Whose Fault Is it?
What are some of the main problems and how could they have been solved?
*Argue which character/s from both Oedkipus Rex and YOUR OWN BOOK CHOICE caused the most problems for the tragic (or any tragic) circumstances. There is not one correct answer, but be prepared to defend using quotes from both texts.
*Is there a solution for the problem/s in the play and your own text?
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*You may wish to incorporate if characters may be like our own leaders or leaders in history as part of your response.
You may discuss any segment of Oedipus, including the end of your own book.
Any quotations that are used must be cited APA style, but if from Oedipus, use line numbers
Please take into considering societal, historical, and.or gender roles in your response (or you may have other ideas).
Other (or how people are considered as such) should be a large
For full credit, you MUST have quotations as support of your points, you MUST show reading and avoid online summary info, you MUST respond to a minimum of 2 posts. Points will be deducted for those students who wait until the last 12-24 hours, for spelling problems, repeating information already stated, confusing responses, attacking classmates verbally, simply agreeing without saying much of anything, or off-topic commentary.
------Having support from databases may be given additional credit if used well----
DATABASES ARE NOT REQUIRED FOR THIS BLOG, but your argument will be judged harshly, so be prepared to defend yourself!
**This blog will end at 9 a.m. 10/29. Remember that starting on the last 12-24 hours prior will result in loss of points since your discussion will be limited.
The tragic circumstances of Oedipus and Dear Martin were not both caused by the main characters. Oedipus is the cause of Laius’s death and the reason for the manhunt that is looking for his killer. He caused the most issues because he did not admit to what he had done even though he was called out for it many times. Teiresias said, “He shall be proved father and brother both to his own children in his house; to her that gave him birth, a son and a husband both; a fellow sower in his father’s bed” (Sophocles, 2010, p. 30, lines 457-459). Oedipus was blaming Teiresias for the murder. However, my further reading suggests that Oedipus didn’t commit the crime. Kurt Fosso says “Oedipus, who killed not King Laius but another elderly man. As for the charge of incest, Oedipus may not be Jocasta's offspring. The play further implies that the prophet Teiresias could have concocted his accusations of parricide and incest from inside intelligence, local tropes, and common fears.” (Fosso, 2012). In Dear Martin, Manny had caused the most issues that lead to tragic circumstances. The main issue was when Manny did not listen to Garret Tison. Garret ended up shooting both Manny and Justyce. Because of Manny’s stubbornness, he lost his life. Tison called the boys “assholes” and Justyce said “Assholes? How are we assholes?” (Stone, 2018, p. 118). Manny then shouts over to Tison and says “What’d you say, sir? I couldn't hear you over the music!” (Stone, 2018,p. 118). Manny turns up the music and ends up dead. He could have saved himself if he had listened to Tison, but he did not have to. In the play, there is a solution to the issues that Oedipus had created, though we are not too far in the play, I think he should be punished eventually. He has lied, committed crime, and has led a community into a wild manhunt for a killer that is himself. In order to solve this issue, he should be thrown in prison (if they have that), or maybe dethroned. In Dear Martin, Manny could have listened to Tison. This issue is larger than that though. Since it was clearly about race, I don't think there is just one thing that a person could do to solve the racial issues in America. It is almost a civil war issue. As we have seen in the past year or so with George Floyd’s death, not just one person can make a change. Therefore, there is not an easy solution to these tragic events in Dear Martin.
ReplyDeleteReferences
Fosso, K. (2012). Oedipus Crux: Reasonable Doubt in “Oedipus the King.” College Literature, 39(3), 26–60. https://doi.org/10.1353/lit.2012.0025
Sophocles. (2010). Oedipus The King. The University Of Chicago.
Stone, N. (2018). Dear Martin. Penguin Random House LLC.
In Dear Martin I do not agree its Manny's fault. As teenagers we all do dumb things like turning music up. No one should be shot over it. Garret Tison wouldn't have shoot Manny if he was white. The main issue in Dear Martin was the white people. If Jared wouldn't have accused Manny of assault the two boys would have been hiking. If Garret Tison did not shoot two unarmed black kids neither would have been hurt. The whole interaction would have been over soon they were stopped at a light in a few seconds both would have gone their own ways. Tison was one the biggest issues in Dear Martin.
DeleteI think this has a good point to it, but I do not agree that it is Manny's fault he got shot. Although, Manny didn't have to turn the music up, he still should not have been shot because of it. I think it would've been a different story if Garret and Manny were the same race.
DeleteI am going to hop on this disagreement train because I also do not like that Manny got blamed. He was one of my favorite characters in the book, and his presence contributed a lot to the storyline. The shooting occurred due to a racist off-duty police officer who could not control his anger towards some African American teenagers. The language used by the man was entirely unnecessary and he had no right to fire a gun.
DeleteEvery single person makes mistakes in life whether it is their own stubbornness or not. Personally, I have read this book in the past, but even if I did not, I would know that shooting a person for turning up the radio is not an excuse. The young boy Manny was a teenage boy and ignorant sure, but Manny was not putting any one person in harm’s way by not turning the radio down. Did he put that officer in any harm? So I’m wondering why it was Manny’s fault for being shot?
DeleteI do not agree with manny being at fault for the tragic events. The only thing(in my opinion) that Manny was at fault for, was continuing to be friends with Jared even after how badly he and Justyce were previously treated. I think Jared is more to blame for Manny’s death than he is. After the shooting Jus blames Jared and thinks, “If it hadn’t been for that damn phone call,(Jared accusing Manny) Manny and Jus would’ve been headed to Stone Mountain. They wouldn’t have been on the same read as Garrett Timon.” (Stone, 2017, pg. 127) Even though Manny argued with the officer, the officer still had no right to shoot him just because he had see his seen his partner killed by a similar black man.
DeleteI completely disagree with when you blamed Manny for his own death. It is heartbreaking that Manny had gotten shot while simply trying to do what the police man had asked in the first place. I cannot imagine that the trigger would have been pulled if it were a white kid reaching for the radio. While keeping in mind Manny being stubborn and disrespectful, you also have to keep in mind the fact that he is a teenager. Every teenager will act like this at some point growing up. Does it mean they deserve to be shot for it?
DeleteI believe there's no solution to being someone who is considered as an other but we can still make changes as a society to be better. No matter how much change happens there will always be people who see others as bad. Racism will never go completely away but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try to make it less common. In Dear Martin Justyce loses his friend Manny to a white guy pulling a gun on them at a traffic stop over a dispute in music. While everything is going on there's people making false claims like Justyce had a gun and they were “thugs”. While Justyce is losing hope and getting upset his professor Doc says “I get that. Look, Jus, people need the craziness in the world to make some sort of sense to them. That idiot ‘pundit’ would rather believe you and Manny were thugs than believe a twenty-year veteran cop made a snap judgment based on skin color. He identifies with the cop. If the cop is capable of murder,it means hes capable of the same. He can't accept that.” (Stone,2017, p.151). People will grasp at the fact that these people of color had to be in the wrong since Justyce and Manny were black. Some people will overlook the facts just to feel like white people are superior. This just shows the white characters in Dear Martin caused more problems than the main black characters. Characters like Blake, Jared, and the hwite cops are to blame for the overall death of Manny. Not only is this apparent in Dear Martin but in Oedipus when the chorus finds out more about their king they start doubting him since he is an other. I feel Odepis isn't the best character to go off of since he did do many wrong things but being the other was what caught the citizens eye the most which was the least wrong of his doings. Going back to Dear Martin, Justyce writes to Martin Luther King about his trouble towards the end he talks more about not what he would have done but who he would be. As a society we need to come together as one and stop focusing on things like skin color.
