Rationale for Rape as a weapon of war - Essay Example

Rationale for Rape as a weapon of warThis piece of work is an essay discussing how rape is used as a weapon of war, as well as the long-term effects and consequences of rape on women. In my English A2 Higher course we studied the statistics of rape used as a weapon of war in several African nations and the consequences thereof, along with several other literary works on this topic. In this essay I began with a short introduction of the topic, outlining its significance on a global level; then I attempted to raise the awareness of this subject matter by linking it up with another book we studied, ‘Women in Berlin’.

I used this book as it is one of the only autobiographies discussing the serious consequences of rape in Europe. Moreover, I thought it would cause people to be more interested in the topic, if they see that rape in war has occurred in the developed parts of the world in recent years as well. For example, in the essay I used several quotes from the author to describe first hand accounts of the victims, both herself and others like her: “I was miserable, sore, barely dragging my self around”.

‘Rape as a weapon of war’ is a serious phenomenon, which is occurring in many countries worldwide, though mostly in African nations. Fortunately the people in U.S.A and most European countries have not experienced this because they have not been invaded in recent years. As a result, the majority of the people there does not have as much awareness and feel attached to this global issue. I hope by relating this issue to the ‘Women in Berlin’ people would become more aware of this issue and be more dedicated to help the victims.

Rationale for AutobiographyThis piece of work is an autobiography on how I managed to overcome a problem. As a part of our IB A2 English course, we studied several literary works, including an autobiographical social critique. In “Down and Out in Paris and London”, the protagonist finds himself in various difficult situations, which he manages to survive. During the process he learns about himself and the people around him who have survived through worse situations. In the book, “Women in Berlin”, I learned how a vulnerable woman managed to protect herself and survive through the Soviet dominated era in East Berlin.

The anonymous author faced all her misfortunes and difficulties in a thoughtful, calm and intelligent way. She wrote down all her experiences and used writing as a method of therapy. In this way she motivated herself and kept going. After studying these books, I was inspired to write about one of my own personal experiences where I overcame difficulties that faced me. My objective was to show the importance of self-recognition and the value of true diplomacy. To do this I demonstrated how I was able to overcome a difficulty with an attitude similar to that of the anonymous author of “Women in Berlin”; I prevailed over it in a thoughtful, logical and calm way.

For example during a MUN debate on China, instead of getting involved in irrational shouting matches, I carefully listed the statistics that corresponded to the Millennium Development Goals and used quantifiable progress made in the Tibetan region of China within the past 60 years as proof for my side. I understood and respected all perspectives whilst offering historical and geographical facts. In the end I won the respect of the other team. After writing this autobiography I discovered another significant aspect of writing: it allows us to relieve stress and express our emotions effectively.

This afterthought, in a way, reconfirms the anonymous author’s motive behind writing her autobiography, using writing as a method of therapy. Sometimes when writing about my own experiences I feel I am looking at myself in a mirror; writing about myself offers me the opportunity to reevaluate myself and learn from my experiences. Autobiographical writing helps in relieving stress and letting out emotions, along with providing a window into ourselves, giving us room for self-improvement.