The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas: Analysis

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas: Analysis Thesis: When boundaries like social, cultural physical and separations constrained Bruno’s life, it never prevented him from forming a forbidden friendship Sana Ibrahim -3202 John Boyne is an Irish novelist born in Dublin. He wrote 70 short stories and many novels focused on adults and young readers. The Boy in Striped Pyjamas is a novel focused on a younger audience. Several film adaptations were done to this film and in 2006 film adaptation was an award-winning Miramax. Furthermore, the novel won 2 Irish awards and received positive reviews by many papers. For instance The Guardian reviewed as, â€Å"A small wonder of a book†¦this is what fiction is supposed to do† (Boyne, 2010-2014). The Boy in Striped Pyjamas is a fable which captures a hint of the holocaust but still has a great impact on our emotions. This is a story written from a 9 year old boy’s perspective, who lived during World War II. In this story the 9 year old Bruno along with his family moved from Berlin to Poland due to his father’s job promotion. His father was a Nazi officer who was recently appointed to the commander by the Fuhry. As a result they were sent to an isolated area near the â€Å"Out With† concentration camp. (In reality it is Auschwitz Concentration camp in Poland). In this story Bruno felt the loneliness of the place very much. This is because they were home schooled and he had no friends to play with unlike in Berlin. Bruno being a curious and adventurous explorer started to explore the house he lived paying no heed to boundaries. One day he sneaked from the back door and ran through the forest and ended finding a boy near a fence. He met the Jew boy Shmuel fo r the first time. They shared same birthday and age. Bruno sneaked every day to meet his friend near the fence as their budding relation prospered. One fateful day Bruno being a loyal friend to Shmuel decided to help find his dad trapped in the concentration camp. So he disguised in the striped pajama and crawled down the fence. Unfortunately, they ran into a death marching group leading to a gas chamber. They were naà ¯ve about what was about to happen as they walked into their death. It was their ill-fate that they were among the Jews who became the victims of the incinerators (Boyne, 2006). Despite the fact that Bruno was taught to hate the Jews as mortal enemies and his parents’ constant warnings, he proceeded with his virtues. When boundaries like social, cultural, and physical separations constrained the 9 year old boys’ life, it never prevented him from forming a forbidden friendship. Bruno’s family was portrayed as a rich family in Berlin as well as at Auschwitz. In Berlin they had a 5 story building in a position that entire city can be seen. Bruno says this in the story as he could see right across Berlin if he stood in his tiptoes as he held onto the window frame tightly. When they shifted to Poland they had a three story house with a rich life. There were servants attending to every need. However, in Bruno’s room through the only small window, he sees a farm like place from a distant. The area doesn’t look as lively as he thought it would be. His first impression was, â€Å"I don’t think other children look at all friendly,† (Boyne.p.18) even though his mother taught him not to prejudice others. Furthermore, Bruno is brought up in a place where he couldn’t interrupt his mother in any case. While they were about to leave the Berlin house, when the servant Maria interrupts, Bruno immediately recalls the rule of not inte rrupting his mother. Likewise, he cannot disturb his father unnecessarily. His father pays importance in maintaining disciple and the kids are forbidden to question their parents’ authority in decisions (Boyne, 2006). Judaism is considered as a religion by most scholars but the Germans describe Judaism as ethnicity (Hollingshead.p.4). During the holocaust due to this the two different groups were separated while the Jews behind a barbed fence deprived them from their lives. The Boy in Striped Pajamas reckons vast discrimination of Jews and Germans. For instance when Bruno and his family were travelling to Auschwitz they travelled by a train in which there were plenty of spaces for people to sit. On the one, Jews were tightly packed into the trains with undesirable conditions for a human being to breathe or live. â€Å"†¦transport arrived in Auschwitz on September 5, 1944 with 1,019 Jews on board. Men and women were separated† (United States of Holocaust Memorial, 2013). Jews were treated badly because they belonged to a certain ethnic group even though both groups were headed to same destination. During the time when Shmuel described how they came to the camp Bruno found it hard to bel ieve this since there was nothing like that in the trains they travelled. Moreover, having seen the documentary which shows the conditions and how the people were treated greatly influenced his little mind to believe things with in the camp were good (Boyne, 2006). As the two kids came to know each other more they ultimately believed each other more than the parents. This is the main reason why Bruno in the end with natural reluctance, joined his friend in the concentration camp. While the Nazis separated the two groups of people, they however failed to recognize their own type. This proves that what they actually hate is the religion not the people. While the Jews survived in misery, Germans had the choice to live. In this story Bruno was given all the freedom he wants within the household and beyond that he is deprived from this. For example the back door physically separated him from the surrounding. As he was not allowed to cross the door and the boredom pushed him to explore beyond it. Just like his tutor Herr Liszt encouraged in exploring, Bruno went pass the back door into the forest to discover new and interesting things just like the great explorers Christopher Columbus