ReplyDeleteReferences
Sophocles. (2010). Oedipus The King . The University Of Chicago.
Stone , N. (2017). Dear Martin. Penguin Random House LLC.
I agree with your point that completely getting rid of racism is impossible, but making it less common is possible. I think that the best approach to this is raising awareness and raising our children to not be racist, which hopefully can drastically reduce racism vastly by the time this or the next generation grows up.
DeleteI agree that there is no solution to people being stereotypical, but I think that if people weren't so judgmental then it wouldn't happen. I don't understand why the color of your skin matters. We are all human. Unfortunately, in Dear Martin there is lots of racism.
DeleteI agree totally with you. I wrote similarly about the fact that there is no clear solution to racism. Society’s mind will not be easy to change. In my opinion, education may be a large part of racism. I think by educating everyone, society can place itself in others’ shoes and become more accepting. I hope every person will become accepted in the future in order for peace to occur.
DeleteI agree with your statement about there being no solution to someone who has been labeled as other. I like how you mentioned doc in your comment. Doc really was a big part in Justyce and the rest of the debate team's lives.
DeleteI do agree that there is no solution to being an "other". However, there are things to make it better. How will racism never completely go away or why is it still here? I think that millions of people have tried to end racism and it did not really help, maybe it made it worse. The history of prejudice is too deeply rooted to just "make it less common". I do agree that there is a large problem with racism, but it is not going to be easy to get rid of. I also agree with the fact that the white people are to blame for the major issues in the book. I think that Oedipus was to blame for the issues in the play.
ReplyDeleteThere are many problems in both the book Dear Martin by Nic Stone and the play Oedipus. The issues in Dear Martin are prevalent in today’s world, and I do not think there is an easy solution. Right of the bat, Justyce was arrested for no reason. He was trying to help his ex-girlfriend Melo get into her car because she was too drunk to function, and the cop saw his color and arrested him. Justyce was afraid he would lose his life.” So many guns. Just like the one Castillo kept his hand on while treating Jus like a criminal. One wrong move and Jus might’ve been the next Shemae Carson”. (Stone, 2017, pg.15) Jared was one of Manny’s white racist friends, and he sees all “others” as no good. He makes a lot of racist comments. Justyce got into Yale, Jared got deferred. He says it is because he is white and Justyce is black. “Oh, I certainly am. Let’s observe, shall we? I’m ranked number two in our class, I’m captain of the baseball team, I do community service on weekends, and I got higher test scores than Justyce...yet he got into Yale early action, and I didn’t. I know for fact it’s because I’m white and he’s black”.(Stone, 2017, Pg.59) He does not see anything wrong with what he says. Those are just a few examples of why I think there is little to no solution to fixing these issues unless people realize they are in the wrong and fix them. Oedipus caused most of the problems in the play. Oedipus killed his father and slept with his mother, which is wrong on many levels, especially for a “leader.” Oedipus tried to blame Teiresias, but he could not lie. “You have your eyes but see not where you are in sin, nor where you live, nor whom you live with.” (Sophocles, 2010, pg.28, lines 415 and 416) Teiresias is saying even though Oedipus has eyes, he is not seeing the truth or admitting to what he did.
ReplyDeleteReferences
Sophocles. (2010). Oedipus The King. The University of Chicago.
Sone, N. (2018). Dear Martin. Penguin Random House LLC.
I definitely agree with your statement about Dear Martin and racism. The best way to solve racism is to raise awareness and raise our children correctly, as stopping a racist person from being racist is nearly impossible.
DeleteI also agree that Oedipus is the main cause of tragedy whether it is his fault or his destiny. I like how Oedipus tried to call Teiresias, a famous guy of the time that literally sees the truth and can NEVER lie, a liar.
I do agree with the fact that things can't be changed unless the person makes the realization they are wrong. This is very apparent with Jarred he is very racist but towards the end when Manny dies he realizes his actions and tries to fix them. Like when the Picture broke of the group of boys in their thug and other racist costumes. The news cropped out Blakes KKK costume but Jarred got the whole picture out.
DeleteI like how you added in the part where Jared said in front of everyone that Justyce got into Yale first because he is black. Jared was jealous and he felt like he was smarter because he was white and Justyce was black. This just shows how rude people can be to others just because of their skin color.
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DeleteJust to defend Oedipus, because I think his parents are the actual problem, he did not know that he was sleeping with his mother or that Laius was his father at first. So really it is his mother who is in the wrong for not knowing who her child grew up to be to prevent this from happening.
Both of the characters that I think are the true causes of all of the tragedy in my book and in Oedipus are actually to characters that aren’t mentioned too often. In my book Dear Martin, I personally believe that the true “other” person that caused all of the tragedy to occur was actually either Officer Tommy Castillo or the Black Jihad. The cause could be Quan; because he is ordered by the Black Jihad to kill Officer Castillo; or it could be Officer Castillo, if Quan was ordered as a response to Justyce being unlawfully arrested. Either way, Officer Castillo’s death leads to his partner Garrett Tison to be extremely angry and willing to act on his racist thoughts, which is why Manny got killed and Justyce ended up in the hospital. Almost none of the truly tragic events in the book would happen if Officer Castillo never died. In Oedipus, I believe that King Laius is the true cause of all of the tragedy, based on the research I did for the past blog post. Here is a brief history of why I believe King Laius caused the tragedy: Basically King Laius was infatuated with a king's son, and then kidnapped the prince, besides either the king or the prince’s consent. As revenge the king cursed King Laius to eventually be killed by his own son (Edmunds, L. & Dundes, A., 1995, pg.218).
ReplyDeleteI would say for both Officer Castillo and King Laius it would be extremely difficult for them to have not done what they did. Officer Castillo would’ve had to learn how to not think racistly, which would be extremely difficult for someone who has been racist their entire life.
King Laius would’ve also needed to repress some inner feelings, which if you are someone who is capable and willing to kidnap someone, it would be very difficult to convince them to stop, and that is if they even chose to tell you. People who are “other” can be helped, but it is extremely difficult, so the best solution would be to try to raise them as good as possible so there is a lower chance of them being “other” and causing tragedies.
References
Edmunds, L., & Dundes, A. (1995). Oedipus : a folklore casebook. University of Wisconsin Press.
