IRJ #22

An Unwanted Discovery; Tribes in the Amazon

While frantically searching the Google database in search of more sources for an already doomed research paper in my Latin America class, I came across an a website about a subject that had apparently been causing quite a buzz recently.

The article was about a recently discovered tribe in the Amazon Basin. These people’s bodies were painted various shades of red and yellow, their only clothing a small loincloth. They crouched behind their low grass huts while taking aim with bows of arrows at the camera men gawking and snapping photos from where they sat comfortably in helicopters, making it clear they did not wish to be disturbed or investigated. The whole thing was just weird. What really struck me though, was (prepare yourself for the literary term) the anachronism of it all. There seemed such a divide between these instinctive, primitive people and the gum-snapping, equipment-hefting cameramen, dreaming of all the money they would earn for their photos.

For a while, I thought I had a pretty good idea of what the right way for everyone to handle that situation would have been: leave them alone. But the fact is, it’s really not that simple. A growing number of indigenous Amazonian tribes have begun to demand their rights as citizens, with the privacy of their culture paying the price. This is the dilemma. By doing this, tribes gain recognition of their causes, as well as allow them to develop through trade and keep their land. Publicity gives these groups access to resources they would not otherwise have had, such as pharmaceutical medicines, fabrics, etc. On the other hand, this exposure will without a doubt dilute the purity of these ancient cultures.

The biggest question to me is, what is really best for these people? Is it isolation and preservation, or assimilation and progress?

Photo Credit: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_p1E7cWHNfIU/SGn-J4MIwRI/AAAAAAAAAdA/NWYqU4yJyZU/s400/uncontacted-tribes+amazon.jpg

IRJ Reflection # 21

J.D. Salinger

I was halfway through Franny and Zooey when the book’s author, J.D.Salinger, died a few weeks ago. I had also read Catcher in the Rye last year in English class. Something about Salinger’s writing had always bothered me, but interested me at the same time, although I could never quite put a finger on what it was. Recently though, I realized that what all his characters have in common is an exasperating ability to get in their own way.

Holden Caulfield shuts people out by finding and magnifying their flaws until it becomes impossible for him to see around them. Franny is extremely hard on herself, constantly apologizing and wondering why she can’t be a better person. Zooey is tough on others, and his bitterness at the loss of two older brothers makes him reserved, judgmental, and resentful. I was intrigued by the fact that Salinger found this concept of self-alienation worthy of the amount of writing he did on the topic. I was also intrigued by the fact that these two stories are about their protagonists’ struggles in the world of people and society, while the author himself lived reclusively as a hermit. In fact, Salinger fled to Europe right before The Catcher in the Rye was published in the United States, to avoid the hype.

J.D. Salinger was a conflicted person, like all of us, and very deeply so. On one hand he wanted no publicity or attention whatsoever, and on the other he had some desire to express himself to the whole world through his writing. What a strange affliction. Perhaps the only explanation for this behavior is that Salinger’s reserved, solitary nature was a result of the complexity of his thoughts and feelings, much like his characters themselves.

IRJ Reflection # 20

Mayan Ruins and 5-Star Hotels

While leafing through my Latin America book this evening, I came across the section about some of the great and particularly impressive past cultures of Latin America, like the Mayas and the Aztecs. The book says, “Although it is unfortunate that such amazing cultures have declined, the bright side is that what they left behind are now beautiful ruins for us to go and visit!” This struck a chord with me. The fact that we view the remains of such formidable civilizations as an excuse for a vacation in Mexico just shows what kind of a civilization we are a part of.

Tourists. They are hated for their materialistic fascination with landmarks over which locals will grudgingly admit they are somewhat possessive. They are seen as intrusive and ignorant, yet in many places, the natives are forced to kiss these foreigner’s feet. I was surprised by the number of countries in Latin America, and the world, whose economies are almost solely dependent on tourism. In order to stimulate their economies, such countries build luxury resorts and restaurants near ruins and popular destinations in order to make the whole thing a little more convenient and enjoyable for the tourist.

We are a society that values comfort and ease. Unfortunately, what came before us, like the rainforests, wildlife, and even past cultures, are a price we are willing to pay in order to be comfy.

