Glenn Lynch
LIT 342
October 21, 2004
Professor Navarete
Final Paper (Response to Topic One)
“The Common Struggle for Political and Social Change in World Literature”
While the literature of the world covers a vast and varying array of topics and forms, the common call for a fair, equal, politically balanced and diverse society is surprisingly similar. The poems, short stories, essays and plays of Western and Eastern Europe, India, China, Japan, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and North America give us a collective look into the calls for inclusion, the perils of economic, social or political displacement and the need for change from a global perspective.
During the later part of the 19th century and throughout the 20th century the societies of the world found themselves undergoing dramatic change. In Europe, World Wars would exact their tolls on the collective social, political, and economic systems of the entire continent, dividing the continent between Western Capitalist expansionism and Eastern Marxist and Socialist political philosophies. This political divide left some citizens in exile, running from the oppressive political control of a government bent on curtailing the political opinions of those opposing the government. In his poem “My Faithful Mother Tongue,” Czeslaw Milosz discusses his feeling of isolation stemmed from being separated from the cultural traditions of his homeland; “without you, who am I? Only a scholar in a distant country… the glory of individuality is taken away,” (Milosz 650).
Similar sentiments of isolation and displacement can be found in the literary works of Middle Eastern, African, and Latin American authors where years of colonization and imperialism have led to social issues or political instability that cost native inhabitants the traditional lands of their ancestors. Ghassan Kanafani’s “The Land of Sad Oranges” for example, discusses the plight of the Palestinian people as Jewish settlers began occupying Palestinian farms, referred to by locals as the “Land of Oranges,” and houses during the establishment of the Israeli state, transforming the Palestinian people into “refugees in some place which I did not know, unable to find a solution to his own problems,” (Kanafani 138).
Pablo Neruda’s “The United Fruit Co.” and Rosario Castellanos’ “Death of the Tiger” provide an informative look into a culture that has been turned upside down, first by colonization and then by the greed and exploitation of rich land owners and corporate interests. Castellanos offers up a similar message to that of Kanafani in her telling of the displaced Bolometic tribe who had the productive lands of their ancestors taken from them, forcing them onto a land that was “swept by hostile winds, poor, scorned even by the vilest weeds and creepers,” (Castellanos 840). Unfortunately, Castellanos’ Bolometic suffered a more horrible fate than Kanafani’s Palestinians. While the Palestinians had it in them to wage an Arab war, the Bolometic had “forgotten the art of war and had not learnt that of arguing,” (Castellanos). The men of the tribe were forced to sell their labor in the city and were “never heard of again” (Castellanos 845) while the women of the tribe “hid themselves to die” (Castellanos 840). Neruda describes the United Fruit Co. as parasites on the native populations of Latin America, “flies dank with the blood of their marmalade vassalage, flies buzzing drunkenly on the populous middens… case-hardened in tyranny,” (Neruda 793). Neruda further discusses how the selfish pursuit of wealth depletes the vital resources of the land, “The United Fruit Company Incorporated sailed off with the booty of coffee and fruits,” (Neruda 793) without regard for how this pillaging is effecting the people who are dependant on that land for their living, “and all the while, somewhere in the sugary hells of our seaports… an Indian fell in the morning… an anonymous chattel, some numeral tumbling” (Neruda).
Bessie Head, a South African exile living in Botswana (Lim – Spencer 25) offers a more optimistic view of life in isolation but introduces a new theme of diversity and inclusion that can be found throughout the literary works of other international authors. Head’s “The Collector of Treasures,” while grave in its message about the abuses of African society on its female population offers up an optimistic view of hope. The central character, Dikeledi, finds her self imprisoned for dismembering and murdering her neglectful, irresponsible and oppressive husband but she still seems to find the good in humanity, finding “gold amidst the ash, deep loves that had joined her heart to the hearts of others,” the “collector of such treasures,” (Head 29). Head hopes for a political future, a facet of society where women are only permitted to sit on the “edge of these debates,” (Head 33) that is inclusive of all of society’s members is shared in the works of India’s Amrita Pritam, North America’s Langston Hughes, Western Europe’s Heinrich Boll, Africa’s Chinua Achebe, and Japan’s Kobo Abe. Pritam’s “Amrita Pritam” is a self reflection of a woman writer expressing herself in a male dominated and male orientated society. Pritam’s image of a smoking woman flicking off the “songs” (Pritam 246) or traditions of a culture in which it is taboo for a woman to smoke “like ashes from the cigarette,” (Pritam 246) boldly expresses her desires for a society that provides equality for men and women alike. Likewise, Hughes’ poem “Negro Speaks of Rivers” casts off the stereotypical idiom that African Americans have no culture, sophistication, or history. Hughes reminds the reader that Blacks have withstood the changes in their culture which has taken them from the dawns of ancient society, through the shackles of enslavement, and onto a present that has seen “its muddy bosom turn all golden in the sunset” (Hughes 964) with the promise that tomorrow will bring the equality and reverence the African race deserves.