Sophocles (2010) Oedipus The King. The University Of Chicago.
Stone, Nic. (2017) Dear Martin. Crown.
I agree that the white characters started the main issues in Dear Martin. The prejudice against the African American teenagers has been around for the police officer's whole life and is causing issues still today. Since Justyce is an "other", he can't really cause the issues. The issues seem to be about Justyce and his skin color. I also agree that the tragic events of Dear Martin would not have happened if Officer Castillo had not died. I think that the true villain of Oedipus the king is Oedipus himself. I believe that he knows what he has done even though he might have mental issues. He might be lying to keep his power. Power feels good, right? Why would he give it up if he is not proven to have killed anyone?
DeleteThere are many contributing factors to what causes tragedy in both "Oedipus Rex" and "Native Son" but both works of literature have certain aspects that can be attributed with blame more directly than others. In "Oedipus Rex" I would put a majority of the blame on the gods. All of the circumstances in "Oedipus Rex" are so bizarre that it's not like anyone could've expected it. Oedipus could not have expected to kill his father and sleep with his mother because it doesn't make sense for it to happen. Most of the tragedy in this story is due to the gods and the idea of fate, meaning that no person in the play really could do anything to change it. In "Native Son", Bigger both causes his tragedy and lives through the consequences of it too. Bigger causes his tragedy because he makes many mistakes and keeps digging himself a bigger hole instead of doing basically anything else. "He lifted her and laid her on the bed. Something urged him to leave at once, but he leaned over her, excited, looking at her face in the dim light, not wanting to take his hands from her breasts." (Wright, 1940, pg 96) This sentence shows one time where Bigger could've avoided his tragedy, but instead he decided to ignore it and he got in trouble because of it.
ReplyDeleteWright, R. (1940) Native Son. HarperCollins Publishers
Grene, D. (1942) Sophocles Oedipus The King. The University of Chicago
I really like the point you made about the gods having something to do with Oedipus' mistakes. I entirely agree that the things that happened to Oedipus could not have been expected by him. However, I feel like one could not kill his father and marry his own mother by mistake.
DeleteWhile I agree with some of your statements, I don't agree with you about the Gods being mostly at fault. I think that they had a small say in it, but it's not like they forced Oedipus to kill his father and sleep with his mother. Right now they are punishing what he has done. But I do agree that they shouldn't punish everyone else with the plague for something that Oedipus has done himself.
DeleteI like that you blame the gods, it is something that I and most other people didn't think about. Now that you say that and explain it I change my mind, instead of blaming his parents, I too blame the gods. You saying how the gods control people's fate and there's nothing anyone can do to change it really strengthens your statement.
DeleteBoth, Oedipus and Dear Martin, have their own problematic tragic circumstances. Although most problems have a solution, many people do not like to come together and solve the issues or they do not like to come to the realization they are the problem. In Oedipus The King, Oedipus tries to be a people pleaser because he has everything he needs and that’s all he seems to care about. Oedipus seems to try to avoid his murder and make himself look good by questioning Creon about the murder. He states “Upon the murderer, I invoke this curse-- whether he is one man and all unknown, or one of many-- may he wear out his life in misery to miserable doom!” (Sophocles, 2010, line 245). In which, he is saying that whoever has killed the king is going to be miserable for the rest of their life. Also, a database says “Oedipus as a guilt ridden soul responsible for the murder of his father and marrying his mother” (Parray, 2021). I do believe that Oedipus is the problem because he likes to make himself look like the best of the best when he is not. If he wasn’t selfish, maybe there wouldn’t be so many problems or disagreements.
ReplyDeleteIn Dear Martin, the main problem is racism. Racism will always be a problem in society. One problem I noticed was racism can be very hypocritical. Justyce was on a bus because he was feeling alone and looking for comfort. He found himself thinking about many things and one being racism. It states, “How can he be mad at white people for profiling when he’s doing the same damn thing they do? Lock your doors… Hide your valuables… He even left Manny’s watch at home. This is the shit that has to be remedied.” (Stone, 2017, page 158). This is an issue to have a problem with someone judging you for the way you look when you are doing it yourself. This problem could be solved if there was no judging in society, but if we are being realistic, we will never see that day.
PARRAY, A. H. A Postmodern Interpretation of Oedipus Rex. Language in India, [s. l.], v. 13, n. 10, p. 106–111, 2013. Disponível em: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ufh&AN=90569366&site=eds-live&scope=site. Acesso em: 27 out. 2021
Sophocles. (2010). Oedipus The King. The University of Chicago Press.
Stone, N. (2017). Dear Martin. Crown.
I completely agree that Oedipus was the villain in the play. I also like how you pointed out how he acts hypocritical, and tries to make himself look like the good guy from other peoples perspectives.
DeleteI agree with you in the sense the Oedipus was his own enemy. If he would have acted for others rather than himself, the way a king should, maybe things would have turned out differently. I also agree that racism will always be a problem in society. The quote on page 158 beautifully supports your argument. It is hard to face the fact that there may never be a day where everyone is viewed as equal.
DeleteI think it's a good thing that, instead of blaming a specific person as the cause of the tragedy, you say it's part of the system in the form of racism. While it may have been the individual that caused the harm, the real problem is how they got to the point of causing the harm. This at the very least shows some sort of critical thinking as you seem to be thinking about the deeper meanings of the story.
ReplyDeleteBeing an “other” is not always easily solvable, and many times it’s not the “other’s” fault.
ReplyDeleteIn both Oedipus Rex and Dear Martin, the protagonist of the story faces intense hardships that are caused by them being seen as “others”. In Dear Martin, Justyce is subject to many racist actions, comments, and even physical altercations. He sees himself as an outsider because he is one of the few African American people at his school. Justyce was arrested because he was profiled by a racist cop who thought he was going to steal Melo’s car. He also finds himself in very heated debates at school due to people like Jared Christensen making very controversial comments. “When they get to Manny’s car and Blake pulls on the hood and raises his arm in the Nazi salute, Justyce knows the train he just hopped on is headed downhill in a major way. It occurs to him that the moment he said he was cool with the whole thing, he cut the brake lines and completely surrendered his power to stop it.” (Stone, 2017, pg. 35). Pretty much all of Justyce’s physical encounters could have been solved either by not putting himself into situations in the first place or by containing his anger and not swinging. In Oedipus Rex, Oedipus is challenged with many different issues, but the main one is that he is not a very good person and his entire kingdom has been plagued by a disease that spreads rapidly to plants, animals, and humans. Realizing that the plague is his own fault due to him murdering the previous king, he unsuccessfully tries to lie to his people because he cannot handle the truth. Sadly, the solution to his problems is buried deep down in the unwilling mind of Oedipus. Really, his only option is to come to terms with his greedy mistake and own up to it. Had he not wanted to forcefully take over Thebes, the plague may never have happened and things would not have gone downhill so fast. All in all, both characters could have resolved their issues by changing little flaws in their personality and being a slightly better person.