and Amerigo Vespucci (Boyne.p.56). On his first venture he found the boy sitting near the fence and their small talks resulted to build the trust in which each promised to be friends for life (Boyne, 2006). During World War II Jews and Christians were separated by the Germans providing bad conditions within the concentration camps. The Nazi officers removed their clothing and forced them to wear one â€Å"striped pajama† as in the story. In this story Bruno asks Shmuel why do they always wear pajamas and he responds that is the only type of clothing they get to wear unlike Bruno who wears different clothing every day. The Jews barely get to eat and almost every day when Bruno meets Shmuel he is hungry and longing for food. When Shmuel was brought to commanders house to clean the wine glasses Bruno offered Shmuel the fancy foods they eat which ended poor Jew being beaten by the officer (Boyne, 2006). During this time children were subjected to child labor and many were killed just as they arrived the camp. This is because the Officers believed that they are â€Å"useless eaters† (United States Holocaust Memorial, 2013), and immediately killed them in gas chambers.† On ly 6 to 11% of Europes prewar Jewish population of children survived† (United States Holocaust Memorial, 2013). Shmuel, Paul (who comes to peel vegetable) and other Jews in the camp are always sad, whereas the Germans are happy despite their brutality to humans. Bruno however worries and questions Shmuel about these although some answers are hard to believe because of the good conditions they have been subjected to in their lives. â€Å"Holocaust was an event of such consequence and philosophical significance it seems to transcend the boundaries of time† (Hollingshead, p.1).Through the eyes of Bruno the people inside the fence makes him sad. Although his sisters comment that they look â€Å"filthy† he rather says, â€Å"but maybe they don’t have any baths† than agreeing to the fact that they look dirty (Boyne, 2006). In a life where everything of Bruno is controlled by someone to a certain extent he manages to question certain behaviors and things even though he is not allowed to act differently in any circumstances. Bruno is a free spirit and at such a young age he considers his own thoughts over others. He finds his own ways to overcome the boredom at his new house. One day he makes a swing for him although he gets hurt at the end. He formed a strong bond with the dirty Jew boy he said at the beginning making him believe what is important in life is to accept people for who they are. References Boyne, J. (2010-2014) The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas http://www.johnboyne.com/fiction/younger-readers/the-boy-in-the-striped-pyjamas/ Boyne, J. (2006) The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas http://www.anderson5.net/cms/lib02/SC01001931/Centricity/Domain/222/The%20Boy%20in%20the%20Striped%20Pajamas.pdf Hollingshead, A. (2005-2006) G-d was not in Auschwitz http://www.gwu.edu/~uwp/fyw/euonymous/2005-2006/06-hollingsheadfinal.pdf United States Holocaust Memorial. (2013, 6) Plight of Jewish Children http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10006124 United States Holocaust Memorial. (2013, 6) Children during the holocaust http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005142 Word count 1526

The Abortion Arguments of Cider House Rules Essay -- Movie Cider House

The Abortion Arguments of Cider House Rules I am writing this essay on a Saturday evening, not with any real contemplation, or even planning. I am writing this because I was just minutes ago watching the movie Cider House Rules. I won't go into the plot of the movie, but, to explain my motivation for writing this, I will simply describe one portion of the movie. The scene at issue in my mind right now is one where a fourteen-year-old girl comes to the orphanage which is the setting for part of the movie. This girl came to the orphanage because it was known in the region as a place that performed abortions. She had had a crude abortion performed in such a way that she had been severely injured (her uterus was punctured by a crochet hook, and, not being a sterile instrument, this caused an infection of the uterine lining, eventually killing her). The resident doctor is disgusted by this, and uses the girl's injury as an example explaining why he performs abortions. The doctor's argument is fairly simple. If the girl had come to him, rather than the ignorant abortionist she chose, she would likely have survived. In addition, he claims that potential parents have a right to choose to be parents or to not be parents. The doctor, a seeming proponent of utilitarianism, says that this demonstrates a duty to perform abortions. The young man to which the doctor is speaking, Homer, has been in essence an apprentice under the doctor, but has refused to perform abortions. His reasoning is this: those individuals seeking an abortion should have been responsible enough to have not conceived an unwanted child. Their lack of sexual responsibility should not be an excuse to take human life. Homer, while not legally a doctor (having... ...e that die do so in the commission of a wrongful act, and because of this are to be blamed for their own demise. Perhaps this sounds cold and uncaring to you. My intent is not to make some kind of case for the despising of young pregnant women who seek abortions. I feel a real sense a pity for them, but I cannot circumvent what I believe to be a solid refutation of one of the major arguments for abortion legalization. This essay, remember is not meant to be a complete argument against abortion, but rather attempts only to address the argument used in Cider House Rules. There are many other areas of discussion which can have a great effect on the ethics of abortion. The point at which a fetus becomes a person with rights is one such area. The question of whether or not a mother is obligated to carry to term a child who is in fact a full-fledged human is another.

