It’s
amazing to me how certain texts can generate profound reactions, inciting my thought
and broadening my outlook. Whilst reading the works of Franz Kafka, Susan
Faludi, Plato, and Walt Whitman, I became particularly introspective due to the
relatability of the concepts and the artistry in which they were written. With
Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, I
was forced to confront the magnitude in which I use my voice, and if my voice
is considered a leading component of my character. Susan Faludi’s Backlash educated me on the struggles
that adult women encounter, motivating me to denounce and reform the current
structure in which women are marginalized. The symbolism behind Plato’s
“Allegory of the Cave” demonstrated the obligation I have to be both free in my
thinking and influential in my liberation. “Song of Myself,” written by Walt
Whitman, contains an abundance of complexities, but, as he elegantly expresses,
I am not alone in understanding the convoluted perplexities the world puts
forth. Not only have these texts forced me to reflect on my identity, but they
have also promoted me to further my advancement in both my attitudes and my judgments.
In
Franz Kafka’s novella The Metamorphosis,
the protagonist, Gregor, wishes to be rid of his mundane job and household
responsibilities. To his surprise and his family’s, he wakes up one morning as
a giant bug. Though his family tries to assist him in his new condition, they
end up finding him to be a burden and want to be free of him. The novella ends
with Gregor’s demise from depression and lack of care. Metamorphosis is grim not
only because of Gregor’s unwelcomed transformation and consequentially his end,
but also due to his immediate exclusion from society as a result of his
noncompliance to societal norms.
Gregor
is unable to speak, therefore suppressing his identity. He is unable to explain
his actions and is therefore chastised for behaving in a manner that renounces norms
because he is unable to justify such actions. Subjectively speaking, I have
never been one to repudiate the status quo; however, I can relate to the
protagonist’s conflict with speech. Unlike Gregor, I have the opportunity to
communicate with others; however, my aversion to speech tends to put me in a
position similar to Gregor’s. Great communicators can oftentimes undermine the
voices of others. With this work, I was forced to ask myself if I am repressing
my own identity by allowing those with more potent voices to assert their
opinions over mine. Kafka also challenged me to observe how much of our
identities come from the nature of speech. Those who may not have the capacity
to sufficiently verbalize their thoughts may find an interest in writing;
however, today we rarely communicate through writing and if we do, it is mostly
through shorthand and Emojis. Although we can attempt to express ourselves
through appearance, like Gregor, we are forever subjugated to the unwarranted
disapprovals that are cast upon us. Through voice, one can learn, engage in
compromise, and speak up for themselves and others. Kafka challenges me to use
the voice I have to construct my own identity.
I
don’t find that our nation’s gender gap is apparently distinct in my everyday
life; however, the media, one of the greatest influences of my generation, is
always prone to highlight gender disparities and even widen the gap for
further self-interest. In Susan Faludi’s Backlash,
she exposes the inequalities women face today, despite the many misconceptions
people have made in believing that women have overcome all of their obstacles.
Faludi concludes the debate by offering several instances in which females are
deemed inferior to men, including government representation, occupational and
domestic positions, our nation’s failure to accommodate for women’s
reproductive rights, and the way we are portrayed in popular culture. Due to
Faludi’s work, my stance on women’s rights expanded, because at my age, many of
the divergences between genders are not necessarily conspicuous in my position.
Through her outlook and research, I am able to better understand the challenges
I might face if adequate progress in the
women’s rights movement is not made.
Faludi
argues that female dilemmas derive from the media, calling it “an endless
feedback loop that perpetuates and exaggerates its own false images of
womanhood.” I find that it has been increasingly difficult to overlook the
prevailing portrayals of women in the media. Through advertisements, women are
repeatedly over-sexualized, and onscreen, in television and movies, they
account only for 12% of the protagonists in 2014 programming. This depiction of
women gives society the impression that women’s voices are less valuable
compared to men’s, and their appearances are the foremost component of their
identities. Women’s voices are also extremely underrepresented in the media. In
2014, women comprised merely 25% of writers, 23% of executive producers, and
20% of show creators (Alter). As expressed by Simone de Beauvoir,
“Representation of the world, like the world itself, is the work of men; they
describe it from their own point of view, which they confuse with absolute
truth” (141). It is difficult to achieve genuine images of womanhood if men are
the ones constructing female ideals. Faludi’s writing settled my position on
women in media: the lack of female involvement in the media’s influential
portrayals of women generates further insignificance for women’s central
identities. In acknowledging this issue that women continually endure, I can
aim to resolve the ongoing imbalances and false depictions, furthering the
advancement of gender equality. My
identity as a woman should not be established by distorted ideals, and other women
should not feel the need to alter themselves in order to match any corrupt
standards.