Stone, N. (2017). Dear Martin. Crown.
I like that you showed how Justyce reacts in the situations he is put in it just proves that it is not his fault he is an "other".
DeleteIs there a solution for being “other”? There is no perfect solution for people who are “other”. The main issue is ignorance. If society accepted everyone there would be no “other”. But because society isn’t accepting of everyone, people are placed into groups of “others”. In order for change to occur for “others” society needs to accept everyone no matter their race. However, I would not say it is anyone person’s fault. I think in order for one person to be excluded it needs to happen by more than one group. Society needs to have its “perfect” standards in order to have an “other” or “outsider” within the group. I think because of history’s past, “others” have been not included and will continue to unless a severe change has occurred. Of course, changes have been made and “others” have been more excepted, however, people still won’t change and there will still be “others”. But the blame of segregation for those who are different can not be blamed on one single person. The main problem in Oedipus is because the new king, will not accept his faults. Oedipus will not take responsibility for killing King Liaus and creating a famine. Proof of this is when he is talking to Teiresias, (who he knows is blind and can see the future) who knows all, which Oedipus will not accept. Teiresias is telling Oedipus the truth and proving he knows what happened and Oedipus will not accept it. Teiresias says” You blame my temper but you do not see your own lives within you; it is me you chide.”(Sophocles, 2010, page 24) In response, Oedipus says” Who would not feel his temper rise at words like these with which you shame our city?” (Sophocles, 2010, page 24) Instead of taking responsibility for his actions he blames Teriesius for his own issues. Therefore, Oedipus caused most of the issues in the play.
ReplyDeleteI think its a very good statement on hows its worded by asking a question then answering it with facts and proof from the book or the play. By saying that racism isnt one persons fault or one reason why its happening is very good.
DeleteIn my novel, “The Ditchdigger’s Daughter, there isn’t a single antagonist. In a way, society can be blamed, especially racist white people. In this particular book, the Thorton family is treated completely differently just because of the color of their skin. Which I have mentioned before, is not a single person’s fault, but society. For example, the middle child, Yvonne, is going to an ivy league medical school to become an obstetrition. Even after she receives her degree, people still treat her differently. For example, Yvonne states, “ It still happens these days that people, when I come into a room, look at me with a little frown on their forehead, which means what is that black woman doing here?” (Yvonne, 1995, page 162) In addition, it is not just difficult for Yvonne in her career as a medical perfesional because she is African American, it is also because she is a woman. This continues to become an issue even in todays society. According to the International Journal for Equality in Health, it states “GM (gender medicine) aspires to examine the influence on general medical issues. It argues that modern medical knowledge is based on observations and trials conducted mainly on men and that this wrong should be righted to achieve better medical knowledge to woman.” (Shai, A., Koffler, S., & Hashiloni-Dolev, Y. (2021). In order for change to occur, education(such as reading informational texts about rasicm)should be introduced to everyone. Giving society a chance to place themselves in others’ shoes. This particular novel has opened my eyes and should be shared among others for better understanding.
ReplyDeleteReferences:
Shai, A., Koffler, S., & Hashiloni-Dolev, Y. (2021). Feminism, gender medicine and beyond: a feminist analysis of “gender medicine.” International Journal for Equity in Health, 20(1), 1–11. https://doi-org.snc.idm.oclc.org/10.1186/s12939-021-01511-5
Sophocles. (2010). Oedipus The King. The University Of Chicago.
Thornton, Y. S., & Coudert, J. (1995). The Ditchdigger's Daughters: A daughter's journey to fulfill a father's Legacy: A memoir. Carol Pub. Group.
In Oedipus and Dear Martin, I believe the main problems were not caused by the main characters. As in Dear Martin, a majority of the problems were caused by Manny. If manny wasn't so worried about the people on the basketball team being his friends he wouldn't have gone to that party and justyce wouldn't have gone either and no one would have been assaulted. “Dawg I hate playing basketball. Only reason I started cuz I was the tall black kid at school, thats what people expect you to do. Yeah, I happened to be pretty good at it, but it's really not my thing.” (Stone, 2017, #109) “When i said i was quitting, He made a ‘joke’ about how i couldnt until Massah set me free” And hoim giving those people to many second chances got them into trouble causing them to go for a ride and then getting shot while playing loud music. As in Oedipus, he is definitely caused the most problems that were tragic. Like when he was younger he had killed his father unknowingly and then goes to marry hi mother and have children with her. Thats why he is definitely the problem in Oedipus Rex.
ReplyDeleteIn my book, there is definitely a solution to the problems in the book. In Dear Martin 99% of the problems are caused from white people being racist to blacks in america. The solution would be to stop problems like white cops detaining an unarmed black male all becasue he is helping a drunk girl get home but the cop thinks hes raping her all because he is black so he is automaticly the bad guy. “I know little punks like you wander the streets of nice neighborhoods searching for prey. Just coulnt resist the pretty white girl who had locked her keys in her car, could ya?”(Stone, 2017, #8). But in the play, there is no soulution because the reason he kills the king is because of a curse and he never knew that was why and the curse also made him marry his mother unknowingly.
References
Stone, N. (2017). Dear Martin. Penguin Random House LLC.
SANDEFUR, T. (2021). Sophocles: Oedipus the King, A New Verse Translation. Objective Standard: A Journal of Culture & Politics, 16(2), 102–106.
I completely agree that Oedipus was the cause of all the tragic events that occurred in the play. I disagree that Manny was the problem in the book Dear Martin. I think Manny was just looking for validation in anyway he could get it, and I really think that he was actually looking out for Justyce.
DeleteI personally think that in my book Dear Martin, there was not a singular person that I could place blame on, rather most of the white characters. If I had to choose who to place the blame on it would be Jared. Jared is a very privileged white kid, who thinks that he is better than Justyce. He was always the one starting the arguments, trying to defend that racism was gone. When he himself even states “no matter what college I end up at, when I see a minority , I'm gonna wonder if they are qualified to be there” (Stone, 2017, p.64). His statement proves that he believes that people with minorities don’t meet up with the standards to actually qualify. Then at Blakes birthday party Jared makes a comment ” Better watch out ,B. You know Justyce grew up in the hood. He’s gonna call up his gangsta homies to ride through on your ass” (Nic, 2017, p.92). Making the assumption that just because that's where he grew up, that he is part of a gang that uses violence. I personally believe he is just jealous. I think a good solution would be for Jared to actually think before he talks. I believe that Jared never takes the time to reflect on what he says, and how it impacts other people's perspectives on themselves. Jared was taught hate and ignorance, and he has done nothing but let the hate grow inside him. The main issue in the book was racially profiling people, and I think that the solution could have been to shut down that way of thinking, and instead of Justyce getting mad and punching people, show them his perspective.