Cultural Differences

Cultural Differences COM/360 November 12, 2012 The movie Crash (2004) is about a handful of disparate people’s lives intertwined as they deal with the tense race relations that belie life in the city of Los Angelos over a thirty-six hour period.All the players involved in the movie are: a Caucasian district attorney, his Caucasian wife who believes her stereotypical views are justified, therefore they’re not racist; two black carjackers that use their race to their advantage; two Caucasian police officers, one who is racist and abuses his authority to non-whites, and the other who hates his partner for his racist views; a black film director and his black wife, who feels her husband does not support their own culture enough especially with the wife being violated by the racist cop; the two detectives and sometimes lovers, one Hispanic female and a black male; an East Asian man who gets hit by a car, but is hiding valuable cargo in his van; a Persian store owner who feel s he is not getting enough satisfaction or respect from American society when his store is continuously robbed; and a Hispanic locksmith who is just trying to keep his family safe out of harm’s way (Imbd, 2012). Each person’s story interlocks in some way as they all crash into one another through a series of racist endeavors and stereotypical judgments. Hall argues that every human being is faced with so many perceptual stimuli—sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and bodily sensations—that it is impossible to pay attention to them all.Therefore, one of the functions of culture is to provide a screen between the person and all of those stimuli to indicate what perceptions to notice and how to interpret them (Lustig & Koester, pg. 109, 2012). Hall splits cultures into high/low context and describes how high context cultures use high-context messages where the meaning is implied by physical setting or presumed to be part of the individual’s beliefs, value s, norms, and social practices; very little is in the coded message. These cultures include; Japanese, African American, Mexican, and Latino. The low-context cultures prefer to use low-context messages, where the majority of the information is vested in the explicit code. These cultures include German, Swedish, European American, and English (Lustig & Koester, pg. 109, 2012).An example of high-context communication; is when the two black carjackers interpret the same meaning and gestures in all their actions. Their actions do not need to be discussed explicitly because they both act the same and carry the shared understanding based on their relationship. An example of the low-context communication is when the Hispanic locksmith goes into the Caucasian attorney’s house to fix the locks and deals with the wife. She harasses him on how she needs every statement to be precise and all his actions to be accounted for. She is looking for his every move to be overt and very explicit because she immediately judges his performance and morale on his race.Hofstede’s five dimensions were identified in his early research when he came to find which dominant patterns of a culture can be ordered, these are; power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism versus collectivism, masculinity versus femininity, and long- term versus short-term orientation to time. His findings have provided an excellent synthesis of the relationships between cultural values and social behaviors, which are identifiable throughout this movie. Power distance is one dimension believed to be most present throughout the movie Crash. One basic concern to all cultures is the issue of human inequality and knowing that all people in a culture do not have equal levels of status or social power. A persons power and social status depends more upon their culture and things such as; wealth, age, gender, education, physical strength, etc.As Hofstede’s research expresses; â€Å"cultures al so differ in the extent to which they view such status inequalities as good or bad, right or wrong, just of unjust, and fair or unfair. That is, all cultures have particular value orientations about the appropriateness or importance of status differences and social hierarchies† (Lustig & Koester, pg. 114, 2012). Power distance is extremely visible in this movie as far as each race having their individual degree of institutional and organizational power, and how to distribute it. For example, when the two Caucasian cops pull the black film maker and his wife over after leaving a work party and are blatantly playing the authority card based on their race and job description.The one racist white cop violates the black woman right in front of her husband for no apparent reason, while the husband is made to feel that if he makes one move he will be punished for his actions. Another example is when the Persian store owner walks into the Caucasian male’s gun store and wants to buy a gun. He has his daughter with him to help translate and pick the right weapon. As they are exchanges words in their language, the white man insults him by referring to him as â€Å"Osama† and tells him to leave his store immediately. The Persian man yells that he is an American citizen and has every right to purchase a gun, the white man replies with, â€Å"not in my store you don’t, now get the fuck out. That of uncertainty avoidance is also seen within