Boll’s “The Balek Scales” explores not only the unjustness of a society dominated by those who control the wealth, but also the need for political representation in a culturally diverse region where religious, ethnic, and social persecution has haunted generations of German citizens. The class division in Boll’s tale takes center stage, depicting a society where the upper classes of society set the rules and impose their will on the lower class peasants. Boll describes this peasant class as the members of “four families: the Cechs, the Weidlers, the Vohlas and the Bruchers,” (Boll 557) providing the foundation that this community is enriched with a diverse makeup of ethnic backgrounds; Von Bilgan being the only name of German origin (last-names.net). Boll’s use of a surrogate dominance of the foreign Balek family as wards for the national empirical establishment suggests his disillusionment with the concept that one class or race of people should be dominate over another. Achebe uses similar tactics in his short story “Civil Peace,” a depiction of a family trying to reestablish itself in an African country which has won its independence from European colonialism and fought a hardened civil war between warring ethnic factions. Achebe uses intelligible dialog to describe the rational dialog of the central character, Jonathan, and his family but contrasts this decipherable use of language with the pidgin dialog of the raiding bandits who wish to steal away the rewards of Jonathan’s hard work. Achebe recants the perceived “Civil Peace” (Achebe 132) in a time after the civil war was supposed to have reconciled the peace between ethnic groups, highlighting the importance to remain dedicated to the issues of human life and discarding the injustices of ethnic division that will persist. “I count it as nothing… what is egg-rasher? Did I depend on it last week? Or is it greater than other things that went with the war?” (Achebe 133).
Japan’s Abe ties together the need for societal inclusion in a changing economic and political climate with the individual’s responsibility to take matters into their own hands, to seek out social change on their own accord instead of sitting idly by waiting for change to take hold on its own. While Abe’s work is less about cultural diversity than it is a call for change, the message still calls for independent and individual action and that contrasts starkly against the informative and enlightening but passive nature of the other literary authors asking for social inclusion and warning against alienation or segmentation. Abe’s play “The Man Who Turned into a Stick (death)” warns society against the cost of doing nothing in changing political and social environment. The stick in Abe’s play is alienated, having a voice, “I can hear everything” (Abe 347) and emotions, “The Man Who Turned Into A Stick suddenly exhibits a strong reaction to something,” (Abe 352) but goes unheard or regarded by the other characters in the play. The stick is also described as being “employed by people for some particular purpose” (Abe 352) but as being abused, “its whole body is covered with scars” (Abe 353). Taken in context with the stick’s perceived satisfaction with being a stick, “I wonder what it would be better to turn into, rather than a stick. The one thing somebody in the world is sure to pick up is a stick," (Abe 543-545) suggests an acceptance with one’s fate; to play the cards that were dealt to them. Abe warns, however, that being a stick, being afraid to take action for fear of being judged or punished to not press against the indignities and injustices of society or government will leave you doomed to a lifeless, settling existence (Abe 357).
While Abe offers a critique of the individuals role in society other authors such as China’s Lu Xun, India’s R.K. Narayan, Eastern Europe’s Anna Anhmatova, and Western Europe’s William Butler Yeats, and Bertolt Brecht offer us challenges and criticisms of the political and social structures of their societies. Xun’s “A Small Incident” through its portrayal of a well to do member of society feeling shame for his neglect of both traditional values and the well being of the peasant class offers us a criticism of China’s socialist political environment. Xun’s elevation of the rickshaw driver and the peasant woman he ran over to a status higher than that of the influential passenger creates pause, inviting the reader to reflect upon the perils of classifying one member of society over another. The narrator’s reverence for the deeds of the driver causes him to “look up to him” (Xun 209) while feeling “small… hidden under my fur-lined coat” (Xun 210). The message behind Narayan’s “Gateman’s Gift” carries with it a similar sentiment, questioning the inhuman and far too impersonal connection between the upper castes of India’s society and the lower laboring castes. In the same regard, Narayan demonstrates the loyalty of his central character, Singh, to his former employer; displaying a level of respect and gratitude the lower castes of society display on their upper caste counterparts. Ahkmatova’s critique of the Russia’s political system in “I Am Not One of Those Who Left the Land…” is more subdued under her open criticism of nationals who fled the country to spare their own hides and the patriotic feel of her works. Ahkmatova likens the exiles as felons, “like a man half-dead, dark is your path, wanderer; wormwood infests your foreign bread,” (Akmatova 652) and staunchly believes that those who did not leave the land “to the mercy of its enemies” will have more reason to be proud once the “cloud” (Akhmatova 653) passes.