ReplyDeleteIn the play Oedipus The King there were several problems, and frankly I think king Oedipus was the cause of it all. He was a very selfish leader killing his own father for the throne and wedding his mother. Then he makes an attempt to put the blame on someone else. Stating “ i proclaim to all the men of Thebes: who among you knows the murderer … I command him to tell everything to me” ( Sophocles, 2010, p. 21). Then when the oracle Teiresias tells Oedipus that he knows everything is unable to lie, Oedipus responds with rage saying “do you imagine you can always talk like this, and live to laugh at it hereafter?” (Sophocles, 2010, line 367). Clearly Oepipus has never had to own up to his own actions, and does not like it when others question his morals and reign. Oedipus is a terrible king and because of thim Thebes is troubled with plagues, and is falling apart. I think the best solution would be to kick the king to the curb and find a king with good leadership skills.
References:
Stone , N. (2017). Dear Martin. Penguin Random House LLC.
Sophocles. (2010). Oedipus The King. The University Of Chicago.
I believe that both Oedipus Rex and Native Son have their main protagonists to blame for the tragic events in each story. In Oedipus Rex, Oedipus killed King Laius and the people in the city still do not know it was him. King Laius was Oedipus’ father and Oedipus got to take over his life. This includes marrying King Laius’ wife who is also Oedipus’ mother. Oedipus seems to be in a denial because he says “ I fight in his defence as for my father, and I shall try all means to take the murderer of Laius the son of Labdacus the son of Polydorus and before him of Cadmus and before him of Agenor.” (Sophocles, 2010, p. 25). The city is facing many hardships because of the murder and Oedipus trys turning the attention to anyone else besides himself. This relates to what happens in Native Son. Bigger finally gets an opportunity to work for the Dalton family and he blows the whole thing. He kills Mr. and Mrs. Dalton's daughter, Mary, and does everything he can to not get caught. Bigger accidentally smothers Mary to death while she is drunk in her bed and Bigger gets frantic and brings her body to the basement where he cuts her head off and burns her body in the furnace. After he commits the murder, he immediatly plans out and practices what he will say when he is questioned. Bigger’s idea was to make the family think that Jan did it. Bigger is questioned by Britten and I think this is initially because he’s the new worker but he is also African American and comes from a poor area. Britten even says “They don’t need a chance, if you ask me, They get in enough trouble without it.” (Wright, 1940, p.186). This implies that Britten lacks trust for Bigger until Mr. Dalton assures him that he’s alright. Bigger lies constantly to keep his name cleared. Bigger also writes a letter to try to make Mr. Dalton pay a ransom to get his daughter back and he signs it as “Red” so they would still look at Jan and all the other communists. This makes things spiral even more and the press gets involved and questions the family. After the incident with the note, some of the men working for the Dalton’s end up finding Mary’s bones and an earring in the furnace. Bigger runs away and tries to get Bessie to go with him. All of the events happening made Bessie angry with Bigger and she says “God only knows why I ever let you treat me this way. I wish to God I never seen you. I wish one of us died before we was born. God knows I do! All you ever caused me was trouble, just plain black trouble. All you ever did since we been knowing each other was to get me drunk so’s you could have me. That was all! I see it now. I ain’t drunk now. I see everything you ever did to me. I didn’t want to see it before. I was too busy thinking about how good I felt when I was with you. I thought I was happy, but deep down in me I knew I wasn’t. But you got me into this murder and I see it all now. I been a fool, just a blind dumb black drunk fool. Now I got to run away and I know deep down in your heart you really don’t care.” (Wright, 1940, p. 265). So now Bigger has brought down someone that cared for him and now Bessie realizes all of his manipulation and lies. Bigger ends up killing Bessie because he only looks out for himself and he thought Bessie knew too much and that she was now a liability. Bigger just keeps the train of bad events going to save himself but it really only adds more suspicion to him. The only thing that can help is for Bigger to get caught and punished so he will stop doing bad things to people.
ReplyDeleteReferences:
Sophocles. (2010). Oedipus The King. The University of Chicago .
Wright, R. (1940). Native Son. Harper & Brothers.
In Oedipus's defense, it would be a big shock to be told that you killed your father and are sleeping with your mother. It's not like anyone would really know that Tiresias cannot actually lie at all. Oedipus does take it to the extreme though, and causes a lot of problems from it, but I wouldn't blame the whole thing on Oedipus. Bigger Thomas, on the other hand, really does cause a lot of tragedy for himself. He could've so easily prevented so many problems, but instead he keeps on making problems worse by trying to make more for himself. Instead of watching out for Mary, he kills her. Instead of getting out while he still can, he tries to make money. Instead of protecting Bessie, he kills her. It's especially tragic because this story could've been so much better considering the Daltons aren't even a bad family and so many people seemed to have wanted to help Bigger.
DeleteBigger definitely had many people that cared for him and wanted to help him get his life together. He was just too selfish and took advantage of every opportunity he got.
DeleteIn “A Thousand Splendid Suns” there are so many people who are at fault for everything that is going on, both in Afghanistan and in the personal lives of our main characters. The person at fault for the main character's ailments would be Rasheed. He abuses both Mariam and Laila on multiple accounts, even going so far to almost kill both women. This happened so many times in the book that I wouldn’t be able to quote them all without writing a novel, so I’ll just quote the worst account that I read in the book. “Laila’s face was turning blue now, and her eyes had rolled back. Mariam saw that she was no longer struggling. He’s going to kill her, she thought. He really means to.” (Hosseini, 2007, Pg 348). This quote comes while Rasheem is beating Laila to death, this is one of the last things that he will ever do. Not even a page later Rasheem is beaten to death with a shovel by Mariam, as she is protecting Laila. “And, with that, Mariam brought down the shovel. This time, she gave it everything that she had.” (Hosseini, 2007, Pg 349). I believe that this is a form of justice, being served by the people that he had wronged himself. This “solution” is what ends up both killing Mariam, and freeing Laila.
ReplyDeleteIn “Oedipus Rex” one of the biggest people that are causing problems is Oedipus himself. From what we can entail from character communication, Oedipus has killed his own father and slept with his mother. “He shall be proved father and brother both to his children in his own house; to her that gave him birth, a son and a husband both; a fellow sower in his father’s bed with that same father that he murdered.” (Sophocles, Grene, 2010, Line 455, Pg 30). This is showing that he had caused the plague that is now running rampant through the city that he is supposed to lead. The main “solution” that would help solve the plague issue would be to bring himself to justice to avenge the fallen king, his father.
Citations:
DeleteHosseini, K. (2007). A Thousand Splendid Suns. ATSS Publications.
Sophocles, & Grene, D. (2010). Oedipus The King. The University of Chicago Press.
I agree with you totally that the fault in Oedipus goes to no one else but himself. He digs himself in that deep hole. On the other hand, it is so heartbreaking to me that the girls in A Thousand Splendid Suns can not break away from the abusive man. It is so sad that that was how life and culture was there.
Delete*Argue which character/s from both Oedipus Rex and YOUR OWN BOOK CHOICE caused the most problems for the tragic (or any tragic) circumstances. There is not one correct answer, but be prepared to defend using quotes from both texts.