the movie from the more foreign cultures that feel they may be presented â€Å"under† the more dominant white race. For example, when the Hispanic locksmith is in the Caucasian attorney’s home changing the locks on the doors, the wife flips out on her husband about how the locksmith is going to go sell their house keys to his â€Å"amigos† and she wants them changed again. She storms off to the kitchen where she looks up to see the locksmith starring at her with a look of shame. He walks to her counter, drops the spare sets down and expects nothing from her, feels no room to express his feelings to her assumptions.Because of his race he is immediately seen by the dominant race as being untrustworthy and sneaky. â€Å"Cultural Identity refers to one’s sense of belonging to a particular culture or ethnic group. It is formed in a process that results from membership in a particular culture, and it involves learning about and accepting the traditions, heritage, language, religion, ancestry, aesthetics, thinking patterns, and social structures of a culture (Lustig & Koester, pg. 142-43, 2012). The formation of one’s cultural identity is known to form from three different stages known as; unexamined cultural identity, cultural identity search, and cultural identity achievement.The first stage is one’s cultural characteristics being taken for granted and not much interest in exploring cultural issues. The second stage is that of wanting to explore and q uestion one’s culture in order to learn of the strengths and learn acceptance of both themselves and their culture. Last stage, is known as being the clear and confident stage of acceptance to one’s culture and self-identity. In this stage, a person has learned to develop ways of dealing with stereotypes and discrimination as well as being clear about the personal meanings of their culture. Throughout this film, it is justifiable through all the characters actions and perceived self-identity that all three stages are experienced by everyone.A good example is the two black carjackers, in the beginning they questionable as to why their appearance caused them to wait over an hour to eat at a restaurant†¦they were paying customers like everyone else. The two men began to question their race and cultural backgrounds with one another, where they found it justifiable to carjack a white couples’ vehicle (being the attorney and his wife) when spotted in the streets. Towards the end, it became clear to the one black male that he can accept what cultural identity may be fixated on him, but he does not need to follow a society’s outlook, he can learn to deal with stereotypes and discrimination.At this point of his realization, he took the stolen van he had planned to sell, filled with Chinese/Japanese people, and let them go free with $40 of his own money for them to eat. Cultural similarity and fluency allows different cultures to reduce that cultural bias aspect that many of us suffer from when interacting with people of a different race or culture. It has been pointed out that culture really does exist in the minds of people, but that the consequences of culture—the sared interpretations—can be seen in people’s communication behaviors. These provide people with guidelines on how they should behave, and indicate what to expect when interacting with others (Lustig & Koester, pg. 148, 2012).This film indicates how each culture is so self- involved with their own beliefs and cultural patterns that they all seem as if they are unfamiliar with different cultures surrounding them. This is not the truth though. Each race and culture is assumed by those who are different because it’s the unknown, those who act similar to one another share interpretations that reduced uncertainty; create predictability, and also stability in their lives. Although, there are several different scenarios in the movie where interracial mixes are seen working together such as; the black and Latino police detectives, the Caucasian attorney working with the police (white and black) about their car being stolen.Although, these type of interactions are solely based on the individual’s interpretation of the unknown culture. â€Å"Interaction only within one’s culture produces a number of obvious benefits. Because the culture provides predictability, it reduces the threat of the unknown. When something or som eone that is unknown or unpredictable enters a culture, the culture’s beliefs, values, norms, and social practices tell people how to interpret and respond appropriately, thus reducing the perceived threat of the intrusion† (Lustig & Koester, pg. 148, 2012). â€Å"Your beliefs become your thoughts, thoughts become your words, words become your actions, actions become your habits, habits become your values, values become your destiny. † (Mahatma Gandhi).A good example of trusting those with similar cultural patterns is the white cop and his father; The frustrated and racist cop with a chronically ill father who believed, that only a â€Å"white† supervisor or person was competent enough to help him with his ill father’s medical needs (Wolfe, 2010). Another cultural pattern in the film is seen by the two black carjackers, â€Å"systematic and repetitive instead of random and irregular. † The two young men and their discussion of why they should be scared being the only black people in an all-white restaurant, even though they were