Power in the Pen and Paper - Essay Example

COMPARISON OF ARTICLES Introduction There are different ways that people approach advocacy in a typical society. For writers, one of the best ways they have advocated for changed and expressed their opinions about happenings in the society is through the writing. There is therefore so much power in the pen and paper as they are used to translate the ideas and ideologies of writers into tangibles literature. One unique thing about writing is that unlike spoken words, written words last for ages. Different writer have however used different approaches to advocating for changes, including the use of fiction. The premise of this essay is therefore to compare and contrast two works of literature, which are both fictional articles or short stories. Throughout the paper, the approaches used by the writers in expressing their opinions about issues of society are analyzed. This is done by looking very deep into the themes used by the writers and how the themes were effective in conveying the messages that writers needed to put across. Themes displayed in the texts The two texts that are used in the essay are The Ingrate by Paul Laurence Dunbar and Tito’s Goodbye by Cristina Garcia. Very relatively, the themes used in these texts are very similar, given the fact that they all focused on the issues of law in one way or the other. In Tito’s Goodbye, the theme of advantageous injustice was looked at from a moral perspective, whereby the unfair actions of an attorney and how these turned to him in the long were was reviewed. Similarly The Ingrate looked at advantageous injustice from the perspective of slave trade by critiquing how slave masters took advantage of their slaves and treated them as less inferior people. As far as themes are concerned therefore, both texts were concerned with injustice in society and the end result of such acts. The writers were therefore able to send very strong moral lessons as to why injustice can never be justified in any context. Even though the themes used in the two works were similar, the approaches to presenting them were slightly different. For example in The Ingrate, the theme of injustice is taken from a societal or communal perspective whiles in Tito’s Goodbye the same theme is taken from a personal or individualized perspective. This was the contrasting point in the two papers as far as the themes are concerned. Having said this, it would be noted that the two texts perfectly complement each other in terms of addressing the issue of injustice. The complementary nature of the two themes come in as the act of injustice is commonly seen to be performed at the individual level before being perpetuated to the communal or societal level. But as exemplified in Dunbar’s work, once injustice is left to grow to become a communal canker, its fight becomes extra difficult. This was showed in how difficult the fight against slave trade and maltreatment of slaves became. Elements of fiction used to portray the themes Even though the two texts which were reviewed were approached with themes that are part of everyday aspects of humans, both writers used elements of fiction in portraying the themes as their works were mainly fictional. With this said, Bolin identified six major elements of fiction, most of which are showed to be used in the two texts (21). As far as The Ingrate is concerned, one finds a perfect use of the elements of setting and plot, which were perfectly interwoven to fit the theme of social injustice. As far as setting is concerned, the writer set in the story in the time before the Civil War and after, when slavery was a major issue in America and in most other parts of the world. This setting helped in highlighting the theme so well so that it became possible for the reader to flow with the emotions with which slaves at the time were denied their basic rights as humans. In terms of plot, the writing was well sequenced in time to carry out the theme in a well elaborated manner. For example, using the plot of the story, it was possible for the reader to understand how the issue being talked about started, how it reached its climax and how it ended. With regards to Tito’s Goodbye, two outstanding elements of fiction that were seen to be used by the writer were character and point of view. Clearly, it was easier for the writer to focus on character as a major element of fiction as there was one central character around who the story was presented. This was more of a case study, whereby the writer could delve very deep into the occupational activities of the protagonist and how things went through for the protagonist throughout the story. This approach to the paper made it possible for the reader to have a clear focus on the theme and follow the story through a single line of presentation. This made the theme very thoughtful for the reader and easy to understand. In terms of point of view, the writer selected a vantage point from which the story was told. Using the third person made it possible to shed much light on the character and the theme as well. Why and how the elements of fiction were used to illustrate the themes Reading through the two stories, it is possible to have a clear understanding as to why the elements that have been pointed to earlier were used. In The Ingrate for example, the element of plot was seen to have been used to break the whole theme into stages. This is because as a social issue, injustice does not take place as an event but as a process. What this means is that social injustice does not happen in a sudden but develops over time. In the same way, the plot was highlighted as a theme in gradually unfolding how injustice against slaves started and how the injustice was carried through till it got to that point when constitutional provisions were made to forbid acts of injustice against slaves. In terms of setting, it can be seen that the writer used setting in such a way that it was possible to base on the historical time selected to reflect on current issues in society that could amount to slavery. In Tito’s Goodbye, the element of character was used to illustrate the theme of occupational injustice and unfairness because it helped in making the issues of the story one-for-all in nature. What this means is that by focusing on a particular theme, it was virtually impossible for any reader to feel that the issues being discussed in the story concerned some people and not others. In effect, the element of character was used to make the story judgmental to the reader. The reason for using point of view can also be related to the very reason for using character. This is because by using the third person, the writer was able to present the story in such a way that the reader was made to be the judge of him or her own self. In effect, even though the story was to be judgmental, the reader did not have to feel that he or she being personally attached. Effectiveness of the themes and elements of fiction in regards to the meaning of the texts Comparing the two stories, it can be said that the elements of fiction highlighted in The Ingrate made it more appropriate for the theme of injustice as compared to the elements of fiction highlighted in Tito’s Goodbye. This is however not to say that in Tito’s Goodbye, the goal of the writer was not achieved. Rather, because in The Ingrate there was an expansion on the theme to be treated as a social or communal issue, it was possible that each person would find a place where they fit in the issue. Unlike Tito’s Goodbye where the attorney alone was at the center of the writing. With the approach used in the latter, it was likely that the reader would be confused to feel that the prime attention of the story’s theme is on attorneys and not on all other people as individual social beings. Conclusion To conclude this paper, it will be reiterated that even though the two writers had different themes and different approaches to writing, they could each succeed in conveying the message they had very clearly to the reader. A major strong point in both works was how the writers paid attention to detail while using very simple and clear language that was easy to understand. In most cases writers have been tempted to use over elaboration in explaining their points, which leads to a situation whereby the real substance of their messages are lost. This was however not the case with these two writers. Having said this, it will be said that Dunbar showed greater command in connecting his message with the audience. This is because not only was the theme a very sensitive one but also one that was written with much emotion that could easily be felt by the reader. Works Cited Bolin, Inge. (2006). Growing Up in a Culture of Respect: Child Rearing in Highland Peru. Austin, Texas: The University of Texas Press. Print. The Ingrate by Paul Laurence Dunbar Tito’s Goodbye by Cristina Garcia Read More