ReplyDelete*Is there a solution for the problem/s in the play and your own text?
In my opinion I think that King Laius and his wife Jocasta are the characters in the Oedipus Rex play that cause the most problems for the tragic circumstances. They both were told by a prophet that their son would eventually kill Laius so instead of just killing the child they sent him away, because they did that Oedipus grew up and did kill Laius. If Oedipus never grew up there would be no problems. Another solution would have been for Laius to kill himself and then have Oedipus grow up to be the king. If they would have gone that way then Oedius never would've married and slept with his mother. Teiresias says ¨when you shall learn the secret of your marriage, which steered you to a haven in this house,- haven no have, after lucky voyage? And of the multitude of other evils establishing a grim equality between you and your children, you know nothing¨. (Sophocles, 2010, pg.28 lines 423-425). He is telling Oedipus about his mother.
In Dear Martin I think Jared is the character that causes the most problems. He is always saying racist things and does not believe that white privilege is real, which causes many people to be upset. He makes both Manny and Justyce so mad that they assault him. Manny is upset and wants to drive around instead of going on a hike, he tells Justyce ¨My folks got a call this morning. Mr. Christensen is pressing charges against me for ´assaulting´ his son.¨ (Stone, 2017, pg.115). It is because of Jared's actions that Manny is dead.
Sophocles. (2010). Oedipus The King. The University of Chicago Press.
Stone, N. (2017). Dear Martin. Crown.
I disagree with you when you say that King Laius and Jocasta are mostly to blame. While they did act out of fear and send away Oedipus, they still didn't force him to come back and kill Laius, which in turn brought the current plague upon his people. I would be more inclined to believe that Oedipus himself is more to blame then anyone else.
DeleteI see your point however I have to disagree that King Laius and his wife are to blame for the tragedy. If Oedipus had simply not murdered a man with little cause, then everything would have probably turned out fine. Laius was simply a rude king that was in the wrong place at the wrong time, he did not directly cause the domino effect
DeleteWhen it comes to finding a solution for being an “other”, in most circumstances there is none. While Justyce(the other) in Dear Martin is one of the few African Americans in his school, the problem stems from his friend group and the events he sees around him. Though I don’t see Manny as a negative character, he definitely contributed to Justyce being seen as an “other”. Throughout most of the book, Manny continues to be friends with Jared and the rest of his racist friends and even though Jus doesn’t like them, Manny encourages him to hang out with them. During a class discussion, Jared is arguing with Justice after being deferred from Yale. Jared says, “I got higher test scores than Justyce…Yet, he got into Yale early action, and I didn’t. I know for a fact it’s because I’m white and he’s black.” (Stone, 2017, pg59). Earlier in the book, Jared has an idea of wearing costumes of “different race stereotypes” for Halloween, which they decide to wear to a party. At the party, the Black Jihad intervene and Trey says, “Bruh these niggas don’t wanna chill with us. They goin’ places and shit. Gotta stay connected to the white man for a ride to the top.”(Stone, 2017, pg 44) At this point I’m sure Justyce feels like he is an “other” and also like he doesn’t fit in with his own race. This event causes more problems later after Manny's death when a picture at the party ends up on the National News. If you think about it, most of the tragic events somehow relate to Jared and would not have happened if Jared and Manny had avoided Jared. While the protagonist in Dear Martin wasn’t at fault, I think the exact opposite about Oedipus Rex. Oedipus is responsible for most of the tragic downfall and his stubbornness makes it hard for him to accept his faults. While talking to Teiresias, Teiresias states,”I say you are the murderer of the king whose murderer you seek.” Oedipus replies, “Not twice you shall say calumnies like this and stay unpunished.”(Sophocles, 2010, pg 26, line 364) Oedipus has plenty of opportunities to make better decisions and if he chooses to do so(possibly by admitting his faults), it may solve the corrupt land.
ReplyDeleteStone , N. (2017). Dear Martin. Penguin Random House LLC
Sophocles. (2010). Oedipus The King. The University Of Chicago.
I 100% agree that Oedipus could have made better decisions. He had multiple chances but he lied and ultimately made the wrong choices. I do believe that if Jared and Manny hadn't been friends, a series of unfortunate events wouldn't have happened such as both Manny and Jus being seen as other and Jus getting into a fight.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe real world, Dear Martin by Nic Stone, and Oedipus by Sophocles would be a lot less tragic if we were able to solve being an “other”. I believe that we can achieve small goals in the right direction but there is no way of solving a problem on this large of a scale. With people who have had their minds made up, it is difficult for them to change their views or even open their eyes to see that a problem is occurring. In Dear Martin, there were a couple problems that had easy solutions but unfortunately the wrong decision was made. At the beginning of the book, Justyce was arrested for trying to help Melo who was very intoxicated. The police officer immediately thought he was trying to rob this light colored skin girl. If the cop had stayed calm and not jumped to conclusions, they could have talked out the misunderstanding. Instead Jus tried to talk but he was cut short. “Officer, this is a big mistundersta--’ he starts to say, but he doesn’t get to finish because the officer hits him in the face.” (Stone, 2017, pg. 7). Another situation that could have gone in the other direction was Manny getting shot. Officer Tison shot him because he was talking back and turned up the volume. If the officer would have just ignored them, Manny would still be alive. I also only think that if Manny had been white, it would have been a different story. If Manny had listened to Jus when he said, ”Manny, chill.’ Why is this damn light so long? ‘Let’s just turn it down till we get away from this guy, all right?” (Stone, 2017, pg. 119), then maybe he would be alive. Additionally, some may not think this is a problem but I think that if Oedipus did not solve the riddle of the sphinx, then Oedipus would not have lied to his people, killed his father, etc. Oedipus also does not believe Teiresias when he tries telling him about what his future holds for him. Oedipus says, “It has, but not for you; it has no strength for you because you are blind in mind and ears as well as in your eyes.” (Sophocles, 2010, pg. 26, lines 370-372). If Oedipus had listened, maybe he could have changed what was going to happen.
ReplyDeleteReferences
Sophocles. (2010). Oedipus The King. The University of Chicago.
Stone, N. (2017). Dear Martin. Penguin Random House LLC.
I agree that in most other causing situations there are simple solutions that are often overlooked. I also find your conclusion that Oedipus would never have been an other if he had never solved the riddle intriguing. However i do not agree because the play is directed by the idea of fate. If it was in his fate no matter what he did Oedipus would always have become king therefore leading back to him being an other.
DeleteI totally agree with the point about Manny. To add to it, I feel like Manny would not have talked back to the officer if he haven’t experienced the racism that he saw in his community and in the friend group that he hung around. I am kind of confused about you talking about the Sphinx, because didn’t Laius die before he solved the riddle? I may of read it wrong, but other than that I agree with Oedipus creating most of the tragic events.