not, instead others being scared of them because of the color of their skin.This in turn led them both to steal the car because it was expected of their race to steal. Nonverbal communication can send messages to the receiver just as loud and clear as any verbal communication message. There are many different instances of both these concepts being utilized in the film making each culture really â€Å"pop out† in their identity. Nonverbal messages can work to either complement or contradict the intended verbal message. They also help maintain the back-and-fourth sequencing of conversations, which function to regulate the interaction. Nonverbal messages can also work to substitute for the verbal channel by replacing verbal words. In intercultural communication, difficulties in achieving competence in another verbal code are compounded by variations in the nonverbal codes that accompany the spoken word† (Lustig & Koester, pg. 200, 2012). An example of nonverbal and verbal message in the film is a message of action that expresses emotion as well as specific information; How the racist white cop unprofessionally conducted himself after pulling the black Buddhist film maker and his wife over for a traffic violation. He physically man-handled and shamefully performed his search on the wife up against the vehicle. He aggressively communicated that he was in charge and he can do what he wants (Wolfe, 2010).Another example of nonverbal and verbal communication is toward the end of the movie where the young white cop picks up the young black boy hitchhiking and they begin to discuss where the black guy has been, seeing how he was covered in dirt and visible blood spots. The white off duty cop continuously looks him over for evidence, when the boy starts laughing out loud about the statue that was sitting on the cops dashboard. The cop kept asking what was wrong and as th e boy went to reach inside his pocket, the cop grew nervous, grabbed for his gun, and shot the boy. Only to realize that the boy was carrying the same statue that was sitting on the cops dashboard (Wolfe, 2010).The film Crash, is a remarkable, must see film with bravery and honesty in showing fear, prejudice and the dismembered society that people live in. It truly expresses the characters in a way that they are able to see the ugliness inside them as well as others who work to redeem themselves after realizing their cultural beliefs and ways. This movie is socially important in teaching its viewers the meaning and emotions behind the lives people realistically walk through on a daily basis. It teaches the importance of understanding cultural identity and working through cultural bias. Far too often, people are quick to make judgments simply based on someone’s physical appearance.It is imperative that people learn to accept their cultural identity but be mindful and respectfu l of those who are different around them. Initial perspectives, such as those presented by Hall, can be deadly towards others and lead to Hofstede’s dimensions that can destroy a relationship in many ways. References: Imbd. (2012). Crash. http://www. imdb. com/title/tt0375679/plotsummary Lustig, M. and Koester, J. (2010). Intercultural competence: Interpersonal communication across cultures (6th ed. ). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon Wolfe, J. (2010). Cramberry. Intercultural communication Indentifies in Movie- â€Å"Crash. † https://cramberry. net/sets/28641-intercultural-communication-indentifies-in-movie-crash-by-j-wolfe Cultural Differences Every country has contributed in shaping the profound history of the world. However, there are notable countries that greatly impacted societies today. Among many nations in the world, two countries have a rich cultural background: United States of America and Egypt. Although both countries differ in various aspects, the legacy of both nations in present society cannot be overlooked. As such, the differences and similarities of the said countries are needed to be examined in detail in order to further understand their impact in world societies.United States of America is a federal republic region situated in the North American continent, consisting of 50 states. USA is considered as the third largest and most populous country in the world with an estimated population of 303,824,650. Each of the 50 states of USA is further divided into counties. One of the key features of America’s culture is diversity. Right before the Europeans and the Africans arrived, United States is alrea dy a diverse culture, inhabited by Native American people, who are able to speak 300 different languages.The Europeans and Africans later added their own varying culture to America’s diversity (Boehm, 2008). Meanwhile, Egypt is an Arab Republic country, located in the north-eastern part of Africa and the south-western part of Asia. Unlike the USA which is made up of several states, the terrain of Egypt is made of dessert which is divided by the Nile River into two unequal parts, the valley and delta which are the main areas of habitation (Johnson, 2008). Similar to USA, Egypt is also a populous country.It is noted to be the most populous among the Arab regions (Tristam, 2008). In terms of economic perspective USA is known to have a capitalist economy which means that the economic system of the country is controlled by several small groups of people. America’s