Like Akmatova, Yeats’ poem Easter 1916 holds expressions of joy toward the feelings of nationalism and patriotism, holding in high esteems those who will not give up on the notions of independence. Yeats, however, does question the solidarity of an Irish republic under the rigors of religious segmentation between Irish Catholics and Irish Protestants. Yeats suggests that the events of Easter Sunday in 1916 bring with it a “terrible beauty,” (Yeats 602) one that brings with it independence for Ireland but not necessarily a religious freedom for all its citizens. The inner conflict of the Irish people is evident in Yeats’ praise for “this other man I had dreamed a drunken, vainglorious lout. He had done most bitter wrong to some who are near my heart, yet I number him in the song” (Yeats 601). Brecht’s “To Prosperity” continues the theme of criticism but differs from other critical works in that it speaks out against the underpinnings of a social system and the negative implications the system inflicts, not to its immediate populous, but to the populous that consumer economies exploits in its proliferation of goods and wealth. Brecht’s work provides us with a westerner’s view point of how the capitalist systems of the industrialized West deteriorates the societies we learned about in the works of Ghassan Kanafani, Pablo Neruda, Rosario Castellanos, and Langston Hughes. Brecht admonishes a society that “entitles me to eat my fill… when my food is snatched away from the hungry” (Brecht 552).
Whether the lessons in world literature are to bring awareness to a cause or condition, to criticize our involvement or lack of involvement in a political or social movement, or to demonstrate a need for a diverse and culturally enriched society, the international authors all unite under the common banner of humanity, appealing to our sense of decency and reminding us against the hazards of doing nothing. W.H. Auden’s poem “Musee des Beaux Arts” captures it best; “about suffering they were never wrong, the old Masters: how well they understood its human position; how it takes place while someone is eating or opening a window or just walking dully along” (Auden 584). And we cannot sit back and let it pass. We cannot be the dog or the ploughman, or the ship, ignoring the falls of society as they happen in our lives.
Works Cited
Abe, Kobe, “The Man Who Turned Into A Stick,” One World of Literature, 344 - 357 Houghton Miffin Co, 1993
Akhmatova, Anna, “I Am Not One of Those Who Left the Land…,” One World of Literature, 601 - 602 Houghton Miffin Co, 1993
Boll, Heinrich, “The Balek Scales,” One World of Literature, 555 - 560 Houghton Miffin Co, 1993
Brecht, Bertolt, “To Prosperity,” One World of Literature, 552 - 554 Houghton Miffin Co, 1993
Castellanos, Rosario, “Death of the Tiger,” One World of Literature, 839 - 845 Houghton Miffin Co, 1993
Head, Bessie, “The Collector of Treasures,” One World of Literature, 25 - 40 Houghton Miffin Co, 1993
Hughes, Langston, “Negro Speaks of Rivers,” One World of Literature, 964 Houghton Miffin Co, 1993
Kanafani, Ghassan – “The Land of Sad Oranges,” One World of Literature, 137 - 141 Houghton Miffin Co, 1993
Last-Name.Net Website, “Anatomy of a Surname,” http://www.last-names.net
Milosz, Czeslaw, “My Faithful Mother Tongue,” One World of Literature, 650 – 651 Houghton Miffin Co, 1993
Narayan, R.K., “Gateman’s Gift,” One World of Literature, 239 - 245 Houghton Miffin Co, 1993
Neruda, Pablo, “The United Fruit Co.,” One World of Literature, 793 - 794 Houghton Miffin Co, 1993
Pritam, Amrita, “Amrita Pritam,” One World of Literature, 245 - 246 Houghton Miffin Co, 1993
Xun, Lu, “A Small Incident,” One World of Literature, 209 - 211 Houghton Miffin Co, 1993
Yeats, William Butler, “Easter 1916,” One World of Literature, 601 - 602 Houghton Miffin Co, 1993