her flawless features which made her actions shocking in contrast to her usual character.
Social expectations often shape people’s identity. In this article “The angry Housewives setting Kashmir ablaze" women from the neighborhood in Srinagar formed a protest demanding ‘freedom from India’. These women are regular housewives whose life has been altered due to the fact that their beloved one was lost. Mrs. Farooq was one of the many victims. Her 14 year old son was killed “when a tear gas shell fired by the police exploded on his head”. The reason why the police fired tear gas shell was that they mistaken him as a ‘miscreant who was part of an unlawful assembly". When hell broke loose, so did Mrs. Farooq. "Why should I not protest? Why should I not pick up a stone? I am doing this in the honour of my martyred son. I am doing this for azadi (freedom) from subjugation and repression," she says defiantly.” Her determination made numerous women joined the protests in kashmir. The problems society faced, shapes people's identity as proven by Mrs. Farooq. Before her son was martyred, she was just a typical housewife that society expects her to be, but now she dwells and tackle against society's problems. She is one of the many women who symbolizes that they are able to fight for what's right. Society expected housewives to be at home, taking care of the family, cooking, etc but what happens when society ruins the harmony? When you lost your beloved ones, you can’t regain back your ‘ordinary’ life.
Social expectations create your external self but your identity is within you thus you decide who you are. In Mrs. Maloney’s case, her external self was this meticulous and perfect housewife. When she loses her beloved husband, everything turned upside down. She knew that society would not tolerate this and therefore she did what she could. Her husband shattered her utopia and so she ended his. As for the article, Mrs. Farooq loses her eldest son and her world changed rapidly. Her society destroyed the harmony and causes her to unleash her internal self and rebelled back against society. No matter what situation you’re in, controlling yourself would do wonders.
Social expectations often shape people’s identity. In this article “The angry Housewives setting Kashmir ablaze" women from the neighborhood in Srinagar formed a protest demanding ‘freedom from India’. These women are regular housewives whose life has been altered due to the fact that their beloved one was lost. Mrs. Farooq was one of the many victims. Her 14 year old son was killed “when a tear gas shell fired by the police exploded on his head”. The reason why the police fired tear gas shell was that they mistaken him as a ‘miscreant who was part of an unlawful assembly". When hell broke loose, so did Mrs. Farooq. "Why should I not protest? Why should I not pick up a stone? I am doing this in the honour of my martyred son. I am doing this for azadi (freedom) from subjugation and repression," she says defiantly.” Her determination made numerous women joined the protests in kashmir. The problems society faced, shapes people's identity as proven by Mrs. Farooq. Before her son was martyred, she was just a typical housewife that society expects her to be, but now she dwells and tackle against society's problems. She is one of the many women who symbolizes that they are able to fight for what's right. Society expected housewives to be at home, taking care of the family, cooking, etc but what happens when society ruins the harmony? When you lost your beloved ones, you can’t regain back your ‘ordinary’ life.
Social expectations create your external self but your identity is within you thus you decide who you are. In Mrs. Maloney’s case, her external self was this meticulous and perfect housewife. When she loses her beloved husband, everything turned upside down. She knew that society would not tolerate this and therefore she did what she could. Her husband shattered her utopia and so she ended his. As for the article, Mrs. Farooq loses her eldest son and her world changed rapidly. Her society destroyed the harmony and causes her to unleash her internal self and rebelled back against society. No matter what situation you’re in, controlling yourself would do wonders.