economy benefits a lot in its advanced technology (â€Å"How the US Economy Works,† 2008). Contrary to A merica’s economy, the Egyptian economy is run and owned by the state, and the country’s government plays a significant role in economic planning.However, just like the USA, Egypt’s economy is now moving toward a decentralized and market oriented economy, giving further emphasis on foreign investment (â€Å"Egypt: Economy,† 2008). This is also due in part with the country’s adoption of advanced technology. The economic prosperity of both nations is reliant on natural resources. Likewise, both countries are consistently acquiring substantial gains through labor productivity. However, it has been noted that America is currently experiencing reductions in the worldwide value and status of dollars (CIA, 2008).Conversely, Egypt’s economy is stable and growing. Yet, despite the economic improvements, the country remained in the poor index due to the economy’s inability to sustain energy, housing and food to its people (Tristam, 2008). Anothe r point of discussion is centered on the religion of each country. The prominent culture in Egypt in terms of religious perspective is Islam, while majority of the American populace adheres to Christianity which is made up various components. Islam and Christianity trace its roots to the prophet Abraham.Currently, together with Judaism, Christianity and Islam are three of the greatest monotheistic religion practiced in the world (Ahmad, 2008). The constitution of Egypt stipulates religious freedom, but in practice the liberty to choose religion is severely limited. This is because the legal system in Egypt follows the law of Islam which is known as Sharia. Hence, despite the claim for religious freedom, religious intolerance, and discrimination against other religious groups is still present in Egypt.The law recognizes an individual’s conversion to Islam, but the law does not tolerate Islam members to convert in other religions (Tristam, 2008). On the other hand, the legal sy stem and religion in America are different set of entities. USA has a tradition of religious tolerance and each individual has the total freedom to choose their religions. The freedom to exercise the choice of religion is incorporated in the US constitution’s first amendment. Christianity is the widely practiced religion in the United States. However, there is other religious influence permeating in the United States.Still, it is claimed that despite the differences Americans remained religious (â€Å"Religion,† 2008). Islam is ruled by the notion of conservativeness and honor. Such notion strictly applies among all the Egyptians but especially for the women. Egyptian women are expected to behave and dress modestly. Thus, women who reveal themselves by dressing inappropriately, having a loud voice and sensual behavior within the public eye is regarded as a dishonor to their hosts and kin, and is therefore considered as an insult to their families (â€Å"Egyptian View point,† 2000).Because religion and state functions are separate in the US, American’s especially the women are enjoying their freedom in terms of personal choice of clothing, although there are also Christian groups in America that require appropriate dressing during church services. Despite of the traditional belief in the value of marriage, American society practice and fully recognizes divorce. Islam, on the other hand, although discourages such action, does permit and grant divorce upon the initiation of either the husband or wife (Ahmad, 2008).Human rights record is also a distinct characteristic between the two countries. Egypt’s human rights records are poor and showed little improvements in the past years. Egyptian prisons are known for notorious tortures and arbitrary detentions. Torture is not only inflicted among political dissents, but also among ordinary people who were detained due to petty crimes (Human Rights Watch, 2005). Likewise, women and stre et children are also violated and non-governmental and political organizations are under the unwarranted control of the government.In addition, the creation of associations is heavily guarded and engagement in political unions is subject to penalties (Human Rights Watch, 2005). United States has long recognized itself as an effective advocate of human rights worldwide and a country that puts into action what it preaches. However, such picture has never been perfect, and America’s reputation is undermined by the long standing presence of institutionalized discrimination and the reported coercive interrogation and maltreatment of the detainees in Afghanistan (Human Rights Watch, 2005).Apparently, Egypt and the United States share little resemblance and myriads of differences. Each country presented cultural backgrounds that are at some point enticing and at times were not. However, whatever similarities and differences that each country has, it is with no doubt that each has ma naged to influence different nations with their rich cultural background. References Ahmad, S. (2008). Islam in a nutshell. Tour Egypt. Retrieved November 14, 2008 from http://www. touregypt. net/featurestories/islam. htm. Boehm, R. (2008). United States Geography. Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia.Retrieved November 14, 2008 from http://encarta. msn. com/text_1741500822___0/United_States_Geography. html Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). (2008). United States. Retrieved November 14, 2008 from https://www. cia. gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/us. html. Egypt: Economy. (2008). Infoplease. Retrieved November 14, 2008 from http://www. infoplease. com/ce6/world/A0857909. html Egyptian view-point. (2000, June 01). Tour Egypt. Retrieved November 14, 2008 from http://www. touregypt. net/magazine/mag06012000/mag6. htm. How the U. S. economy works. (2008). US Info.Retrieved November 14, 2008 from http://usinfo. state. gov/products/pubs/oecon/chap2. htm. Human Rights Watc h. World Report. New York: Human rights watch, 2005. Johnson, D. (2008). Egypt. Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia. Retrieved November 14, 2008 from http://encarta. msn. com/encyclopedia_761557408/Egypt. html. Religion. (2008). Just Landed. Retrieved November 14, 2008 from http://www. justlanded. com/english/USA/Tools/Articles/Culture/Religion. Tristam, P. (2008). Egypt: Country profile. About. com. Retrieved November 14, 2008 from http://middleeast. about. com/od/egypt/p/me080116. htm. Cultural Differences Cultural Differences COM/360 November 12, 2012 The movie Crash (2004) is about a handful of disparate people’s lives intertwined as they deal with the tense race relations that belie life in the city of Los Angelos over a thirty-six hour period.All the players involved in the movie are: a Caucasian district attorney, his Caucasian wife who believes her stereotypical views are justified, therefore they’re not racist; two black carjackers that use their race to their advantage; two Caucasian police officers, one who is racist and abuses his authority to non-whites, and the other who hates his partner for his racist views; a black film director and his black wife, who feels her husband does not support their own culture enough especially with the wife being violated by the racist cop; the two detectives and sometimes lovers, one Hispanic female and a black male; an East Asian man who gets hit by a car, but is hiding valuable cargo in his van; a Persian store owner who feel s he is not getting enough satisfaction or respect from American society when his store is continuously robbed; and a Hispanic locksmith who is just trying to keep his family safe out of harm’s way (Imbd, 2012). Each person’s story interlocks in some way as they all crash into one another through a series of racist endeavors and stereotypical judgments. Hall argues that every human being is faced with so many perceptual stimuli—sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and bodily sensations—that it is impossible to pay attention to them all.Therefore, one of the functions of culture is to provide a screen between the person and all of those stimuli to indicate what perceptions to notice and how to interpret them (Lustig & Koester, pg. 109, 2012). Hall splits cultures into high/low context and describes how high context cultures use high-context messages where the meaning is implied by physical setting or presumed to be part of the individual’s beliefs, value s, norms, and social practices; very little is in the coded message. These cultures include; Japanese, African American, Mexican, and Latino. The low-context cultures prefer to use low-context messages, where the majority of the information is vested in the explicit code. These cultures include German, Swedish, European American, and English (Lustig & Koester, pg. 109, 2012).An example of high-context communication; is when the two black carjackers interpret the same meaning and gestures in all their actions. Their actions do not need to be discussed explicitly because they both act the same and carry the shared understanding based on their relationship. An example of the low-context communication is when the Hispanic locksmith goes into the Caucasian attorney’s house to fix the locks and deals with the wife. She harasses him on how she needs every statement to be precise and all his actions to be accounted for. She is looking for his every move to be overt and very explicit because she immediately judges his performance and morale on his race.Hofstede’s five dimensions were identified in his early research when he came to find which dominant patterns of a culture can be ordered, these are; power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism versus collectivism, masculinity versus femininity, and long- term versus short-term orientation to time. His findings have provided an excellent synthesis of the relationships between cultural values and social behaviors, which are identifiable throughout this movie. Power distance is one dimension believed to be most present throughout the movie Crash. One basic concern to all cultures is the issue of human inequality and knowing that all people in a culture do not have equal levels of status or social power. A persons power and social status depends more upon their culture and things such as; wealth, age, gender, education, physical strength, etc.As Hofstede’s research expresses; â€Å"cultures al so differ in the extent to which they view such status inequalities as good or bad, right or wrong, just of unjust, and fair or unfair. That is, all cultures have particular value orientations about the appropriateness or importance of status differences and social hierarchies† (Lustig & Koester, pg. 114, 2012). Power