September 6th 2010
Second chances allow for improved behavior.
Langston Hughes practically shows that it’s possible for people to change into a more preferable person. Others need to give them another chance and acknowledge it. The same as Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones, a large woman with a large pocketbook, gave Roger, a boy with no family, an opportunity despite the fact that he had tried to rob her. With the boy not being successful in snatching her pocketbook, Luella confronted him, “She still held him. But she bent down enough to permit him to stoop and pick up her purse. Then she said, “Now ain’t you ashamed of yourself?”. Not only was she brave, she’s genuinely confident in herself that she will teach this young boy something he’ll remember. She didn’t let go of him, knowing he’ll run off - as if she’s been through this before. As demanding as she was, she had this honorable side that she has yet to reveal. Therefore subsequently, she brought him home to wash his face, and give him a bite to eat. “The woman said, “You ought to be my son. I would teach you right from wrong. Least I can do right now is wash your face. Are you hungry?” Knowing that Roger have nothing - not even a family, she took care of him as if he was her son, giving him trust and needs. Thus Luella was close to being robbed in the near midst of night by a fourteen/fifteen-year-old boy, she still empathize for him and expressed much compassion towards him.
According to a report, ‘Young Offenders Should Meet Victims Of Their Crimes’ in England and Wales, teens that have committed crime are made to come face-to-face with their victims. The point of this concept is to oblige children/teenagers to come in realization to the mischief they’ve caused. Consequently, by consulting the two people involved will help the offender to change into a finer person. Analogous to a twenty-one-year-old, Adam Murray, who was punched in the face by his under-eighteen attacker in a pub. In Murray’s case, the confrontation succeed. Although, it was quite a frightening thought of meeting the attacker face to face again. First meeting did not go so well due to the lack of engagement from the boy. "The guy that walked into the room was a completely different guy than the guy that had hit me. He had higher self-esteem and he seemed to be really embarrassed by the fact that he had to do all of this, that he had hit me. You could tell that he was actually a really good guy,” he said.” This affectation proves that after all the restoration meetings, the boy had completely changed from before to now, realizing what he had done wrong. The offender was apologetic by the second meeting, and Adam accepts the apology, with a shocked response. With this success, it analyze that if the culprit meets their victim while the victim gives another chance, it’s possible for the culprit to change like the boy did with Adam, and Roger did with Luella.
The similarities between the different settings are pretty much obvious. Young offender being just like Roger, who have assaulted an innocent person specifically older than themselves, not wanting to go to jail and end up with all the freedom with an alter change to the mind. Adam Murray being just like Luella Bates Washington Jones, victims of crimes by culprits in their teenage years, confronting their mugger to see if they’ll come to a realize of the harm they’ve made. I think that all these sources tells me that someone will always need someone else to depend on, someone to trust, someone to feel comfortable around, someone who is able to give them another chance after another. Therefore, by consulting the two, it’s possible to make a relationship out of it and help the attacker be aware. “He did make eye contact, he was more confident and his apology was sincere”, said Adam Murray about the boy. “The boy wanted to say something else other than “Thank you, ma’am” to Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones”, feeling thankful and grateful for that the woman had done for him, after the food, water, and money that was handed over to him. When someone does something wrong, have faith in them and give them another chance because it’s more than possible for that person to realize what they’ve done and do whatever they can to change and fix it.
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16th August 2010
One's identity is formed by societal expectations.
Simple Plan
One's identity is formed by societal expectations is a dominant theme in Roald Dahl's short story, "Lamb To The Slaughter". Mary Maloney, the protagonist, is the 'perfect' housewife when it comes to pleasing their husband back in 1950's. She embodies her husband's every necessities - keeping the house organized and cozy, assembling his drinks and supper after long hours of hard work, and gradually builds up a casual conversation with her husband. The time when the story was written was during the time when civilization contemplated on how women were to conduct oneself well to men. All the things she does for him may possibly look like it was framed by general likelihood but internally, she loved him and with no regrets, would do whatever it took to make her husband content to be with her. Mary thought that he was indeed comfortable with her and her utopia of the perfect-picture bliss was then demolished by her own partner, offhandedly announces that he is leaving her and hoped that she "won't blame him too much" about it. To her disbelief, she tried not to let the news depresses her, but eventually it did, making her break out of her perfect image and lead her to the death of Patrick Maloney.
Societal expectations come and go with slight or massive adjustments. In the song track, Crazy, by a band, Simple Plan, clarify the situation of how society is breaking down. Things change from time to time, and with society it seems to become worse. "There's no more normal families, parents act like enemies..." - explains that then, families were exquisitely joyful around each other with a few minor problems here and there, like on television starring celebrities back then. Now that things have changed throughout the years, priorities of importance change as well - "No one cares, no one's there, I guess we're all just too busy, and money's our first priority...", when it used to be happiness within families. The media holds a big part of every change within society. Young girls want to be like celebrities on television, mothers want to be like professional cookers and housekeepers to keep her children and husband pleased at home. "If you open your eyes, you'll see that something is wrong", most don't realize this, until someone announces it to them - but even that barely happens. When someone starts something and make it look like what their generation is all about, other people like their friends would join them and peer pressure would start to rise up. As that expectation fades away within their society, a new expectation would come around and repeat its cycle. Therefore, with every cycle that repeats, comes with the new adjustments.
Who you are internally may not be what the society's expectations shaped you to be, but they will shape your identity externally. One's identity may be fragile and inherently evil, but there are two sides to justice and you may never hide away from your identity. Once you're known for what you've done, that's what you'll be labeled as. In the case of Mary Maloney's image of an obedient housewife at her perfection could possibly end there. In the case of the song track, things are not how they used to be anymore due to the society but perhaps there's hope for that to end soon? We'll never know for sure. Society, no matter who belongs in it, can be both dangerous and safe; one who are yet to be influenced, and one who are influencing.
Lyrics
Societal expectations come and go with slight or massive adjustments. In the song track, Crazy, by a band, Simple Plan, clarify the situation of how society is breaking down. Things change from time to time, and with society it seems to become worse. "There's no more normal families, parents act like enemies..." - explains that then, families were exquisitely joyful around each other with a few minor problems here and there, like on television starring celebrities back then. Now that things have changed throughout the years, priorities of importance change as well - "No one cares, no one's there, I guess we're all just too busy, and money's our first priority...", when it used to be happiness within families. The media holds a big part of every change within society. Young girls want to be like celebrities on television, mothers want to be like professional cookers and housekeepers to keep her children and husband pleased at home. "If you open your eyes, you'll see that something is wrong", most don't realize this, until someone announces it to them - but even that barely happens. When someone starts something and make it look like what their generation is all about, other people like their friends would join them and peer pressure would start to rise up. As that expectation fades away within their society, a new expectation would come around and repeat its cycle. Therefore, with every cycle that repeats, comes with the new adjustments.
Who you are internally may not be what the society's expectations shaped you to be, but they will shape your identity externally. One's identity may be fragile and inherently evil, but there are two sides to justice and you may never hide away from your identity. Once you're known for what you've done, that's what you'll be labeled as. In the case of Mary Maloney's image of an obedient housewife at her perfection could possibly end there. In the case of the song track, things are not how they used to be anymore due to the society but perhaps there's hope for that to end soon? We'll never know for sure. Society, no matter who belongs in it, can be both dangerous and safe; one who are yet to be influenced, and one who are influencing.
Lyrics