IRJ Reflection #19

If God Can’t Make up His Mind, What Hope do I have?: Uncertainty in the Bible

I never knew much about God or the Bible, but I had always assumed that the Bible, a book devoted for the most part to God’s actions, would show him as the benign, generous, and life-giving character he was portrayed as in the limited Christian education I have received. Predictably, I was quite surprised when reading the eleventh chapter of Genesis to learn of God’s jealousy and mean spiritedness. People from all over the world had united and built a city together. God saw this, and realized that there was nothing these people, his own creations, could not accomplish. Instead of being proud of them, he swoops down to the city and “confuses” them to prevent further successes. What a behind-the-back way of getting even. In this chapter, God essentially acts like a mean and insecure teenager.

Two startling and unexpected themes that I have noticed throughout the book of Genesis thus far are doubt and manipulation. God meticulously creates humankind as a likeness of himself, gives them the whole world to have dominion over, then, as they begin to progress, His own insecurities cause him to take everything back, leaving his people scattered and confused, which he does multiple times. God’s actions and intentions are incongruent throughout the text. First he uses his power to create an entire universe full of unique beings, making sure they have all they need; then he manipulates and exploits them, upending their efforts at creating a civilization together.

IRJ Reflection #18

Crash and Burn: The Rough Transition from a Perfect World to a Harsh Reality

The third chapter of Genesis in the bible exhibits Adam and Eve living content in the Garden of Eden. They are unperturbed by their own nakedness, childlike in their lack of self-awareness. God had put his humans in a sort of heaven on earth, a place where the two can live free of rules, except for one. God prohibited the man and the woman from eating of one tree; the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, telling them they would die if they were to eat from it. Eve, literally born the day before, was easily coerced into eating the fruit of this tree by the trickiest creature that God created; the serpent. Both Adam and Eve ate from the tree, and God punished both the serpent and the humans.

My father, who was raised Irish Catholic, has on many occasions told me his reason for rejecting the religion as soon as he was able to. He said that growing up as a catholic, he was taught a constant sense of guilt and fear of sinning. Sin is a very broad term, and some are simply a natural part of being  human. I am repelled by the thought of an institution that teaches its children to fear and beg forgiveness of a higher being. This chapter of the bible is a good example of the fragility and naivety of youth. Eve’s lack of experience and common sense was not her own fault. Such things must be learned, as a child does through mistakes and experimentation in developing from their Id form to their Ego form. An understandable curiosity overtook her when the manipulative serpent told her that eating from the tree would open her eyes, and make her like God. This motif of a child who emulates their idol is not something they should be punished for.

When God comes to punish the two of them for eating the fruit, the pair hides like children afraid of being reprimanded. Then, Adam blames his wife for giving the fruit to him, an equally immature reaction, as it shows his youthful lack of intuition. Though the official punishment bestowed on the two for their transgressions was that Eve would serve her husband and endure painful childbirths, and Adam would toil in order to feed his family, their real punishment was the loss of their innocence when they were so rudely thrust into a harsher reality. At least a kid gets to grow up first.

Photo Credit: http://templecuttingedge.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/children-playing.jpg

IRJ-QR #17

THE Unknown: Gobblers are Only Human

When Farder Coram questions the goose daemon about the activities of the Gobblers, he replies; “They put up buildings of metal and concrete…we don’t know what they do, but there’s an air of hatred and fear over the place.”

This quote hints at the natural fear in humans of the unknown. These ugly concrete edifices juxtaposed with the wild forests and tundra of the North allude to the harsh intrusions and interferences of man on the wild. Wild, meaning both land untouched by man and the uncontrollable or untamable. It is part of the darker side of human nature to fear the unknown, and control does away with fear. This makes it easier to understand why in The Golden Compass, men have come to the North where the Aurora shines full of parallel universes over the fields of ice and snow and armed polar bears live in fortresses.

In our society throughout history, we have always considered it a great achievement to conquer the unknown or undiscovered. It is rarely considered, however, the impact of this value upon those on the receiving end. A timely example of this is the separatists’ pilgrimage to the New World, where in time they had taken over the land and eventually killed the majority of the Native Americans who had lived there initially. This travesty is well summarized by the story of thanksgiving, where the pilgrims offered the Natives food and later slaughtered they and their families.

CONCLUSION: If we didn’t fear vulnerableness and unpredictability, we would be able to respect and appreciate the beauty and majesty of things left untamed.

