Tensions between Tradition and Modernity - Essay Example

Name : xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Title : Tensions between Tradition and Modernity Tutor : xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Date : xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Institution : xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx @ 2010 Tensions between Tradition and Modernity The two texts that I have chosen to discuss are Brave new world and portrait of a woman and I have approached the tensions existing between tradition and modernity in relation to the representative characters in both the novel and the movie (Colin 2006).Both Brave New world and the Portrait of a woman try to bring out the idea of different aspects of civilization in the world. The movie and the novel sum all the differences that can be traced between traditional and modern life happenings and this means that the authors aimed at drawing a line between tradition and modernity. After reading the novel and watching the movie, one should be in a better position to talk about the merits and demerits of civilization or modernization. One can approach these differences by closely examining the roles played by the characters in the novel Brave New world, the nations that have been mentioned in the novel, the social spaces that have been mentioned, practices of literature and other movements that have been concerned with or any other category that one can easily relate with (Colin 2006). The tensions that lay beneath tradition and modernity all surround civilization thus it is important to look at civilization and the possible impacts that it has made on the lives of human beings in the modern society (Colin 2006). The term civilization can be used to explain broader changes that have taken place in the modern world while being put into comparison with traditional times and in most cases it mainly focuses on the cultural changes in academics and some of its popular circles. Each and every human being have a role to play when it comes to civilization because it mainly surrounds the arts, beliefs, customs and other values and behaviors being constituted by the way groups of different people or community in the lead their lives. According to Brave New World, there are very many cultural differences that can be drawn between the roles played between characters to another. Civilization is a complex term that does not only focus on one issue but several issues. Civilization is composed of high levels of social and organizational complexity and this means that people initiate themselves with cultural and economic activities that are diversified. This term can also be used to define a notion that is normative and can be used to refer to cultural superiority existing in certain groups of people in the society (Katherine 2004).The normative notion that is supported by civilization in most cases becomes rooted to thoughts that claim that environments that are urbanized must always be in a position to offer higher standards of living that has both mental and nutritional benefits. The world has moved to greater heights after 1945 and this is due to improved level of technology, cultural diversity and improved economic activities. The term civilization was not mainly used until when the United Nations decided to use it after the cold war. In the civilized world, many issues have been conflicted and an example of this is the way that religions and atheism have been conflicting with each other in the modernized world. In the civilized world, many issues have been pointed out and most importantly, there have been battle lines that have been formed around understandings of the human rights that are unsuited (Katherine 2004). Civilization in the twentieth century threatened to clash through some predictions due to the fact that civilization brought a very different perspective of how things are supposed to be done and in this case it brought some friction and frenzy that the environmentalism should have founded. Finally, world civilization has made a very gross impact in the lives of many people since it has let the world to move to higher heights in economic, social and cultural lives. Tradition and modernity continues to be disputed in both Brave new World and the portrait of a woman because there are issues that need to be regulated. Civilization is one of the issues that are highly discussed in Brave New World because children are discussed according to alphas and betas in everything that they do Lessons that are being derived in this novel tend to navigate around facts related to differences existing between tradition and modernity (Katherine 2004). The manner in which people carry themselves around in the modern world has really changed as compared to traditional times. Behaviors of people have changed drastically from parents to children and hence the society has turned out to be very corrupted. Children in the traditional days were very obedient to their parents as compared to children in the modern world. Life has really changed in the modern world and this is due to embracing of the modern civilization (Colin 2006). Women in the tradition days used to respect their husbands and being faithfulness was one of the things that they respected a lot and adhered to it. Characters in Brave new world have portrayed the changes that have existed between life in the traditional days and in the modern world because the way they behave brings it out clearly. The modern world has had so many changes that it has embraced innovators named in the Brave New World like Henry Ford. Such innovators have changed the world and made it turn into a fictional society because they are worshipped like gods (Colin 2006). Tradition and Modernity as portrayed by Characters in Brave New World Characters that are found in Brave new World portray tradition and modernity in very many different ways because they come from different communities and they have different experiences in life. Most of the characters tend to be coming from society state society thus they can be compared to those who came outside world state society such as John who was the son of Linda and director. He is one of the only major characters who seem to have come out of the world state society and he finds it very hard to fit there because people there tend to behave in a different way as compared to where he comes from. John has found himself in a situation that he perceives the world in an entirely different world because his perception is that of the Shakespeare plays “John constantly quotes Shakespeare and talks about his feelings” that his knowledge is based on unlike the other characters that just come from World state society (Colin 2006). The character of John clearly portrays the behavior of people in the traditional world and how they perceive things. Bernard Max on the other hand does not fin it easy to fit in world state society because he has a totally different belief towards sexual relationships, community events and sport among other things that make him feel uncomfortable in world state. People in world state society have a very different approach towards sexual behaviors and other events in the community because they approach it in a more decent manner which may seem