Conflict in the Use of Force, Culture Representations of Native Americans - Assignment Example

English Exam 14 December Short Questions and Answers. Q list three reasons why the doctor says he must open the girl’s mouth? A. Since the beginning to the end the doctor is observed to be feeling various emotions for the little child’s health. He is observed to have transformed from an uninvolved doctor to a concerned and fearful physician to a furious man who is bent on getting his way. As the story commences his general inquiry about the child’s health and any symptoms of fever and sore throat indicate that he just inquires about these things because it is a mandatory process. However during all the questioning and answering the doctor had developed a genuine affection for the little girl as he also states in the text, ‘…I had already fallen in love with the savage brat…’ hence out of concern and his liking of the child it leads him to become more adamant on finding the illness the child suffered. As the story proceeds another emotion that is observed to be influencing the doctor’s actions is his fear that she might be suffering from diphtheria and he did not want this child to suffer like his other two patients who were also little kids and in great agony because of their critical condition. However once the child breaks the wooden mouth culture to pieces with her teeth the doctor’s actions are a blur driven by great fury and anger over child’s stubbornness as he says in the story, ‘I could have torn the child apart in my own fury and enjoyed it.’ This statement further reiterates the doctor’s emotions at this point in the story. Hence it is observed that the doctor was influenced by his emotions and concern for the girl’s health that led him to behave in the manner in which he did. Q.2. Describe the main conflict in ‘The Use of Force’? A. It is observed that the basic conflict in the story is an amalgamation of various reasons that includes the battle of wills between the doctor and the child, his personal sense of responsibility towards his patients in general and the boundless love of the parents for their and the futility of their actions. It is human psyche that when there are two strong willed people the one with a higher rate of stubbornness gets his way as observed in the case of the doctor and the girl. The girl’s stubbornness is apparent to the readers from her continuous act of sheer rebellion as she keeps her mouth shut without paying any heed to her parents’ and the doctor’s request. Moreover when she breaks the mouth culture as stated in the story, ‘…gripping the wooden blade between her molars she reduced it to splinters…’ this shows her intent of not cooperating. While on the other hand the doctor’s action bespeak of his intentions that nothing would be able to stop him from deciphering the child’s condition regardless of the girl’s cooperation and behavior. Hence this tug of war between the doctor and the child leads to the majority of the actions that are committed by the all characters. As the doctor had also reached a point where he could no longer bear the child’s act of rebellion as it is mentioned in the text, ‘It was a pleasure to attack her. My face was burning with it.’ This further illustrates the battle of wills that was going on between the two characters. On the other hand the readers observe that the doctor was also suffering from a personal conflict as well that was governing his actions through out the story. His basic conflict was that he did not want to hurt the child and yet be able to decipher her illness. Although he tried his best to retain his calm however he failed as he is observed to be having a variety of play of emotions through out the story from calm and professionalism to fury and anxiety. When the doctor says, ‘Will you open it now by yourself or shall we have to open it for you’ this comment is the turning point for the doctor where his calm professionalism transforms in to a man with a single intent of getting his way as after this point he is observed to have given full reign to his actions driven by various emotions. Parents are such creatures of God that epitomize love and caring and one of their major weakness is that they can never bear the sight of their child’s pain as it also stands true in the case of this particular child’s parents as well. However their feelings for the girl and their being unable to help the doctor in examining the girl act as a hindrance in the doctor’s way. As observed at several points in the story, ‘The father tried his best, and he was a big man but the fact that she was his daughter, his shame at her behavior and his dread of hurting her made him release her just at the critical times when I had almost achieved success, till I wanted to kill him’ also, ‘Do you think she can stand it, doctor! said the mother. You get out, said the husband to his wife. Do you want her to die of diphtheria?’ the dilemma of the parents i.e. their unquestionable love and concern for the child and the futility of their actions adds a new dimension of intrigue and interest for the readers. Hence it is observed that there are various reasons that lead to the formation of the main conflict of the story that is the treatment of the child. This conflict covers every aspect of the story that includes the battle of wills, doctor’s professionalism and the parents concern for their child. Q.3. Discuss how popular culture representations of Native Americans influence the main character’s relationship? A. It is a cliché that human beings are a product of their surroundings and society plays an integral part in making an individual’s identity and this reality stands true for the protagonist of this story as well. It is observed that every action and relationship that the protagonist shares with the people surrounding him in Seattle as well in Spokane is greatly influenced by his Indian background. The author provides the readers with a variety of aspects of human psychology and reactions because he wants them to realize that it is not necessary that the manner in which the society projects people is always true. Sherman Alexie uses this character to mock the preconceived norms of the society as well as an Indian’s understanding of self because the Indians as well do nothing to change their image as observed in the story that when the shopkeeper at 7-11 is scared of his customer the protagonist does nothing to change his opinion in the beginning. As it is mentioned in the story, ‘it was a sick twist to pull on the guy, but it was late and I was bored.’ This comment is with the reference to the clerk’s fear in the story concerning his safety when the protagonist goes in to the store to buy a Creamsicle. So it is observed that the protagonist does nothing to appease the clerk’s fears but takes a shot at pulling his leg. Now such actions can be interpreted in two ways. One can be that he wants to instigate that fear in the clerk although this seems to be a farce because the protagonist is not the harming type and the second can be that since he has accepted the society’s discrimination it has become a second nature to him to reiterate his impression even if just for fun because it is the same impression he has of himself i.e. of being a criminal or a barbarian. This further supports the cliché of appearance and reality i.e. it is not necessary that the things that appear to be true on the surface are actually true. Alexie wants to illustrate this point that appearances can be deceptive as observed from the friendly interaction between the clerk and the protagonist once the clerk realizes that the later is just cracking a joke. As the clerk confesses his fear in the end where he says, ‘you were scaring me’ and the protagonist replies in a friendly manner, ‘… I’m going to get crazy if you don’t know the words.’ The definition of self for the protagonist is very evident when he comments about the policeman’s actions, ‘I wanted to tell him I didn’t really fit the profile of the country…’ this statement makes it clear that the definition of self identity for the protagonist is that of an intruder rather than a citizen of a country where he was born and bred hence providing the readers a justification of his actions. At another point in the story it is mentioned, ‘ he looked me over… one of my old girlfriends said that I had started to look at her that way…when one person starts to look at another like a criminal, then the love is over.’ This comment is very apt in further explaining not only the protagonist’s romantic relation with his girlfriend but also the platonic relationship of strangers with the clerk and the policeman meaning that it is a matter of trust. If trust is lacking in any relationship the two individuals can never co-exist as it is also apparent from the status of a Native American in the society. It is stated in the text, ‘at three in the morning I could act just as young as I wanted to…’ this can be interpreted as the lack of freedom that is there for the Native Americans in their own country as their every action is noted and they are answerable for their every action as the policeman also states, ‘you don’t fit the profile of the neighborhood.’ Then again the personal interpretation of self for the Indians is that they cannot exist else where other than with their people as the text also mentions, ‘…an Indian can reside in the city but cannot live there.’ So this further elaborates on their definition of self. Hence it is observed that neither the society norms nor the self definition of Native Americans can be particularly blamed for their circumstances. It is a mixture of various believes and circumstances that have made the natives the way they are now. However this discrimination will always reflect in every relationship they share with their fellow human beings. Q.4. Discuss how Don DeLillo’s short story ‘videotape’ explores McLuhan’s that “the medium is the message”? A. In the light of McLuhan’s theory of medium the short story ‘videotape’ can be interpreted to be having two types of mediums. Namely a literal medium that is the depiction of the action taking place in a video in written expression and a figurative medium that is the video itself although both the types are interlinked as they talk about the same thing. The medium of writing that Don DeLillo uses in his short story holds a lot of importance because the manner in which he depicts the short story is actually the relaying of the whole action of the video. The technique of repetition of the same ideas that he uses in the text such as the constant oscillation of the forward action of the story and the mentioning of the fact that ‘you know how kids are with camera’s’ or ‘you know about families and their videos’ this kind of uncertainty or the technique of involving the readers in the action of the story also highlights the importance of the medium. Then again this oscillation of relaying already stated facts further helps the readers in imagining the action of the videotape as if rather than reading the account of the action they are actually watching the video. Another reason that this story is very apt in reflecting the coherence of McLuhan’s point of view is that although the reader is definitely interested in the action taking place in the story however if its depiction would not be creative and interesting then the efforts of the writer are futile. Since the use of medium of writing in the story is reflective of various psychological aspects such as fear, terror, curiosity, compassion and sympathy all these flavors of various emotions can be projected in a better way through the medium of writing. Another reason that McLuhan’s concept that ‘medium is message’ relates to this story is because although the action of murder is taking place yet the readers are more interested in judging the reactions of the little girl, the spectators i.e. the husband and jenny. This situation is similar to the one presented by McLuhan’s in his explanation about the effect of a news report about a murder. The social implication of the medium of writing used to depict a murder scene can be interpreted as a warning to human beings about the brutalities of the world and the role of technology in unveiling the secrets of the bitter realities of life. Q.5. Why do you think this “telephone” process appealed to Ha Jin as a plot device? While answering this question consider his personal history. A. Ha Jin’s use of the concept of telephonic transmission game can be interpreted in terms that it depicts his idea and perception of revolutionary movements meaning that it starts from a rumor or a false word and as people start getting involved in the rumor it turns into a disaster or a revolution leading to new changes. A similar kind of circumstances are also observed in the story ‘Bad Joke’ itself as observed that an innocent comment shared between two friends led to unexpected circumstances and ultimately caused the two peasants to lose their families and spend their lives in the prison. Another interpretation of introducing this idea in the short story can be that he wants the readers to realize that most of the political movements of rebellion result in victimizing innocent people who have no interest in politics itself as the taller peasant also asks in the story, ‘who is Deng Xiaoping? I never met him.’ This comment is not only a proof against their innocence but also depicts the lack of interest of the common man in politics. Moreover since Jin himself is an exiled writer who is living in America and has been one of the victims of Chinese Cultural Revolution there is a similarity between both the author and the two protagonists of the story i.e. the two peasants since both have been subjected to consequences which they did not deserve. Also the use of the concept of a telephone can also be symbolic of his yearning for his homeland as his circumstances do not allow him to go back to his country. It also represents the distance or gap of communication that leads to misunderstandings and all the consequent circumstances misunderstandings curtail on a broad level in general as well as in relation with the effects of revolutionary movements. Through his short story Jin is mocking the government system that has the tendency of miscommunication and hence has the power of destroying an individual’s future as also observed towards the end of the story that the interrogator/policeman also says, ‘…he couldn’t pass a definite sentence on the jokers, because the length of their imprisonment would depend on how long the provincial administration was interested in this case.’ Sensationalizing the events is another aspect of the system Jin is mocking as also apparent from this comment because it is just a matter of interest of the officials that is the deciding factor of the extension of a trial. It solely depends on the officials to drag the case or wrap it which is also very unfair to the general public. Read More