IRJ-CP #16

Migrant Mother: Nipomo, CA

1936

This is a migrant worker and mother. She looks into the distance, her weather beaten face creased in consternation. Her two children are at her sides, their heads turned away from the camera and resting on her shoulders. This photo shows the true sacrifice and importance of motherhood, this simple image where two children, tired from working in someone elses field, rest upon their mother. Her life is by no means easy; her seven children are all she has. Her personal belongings consist of plates and cups, and a few blankets that can hardly keep she and her children warm in September. Her hands are cracked and callused, they hurt from holding tools. She has grown used to her sore back form bending over to tend to seeds and crops. Her children are locked into the same life she has, something that burdens her every day as she labors in the  hot sun. It is impossible for them to attend school for more than one season at a time, for the family moves as soon as the crops have been harvested or planted. This is 1936, and Amelia Earhart has vanished while flying. She knows what it is like to have disappeared, or be invisible. She knows she is valuable to no one but those seven children. At least Amelia had known recognition, of her character, her value and importance to others. The mother catches herself daydreaming and instantly snaps back to reality. There’s no sense in it, she told herself. Once an ant, always an ant.

IRJ-OP #15

Do the Ends Justify the Means?: Closer Look Into the Meaning of This Phrase

In English class, the saying, “The ends justify the means” came up. We discussed the different opinions on how to some, the result is more important than how it was attained, where to others, the journey is as important as the result itself. This saying was used in the book The Golden Compass, by Phillip Pullman, to sum up a situation where the Master of Jordan College had to poison Lord Asriel in order to protect Lyra (Asriel’s niece) from her eminent and perilous destiny a while longer. Though clearly uncomfortable with murder, he considered it worth while if it meant protecting the young girl.

An “ends justify the means” attitude is often the trademark of a conscienceless person willing to use and manipulate others in their efforts to pinnacle their respective fields. Though this may seem an immoral and selfish way to live, many feel that some outcomes are worth the things that must be done to achieve them. Who would argue that murdering Adolf Hitler would be necessary, or that the whole world would be better off with him dead? Though most agree with this, there are those that think that no matter who or what, killing is sinful and unacceptable.

Such a strong opinion in the opposite direction is not much better, however. Not much progress can be made, or has been made in history without the squandering of opinions and, admittedly, some violence. It is idealistic and sanctimonious in many situations to say that there can be justice without force.

Conclusion: Though we would like to dream otherwise, things like justice and equality are worth what it takes to achieve them. (violently or otherwise) Ends Justify the Means: Human Nature Our natural inclination to do what is necessary to achieve our goals Do the Ends Justify the Means? A journalist’s view of this double-edged saying

IRJ-CP #14

A Wild Night

What had started out as an exciting lark had deteriorated precipitously into a murky situation. The party was ostentatious, with loud music and lots of people filling the small and hip club space full of high school kids. Grace was a pious believer in following the rules. She looked around at the partiers with disdain. The party had barely started, and already she noticed many of her peers begin to sway drunkenly. Grace settled comfortably into the small couch where she sat. From where she lounged, she could observe everything, and was doing just that when they approached. Though she harbored secret feelings of superiority for not drinking or smoking, she was not the type to openly challenge those who did. And there they were, the most popular group of girls in school, red plastic cups in hand, ready to lay on the peer pressure. The leader was short and blonde, and Grace had noticed her drinking copious amounts of alcohol earlier in the evening, and so had her posse. As they stood over her now, Grace noticed a look of intrigue in their eyes, and could tell they planned to turn her into their newest project or protégée to boast of. Knowing there was no hope for her, Grace gave in almost immediately. It was a wild night; more than once Grace noticed herself having fun, which at any other time she would have found to be deplorable. Though the night went by like a blur, Grace remembered with shame, her desultory, drunken performance for all to see while she reenacted the dance to Thriller during which she collapsed on the floor. She was unable to recount anything after this at the police station where she was interrogated. The officer noticed that she was clearly distressed and nursing a whopping hangover, so he decided to let her off with a warning. To her relief, she was not held responsible for any of the night’s forgotten escapades.

IRJ-CP #12

Whose Bedroom is it?

The room was a manly gray-blue, but the main wall above the single bed was sheathed in a bright rainbow banner (behind under which hung a poster of Sammy Sosa). Where his father would rather baseballs, jerseys, or even adult magazines– anything a normal teenage boy would have– there were berets, scarves, brightly colored pants, and fancy leather shoes strewn instead. On the desk was a picture of two smiling teenage boys hugging. Over the desk chair hung a purple messenger bag full of schoolbooks, and covered in dirt from the many times it had been stolen and trampled. The closet was bursting at the seams with loads of clothing; on and off hangers, all stuffed in behind the sliding doors. The little TV in the corner across from the bed was surrounded by seasons of One Tree Hill, Gilmore Girls, and other soap operas. The sink in the neat white bathroom was covered in toners and moisturizers, cover up as well as aftershave.