to be unorthodox for people from other states. People in the nineteenth century approached issues to do with sexual relationships very carefully because they believed that it should be approached with dignity but modernity does not adhere to that much (Colin 2006). People in the tradition days approached some of the issues with a lot of criticism while characters that come from world state society approach it with no philosophical approach. They approach such issues with a systematic approach while people in the tradition world approach it with a lot of complaints. It is evident to state that Bernard portrays tradition in the manner in which he approaches because of the way he complains over almost everything. Helmholtz Watson is also a character in Brave New World that tends to have similar beliefs with Bernard although he is a lecturer but he finds the work that he does to be meaningless. Being old and living in the modern world is a factor that can hinder the rate of civilization because most of the old people in the society were raised in the tradition days (Katherine 2004). They seem to find mistakes in everything that is being done in the modern world because things have really changed as compare to their times. Although Bernard seemed to be approaching issues in world state with a lot of complaints, Helmholtz approaches issues in a more intellectual way which can be very effective in the society. If characters such as Bernard and Helmholtz in world state approached issues in an intellectual perspective then it could be beneficial to the society because other characters could be learning from them. Even in our modern society there are old people that approach issues in an intellectual perspective and this means that they can be able to help the society improve and also learn from them and their experiences in life. Lenina Crowne is another character in the novel that attracts the attention of the reader because she ensures that everything that she does cannot be hindered by her culture in any possible way. She portrays modernity because the manner in which she relates emotionally with men has nothing to do with her culture (Katherine 2004). Her relationships are sexually based and she has nothing to fear about that because she lives in her independent world. Civilization embraces people with the character of Lenina because it deals with independent people. Sex is one of the things that people feared discussing and indulging in the tradition days but Lenina does not adhere to that because she is not proud of her culture which is more based of traditional beliefs on sex. People in the modern world should be made to approach civilization in the manner in which Lenina does it because through doing that one is able to learn from personal experience and not somebody else’s mistakes. Mustapha Mond whose main activity was making scientific discoveries that are not allowed during his time and anyone who attempted doing that was exiled. His character also portrays an independent person of modernity who does not consider the criticism of other people in his work thus he does whatever he likes (John 1994). Henry Foster as a character portrays modernity in the roles that he plays. He happens to be one of the lovers that Lenina had and his behaviors of admiring the body of Lenina leaves Bernard jealous because he also loves her. People in the tradition days never appreciated public affection because they believed it to be wrong thus Henry does that because he is also independent and has embraced civilization and modernity (John 1994).The behavior of women who have embraced modernity cannot be compared to those in tradition times because they act according to what they want to do. Fanny Crowne is an example of a woman who has adhered to modernity because she behaves in a conventional way through persuading her friend Lenina to have as many men as possible so as not to concentrate too much on one man. Linda also portrays a character of a person in the traditional days because she becomes impregnated but since she has been taken to India the social space does not allow her to do an abortion of the director’s son’s baby (John 1994).World state society allows people who are promiscuous to live there but when Linda found herself in India that is when she started missing her society that is civilized. There are behaviors that are not welcomed in World state such as having obscene acts like the one the director had even though he was a threatening figure. Tradition and Modernity as portrayed by Characters in Portraits of a lady Tradition and modernity is portrayed by characters in the movie portrait of a lady in the sense that the adaptation of a modern woman in relation to independence and love. The characters portray what happens when a woman is given freedom to what she wants to and this is what makes the movie more interesting. She is portrayed as someone who should not be given liberty and made to try and possess it “liberty too must be limited in order to be possessed” and that’s why most people approach issues such as the roles of a woman in a way that is out dated. Most people believe that a woman should play the same roles that a woman in the 1950’s used to play (Lauren 2009). All these things have changed because the modern woman is able to do anything that she wants to because she even plays roles that are believed to be men’s. Modernity does not allow a woman to be treated as less important in the society as compared to the tradition days when they were considered to be the weak sex. Modernity ensures that both men and women are treated equally in the society. Conclusion Nicole Kidman plays her role effectively in a way that the viewer becomes more interested to watching the movie for a longer time without being bored. Even though the society has always believed that a woman should be someone of a weaker nature, modernity implies that this motion should not be adhered to (Lauren 2009). The movie has abusive themes that the viewers might not be comfortable with but this is also an indication that people should not be so much concerned with tradition days when abusive words were considered to be sacrilege. The portrait of a lady is a movie that can teach people many things concerning the life of a woman as it was both in the tradition days and in the modern days. Love is one the things that keep women glued to tradition and culture but the movie proves that women should approach issues to do with love in a modern way where they become independent and still remain in love. Finally, both Brave New World and the portrait of a woman have portrayed how tradition and modernity should be approached when dealing with important issues in life. Reference Colin M (2006); Tran cultural Aesthetics and Campion\'s: Portrait of a Lady, Experience in the novels of Henry James. Katherine C, (2004). Portrait of a woman: the inaccurate portrayal of women in the original Nation of Islam New York. Robert H. (1968), The Changing World of Anthony Trollope; University of California Press. Cosmopolitanism in the Mid-Victorian Global Imaginary,” PMLA 124.2 John K (1994), The Power of Lies: Transgression in Victorian Fiction Introduction and chapter 1. Cornell UP Lauren M (2009). Goodlad, “Trollopian ‘Foreign Policy’: Rootedness and Read More