One
of the concepts created by Plato is the Theory of Forms, which explains that in
our reality there are true “forms” that we cannot necessarily observe with our
five senses, but function as our reference point for everything, from beauty to
goodness. Plato taught that humans are born with an understanding of the real
forms, but as we grow, society alters those forms, obstructing us from being
able to see the truth (“Plato’s Theory of Forms- What Does it Really Mean”). In
the “Allegory of the Cave,” prisoners have been held inside a cave since birth,
and while they are unable to see the world outside of the cave, they do observe
the shadows that the world makes, accepting that to be reality. One prisoner
frees himself from the false world presented to him, and by leaving the cave,
the prisoner is attempting to unearth the true “forms.” The environment the
prisoner discovers represents the World of Forms, and all elements in the world
derive from the sun, which represents goodness. The World of Forms is believed
to be where honest beauty exists. Plato’s work broadens my outlook on what is
deemed beautiful. Society establishes standards of beauty and forces humanity to
perceive them, through advertisements and media, although the ingrained
standards are merely reflections of the true “forms.” Plato teaches that those
who seek the genuine model of beauty will find that it derives from goodness.
As
humans, our knowledge is limited to the civilization that we are born into,
similar to the prisoners enduring the entirety of their lives in a cave. They
perceive the world from solely their position inside the cave, observing
inaccurate depictions and refusing to believe that they are being deceived.
“The Allegory of the Cave” can also be resolved by understanding of what it
means to be open-minded. As described by Alan Watts, “If we are open only to
discoveries which will accord with what we know already, we may as well stay
shut” (103). In order to interpret the world on a broader spectrum, I must
learn to detach myself from what I was taught in order to justly perceive a
world that is unlike the one I have come to know.
The
best way to learn is through experience, according Walt Whitman. In his poem
“Song of Myself,” he is not only commending himself, but also humanity in its
entirety. According to Whitman, we are all connected as he illustrates through
the nature of grass. Grass grows upon the deceased, connecting humanity to
earth and individuals to all of humanity. Just as humans and nature are equal,
Whitman considers body and soul to one as well. Whitman’s emphasis on the
integrality that exists between humans and nature builds by notion that
humanity should fixate on what we know, rather than what we hold to be true, as
in religion. Whitman rejects prioritizing one God over others, because God is
everywhere and we are all one collective world. I am inspired by his rejection
of complete isolation, because regardless of the circumstance, one is never
alone on his or her journey of existence. The difficulties in life are easier
to conquer when an individual recognizes that they are not unaccompanied.
Whitman declares, “And I say to any man or woman, Let your soul stand cool and
composed before a million universes” (79). He is assuring readers that their
identity is great and able to overcome any of the challenges that life
presents.
It’s
a beautiful concept that poetry, stories, and memoirs can forge one’s
individuality. The publication and dissemination of history’s and today’s
influential perspectives persuades the mindsets of several individuals, not
only connecting people to the past, but also connecting people together here
and now. People might not always think the same way as me either because their
identities have been more or less developed, or because their identities have
been established in a completely dissimilar system; however, this difference in
identities is one of the grand advantages that humanity tends to overlook.
Those who possess identities that have been forged by numerous experiences can
influence and inspire those who have not or may never be able to undergo those
experiences. The works that I read have guided my growth as an individual, and
my interactions with others encourages me to continue to expand my own
perspective.
Alter, Charlotte 5 June 2015 . Web. 7 Dec. 2015 .
<http://time.com/3908138/women-in-media-sad-truths-report/>.
De Beauvoir, Simone. The Second Sex. N.p.: n.p., 1989. Print.
Faludi, Susan. "Blame It
on Feminism." Introduction. Backlash:
The Undeclared War against American Women. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Print.
Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis. N.p.: n.p., 2009.
Print.
Plato. "Book VII ." The Republic. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Print.
"Plato's Theory of
Forms- What Does It Really Mean?" Philosophyzer.
N.p., 8 Oct. 2012 . Web. 7 Dec. 2015 . <http://www.philosophyzer.com/platos-theory-of-forms/>.
Shmoop Editorial Team.
"The Metamorphosis Summary." Shmoop.
N.p., 11 Nov. 2008 . Web. 7 Dec. 2015 . <http://www.shmoop.com/metamorphosis/summary.html>.
TED- Ed. Plato’s Allegory of the Cave - Alex Gendler. Youtube. N.p., 17 Mar. 2015 . Web. 7 Dec. 2015 . <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RWOpQXTltA>.
Vlach, Michael. "Plato's
Theory of Forms." Theological
Studies. N.p., 2012. Web. 7 Dec. 2015 .
<http://www.theologicalstudies.org/resource-library/philosophy-dictionary/158-platos-theory-of-forms>.
Watts, Alan. The Wisdom of Insecurity: A Message for an
Age of Anxiety. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.
Whitman, Walt. "Song of
Myself." Leaves of Grass. N.p.:
n.p., n.d. N. pag. Print.
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