DeleteWhile I agree with you on some things, I feel as if Justyce should not have HAD to make other decisions. We, as white people, would never have to decide if we should leave a stop light or not. It is not fair that he has to do and make up these ideas that we would NEVER think twice about. I do agree that these decisions could have changed the outcome, but no one should really have to think of this.
DeleteDear Martin shows, through the eyes of Justyce, how life is as a middle class African American who is surrounded by rich, white kids and racism. Justyce goes to a prep school and is amongst only a few other African Americans. That being said, they were put into the “other” category. This meant that they were always looked at as not being “normal” in the eyes of some white people. They had the stereotype of being bad, punks, and definitely not as smart as white people. Racism is a huge problem in the world. Some people believe that it no longer exists, and that we have become completely equal. “I’m just sick of people suggesting African Americans still have it so hard these days. I don’t care what S.J. says, Manny. Your parents are totally proof that things are equal now.” (Stone, 2018, p. 31). That quote from the book was a white kid trying to convince Manny, a rich African American who is really good friends with Justyce, that things are equal between races. Racism is everywhere, and I don’t think that it will ever be fully corrected. It is possible, however, to reduce the amount of racism in the world by spreading the effects that a racist person has on those who are being stereotyped or looked at as being less intelligent because they have a different skin color.
ReplyDeleteIn the book Oedipus the King, the main character, Oedipus, finds out that he killed his father. He did not know this at the time because he was under a curse and had no control over it. He then wanted to marry his mother and have children with her. I don’t think that these incidents could necessarily be fixed because he was under a curse that caused him to do these things.
References:
Sophocles. (2010). Oedipus The King. The University Of Chicago.
Stone , N. (2017). Dear Martin. Penguin Random House LLC.
I agree with everything you said about Dear Martin and our society. Racism will not go away but if we all try to see another perspective, we could lessen the effects of it. However, I disagree with your statement about Oedipus. I believe that there was nothing truly forcing him to kill his father. He had the option to not kill him even if he was under a curse.
DeleteIn the tragic events that occurred in both Dear Martin and Oedipus: The King, one book has preventative measures that could’ve been taken and one does not. Oedipus’s tragedy is more of a “consequence for his actions,” whereas Justyce has no control over the color of his skin or the prejudice and racism of his classmates or the police force in his town, Atlanta.
ReplyDeleteIn Oedipus: The King, we find out early on from the demigod Tiresias that Oedipus killed the former king (who he doesn’t know was his father). While it is unknown to the rest of the crowd at the time the news of who killed the previous king, and it is thought that he was killed by a group, Tiresias cannot tell a lie. Considering that the community believes that plague is a curse due to the king’s murder, Oedipus is at fault for his own civilization’s plague. Eventually, he ends up gouging his eyes out. Though it may be very tragic, I think it would have been preventable had he not killed the previous king/his father, unknowingly slept with his mother, and been a better person overall.
Justyce, on the other hand, did everything he could to give himself a good reputation. He worked strenuously at school, got amazing grades and standardized testing colleges, and got into an Ivy League school, one of the most prestigious in the country, if not the world. Though Justyce had the kindest soul, due to the color of his skin, he suffered many incidents and tragic events. Right off the bat, on page 8, Justyce is wrongfully criminalized and pinned to the ground by a cop whilst trying to get his ex-girlfriend to not drink and drive. “I know your kind: punks like you wander the streets of nice neighborhoods searching for prey. Just couldn’t resist the pretty white girl who’d locked her keys in her car, could ya?” (Stone, 2017, p. 8) said Officer Castillo, squatting right in Justyce’s face. First of all, we as readers know that Justyce was simply trying to do the right thing, and second of all, Melo, his ex, was mixed, not white. Regardless, it should not have mattered what race the girl was, because race should not be a factor of crime. Later on in the book, we read as the devastating death of Justyce’s best friend, Emmanuel, takes place. The two young African American men are shot by a police officer off duty, over nothing but the radio. Justyce survives, but, unfortunately, that is not the case for Manny. The officer, Garrett Tison, claims that Justyce reached for a gun, but in reality, he was simply reaching to turn down the music. It is heart wrenching that Justyce had to go through so much, and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.
Undeniably, in Dear Martin, the police force are the ones who give Justyce the most hardships. Their racial prejudice caused Justyce to be wrongfully harmed and handcuffed. Even worse, their wrong assumptions caused a life! It is simply unacceptable that the people of Atlanta in the story should allow these things to happen. Justyce goes through more his senior year than most people do in a lifetime. I think the worst part about it is police are supposed to be the force to protect and keep you safe, not the ones who put you in danger.
In Oedipus: The King, we have not yet read enough for me to know who truly causes hardships, but so far, I feel as if Oedipus causes his own downfall. I mean, he committed murder, so shouldn’t he deserve to suffer the consequences? I surely believe so.
Sophocles. (2010). Oedipus The King. The University Of Chicago.
Stone, N. (2017). Dear Martin. Penguin Random House LLC.
Although I did not read Dear Martin, I completely agree that Justyce has no control over how he is treated. I believe that you will never be able to fully end racism because some people just will not change. Nowadays I feel that the conflicts with racism has been made more aware and talked about. I also think Oedipus was the reason for the tragic events. Even though he did not know that Laius was his father, he had no right to murder him and get with his wife who is also Oedipus' mother. Oedipus had a choice to make and he made the wrong ones. He is more of a selfish and irresponsible leader in comparison to Justyce because Justyce seems to take action and responsibility and shows good leadership skills.
DeleteI agree with everything you said about Justyce. Especially how he worked very hard to get everything he has. And how he was treated wrongly becuase of his skin color. One of the things that Justyce's classmates had pointed out was that they could do the same crime but if one was AA they could get a worse punishment. I think that if Justyce was the same person, worked hard did everything the same, but was white none of these tragic events would have happened to him which is very upsetting to think about.
Deletemaddison savola^
DeleteOedipus Rex and A Hundred Secret Senses, both have a character or event that causes an “other” to be formed. In Oedipus, it is the event of Oedipus becoming king when the country was falling into hardship. This made him another because he was expected to know everything and be able to just fix the hardships that the citizens were facing. Since he was expected to be perfect Oedipus was unable to confide in anybody his worries, meaning he felt like he was all alone even when he has so many people ready to assist him including his brother-in-law and wife. In A Hundred Secret Suns, there was no specific event that made Kwan an “other” but her siblings and classmates made her feel different and cast her aside. It even got to the point that kids from school held down her younger sister Olivia and peed on her “ laughing and shouting ‘Olivia’s sister is a retard.’ they sat on me until I started crying hating Kwan, hating myself ”.(Tan, 1995, pg. 49) This hatred alienated Kwan from her family and that alienation follows into adulthood. The only way to fix these problems of alienation and making these characters feel like “others’ in society is to start accepting each other and not expecting these people to know everything all the time. More specifically not only us but the people in these books need to be more realistic and understand that people are not uniform and that beliefs are meant to be different.
ReplyDeleteTan, A. (1995). The Hundred Secret Senses. Random House Publishing Group.
I would have to disagree that Oedipus was an "other". Instead, he was the "one". Oedipus was seen as a god-chosen king, and as the hero that slayed the sphinx. People looked up to him and idolized his very being. Furthermore you argue that he had nobody to talk top but that is false. He had Creon, his brother-in-law, and his family to confide in.
DeleteI firmly believe that the tragic outcomes of both Oedipus and A Thousand Splendid Suns resulted from actions of the main protagonists and antagonists.
ReplyDeleteIn Oedipus, every tragic event such as the king discovering he killed his father and married his mother, his self-blinding, and his eventual death, can be traced back to the protagonist’s (Oedipus) hubris. If the all-knowing prophet, Tiresias, had never been forced by Oedipus to speak; then the terrible events to follow wouldn't have taken place. Oedipus had called upon the prophet to question him on the mysterious death of former King Laius. This in the end, was Oedipus’s great mistake. As it were, the king, unknowingly, slayed Liaus during a simple stranger’s quarrel. Tiresias tried his best to keep this from Oedipus, but it was no use. Tiresias even pleaded with Oedipus by saying,” Just send me home. You bear your burdens, I’ll bear mine. It’s better that way, please believe me” (Socrates, 2010, pg 11). Unfortunately for the king however, he did not listen to the prophet and his hubris set him on his path of self-destruction.
In the novel A Thousand Splendid Suns, the tragic lives of the characters can be accredited to the antagonist, Rasheed. Rasheed’s lies, beatings, and cruelties toward his wives most certainly destroyed their lives. His first wife Marriam married him at the age of fourteen. In the beginning he was kind to her, he bought her gifts and told her of the world, but following her seven miscarriages his true self was revealed. He forced her into burqa, raped her, beat her, forced her to eat pebbles, and many more inhumane punishments. In the end of the novel Marriam goes on to think, “Though there were moments of beauty, Mariam knew for the most part that life had been unkind to her.” (Hossenini, 2007, pg 332) Rasheed treated his second wife Liala, just as horribly. Liala also Married Rasheed in her early teens, and her marriage to him was equally unbearable. She however, was given more slack than marriam because she was able to give Rasheed a son. Rasheed’s downfall can be directly attributed to his mistreatment of his wives. At one point the man began to strangle Liala, with the intent to kill. Marriam, holding no love for her husband, instead aided her sister-wife by beating Rasheed to death with a shovel. Perhaps if Rasheed had given even a shred of love to his wives, his death would have been avoided.
It is clear to see that in both the play and novel the main characters are at fault for every tragic event.
Resources-
Hosseini, K. (2007). A thousand splendid suns. Qanita.
Socrates, S. (2010). Oedipus the king. University of Chicago.
I meant Sophocles
DeleteI am reading the book A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. In this book, I believe that there are two people who caused the most problems for the tragic circumstances. First, I believe that Jalil, Mariam's father is one of the people causing the problems. He started off Mariam's life basically off the grid. She grew up alone, often playing games with rocks and using Jalil's real kids' names. Not only that, but he is definitely one of the root causes of Nana's, Mariam's mother suicide. Though it is not his fault that Mariam wanted to visit him, it is his fault she was gone so long. "Over the years, Mariam would have ample occasion to think about how things might have turned out if she had let the driver take her back to the kolba. But she didn't She spent the night outside Jalil's house." (Hosseini, 2007, p.33-34) While she was outside of her father's house is when Nana had committed the act. It is also his fault that Mariam and her mother had lived in the kolba in the first place. Secondly, I know for a fact that Rasheed, Mariam and later Laila's husband, was one of the biggest causes of tragedy. The amount of abuse and hardships these two women went through is unbearable. Even in the end, Rasheed's death was his own fault. "Mariam clawed at him. She beat at his chest. She hurled herself against him. She struggled to uncurl his fingers from Laila's neck. She bit them. But they remained tightly clamped around Laila's windpipe, and Mariam saw that he meant to carry this through." (Hosseini, 2007, p.347) Because Rasheed, both of the women's husband, was about to kill Laila, Mariam had to act. "And so Mariam raised the shovel high, raised it as high as she could, arching it so it touched the small of her back. She turned it so the sharp edge was vertical, and, as she did, it occurred to her that this was the first time that she was deciding the course of her own life." (Hosseini, 2007, p.349) It is at the moment where Mariam kills Rasheed, and the reader realizes the intensity of the things that Rasheed had put his wives through. He is one of the main causes of their tragic circumstances. He was an abusive rapist who deserved the murder he was punished with. The ending of the most recent quote I had used just gives me the chills. On the other hand, in the play Oedipus the king I believe that the person creating/causing the tragedy is himself. While he did not know that the king he had killed was his father,he did in fact kill him out of selfishness. He committed two crimes: incest and not only murder, but murder of a king. Of his father. Even if he was unknowing, he is still the one who caused these tragedies.
ReplyDeleteHosseini, K. (2007). A thousand splendid suns. New York: Riverhead Books.
Socrates, S. (2010). Oedipus the king. University of Chicago.
In my opinion I dont think that growing up off the grid away from people is a bad thing. I am not reading your book so I could be wrong but is Mariam really a "root cause" for Nana's suicide, could it just be she had been depressed for awhile. It does sound like Rasheed deserved the murder, I do agree with that.
Deletemaddison savola ^
DeleteThere is definitely a solution for being considered “other.” How society views the “other” I believe is what needs to be changed. Society is the problem. Some problems consist of racism, beliefs, and not accepting that “others” are not treated differently: some people may not think there is a problem so they don’t think there is anything to fix. All of these can be solved by recognizing that there is a problem and learning how to treat everybody equally. In my book Dear Martin there is a student that doesn’t believe anyone is considered “other.” He says “ Well, anyone born here is a citizen with full rights. There are people who claim certain “injustices” are race-related, but if you ask me, they’re just being divisive.” (Stone, 2017, p.24) He clearly does not see the problems that “others” go through. In Oedipus I think the character that caused the most problems would be Oedipus. Since he is the one that killed his father I think thats a big thing that leads to the other problems like blaming others. “ Citizens, I have come because I heard deadly words spread about me, that the king accuses me.” Creon says (Sophocles, 1942, Line 513). The solution to this problem would be for the king to confess what he did instead of causing other issues. I believe that Jared in Dear Martin caused the most problems. He does not think that AA are treated differently and a lot of the things he says hurts people. He wanted to prove that by having a few friends dress up as minorities for halloween which did not end well because other people took offence to it. “In the month and a half since the racial equality discussion in Socio Evo, Jareds been on a crusade to prove things in America are equal.” (Stone, 2017, pg.39). At the party there were a few AA that took offence to them dressing up. “Not five minutes after they get to the party, somebody sucker-punches Blake in the face.” They felt as if they were being mocked and not taken seriously. If Jared were to put himself in other people shoes I think he would be more understanding of what minorities go through.
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