distance is extremely visible in this movie as far as each race having their individual degree of institutional and organizational power, and how to distribute it. For example, when the two Caucasian cops pull the black film maker and his wife over after leaving a work party and are blatantly playing the authority card based on their race and job description.The one racist white cop violates the black woman right in front of her husband for no apparent reason, while the husband is made to feel that if he makes one move he will be punished for his actions. Another example is when the Persian store owner walks into the Caucasian male’s gun store and wants to buy a gun. He has his daughter with him to help translate and pick the right weapon. As they are exchanges words in their language, the white man insults him by referring to him as â€Å"Osama† and tells him to leave his store immediately. The Persian man yells that he is an American citizen and has every right to purchase a gun, the white man replies with, â€Å"not in my store you don’t, now get the fuck out. That of uncertainty avoidance is also seen within the movie from the more foreign cultures that feel they may be presented â€Å"under† the more dominant white race. For example, when the Hispanic locksmith is in the Caucasian attorney’s home changing the locks on the doors, the wife flips out on her husband about how the locksmith is going to go sell their house keys to his â€Å"amigos† and she wants them changed again. She storms off to the kitchen where she looks up to see the locksmith starring at her with a look of shame. He walks to her counter, drops the spare sets down and expects nothing from her, feels no room to express his feelings to her assumptions.Because of his race he is immediately seen by the dominant race as being untrustworthy and sneaky. â€Å"Cultural Identity refers to one’s sense of belonging to a particular culture or ethnic group. It is formed in a process that results from membership in a particular culture, and it involves learning about and accepting the traditions, heritage, language, religion, ancestry, aesthetics, thinking patterns, and social structures of a culture (Lustig & Koester, pg. 142-43, 2012). The formation of one’s cultural identity is known to form from three different stages known as; unexamined cultural identity, cultural identity search, and cultural identity achievement.The first stage is one’s cultural characteristics being taken for granted and not much interest in exploring cultural issues. The second stage is that of wanting to explore and q uestion one’s culture in order to learn of the strengths and learn acceptance of both themselves and their culture. Last stage, is known as being the clear and confident stage of acceptance to one’s culture and self-identity. In this stage, a person has learned to develop ways of dealing with stereotypes and discrimination as well as being clear about the personal meanings of their culture. Throughout this film, it is justifiable through all the characters actions and perceived self-identity that all three stages are experienced by everyone.A good example is the two black carjackers, in the beginning they questionable as to why their appearance caused them to wait over an hour to eat at a restaurant†¦they were paying customers like everyone else. The two men began to question their race and cultural backgrounds with one another, where they found it justifiable to carjack a white couples’ vehicle (being the attorney and his wife) when spotted in the streets. Towards the end, it became clear to the one black male that he can accept what cultural identity may be fixated on him, but he does not need to follow a society’s outlook, he can learn to deal with stereotypes and discrimination.At this point of his realization, he took the stolen van he had planned to sell, filled with Chinese/Japanese people, and let them go free with $40 of his own money for them to eat. Cultural similarity and fluency allows different cultures to reduce that cultural bias aspect that many of us suffer from when interacting with people of a different race or culture. It has been pointed out that culture really does exist in the minds of people, but that the consequences of culture—the sared interpretations—can be seen in people’s communication behaviors. These provide people with guidelines on how they should behave, and indicate what to expect when interacting with others (Lustig & Koester, pg. 148, 2012).This film indicates how each culture is so self- involved with their own beliefs and cultural patterns that they all seem as if they are unfamiliar with different cultures surrounding them. This is not the truth though. Each race and culture is assumed by those who are different because it’s the unknown, those who act similar to one another share interpretations that reduced uncertainty; create predictability, and also stability in their lives. Although, there are several different scenarios in the movie where interracial mixes are seen working together such as; the black and Latino police detectives, the Caucasian attorney working with the police (white and black) about their car being stolen.Although, these type of interactions are solely based on the individual’s interpretation of the unknown culture. â€Å"Interaction only within one’s culture produces a number of obvious benefits. Because the culture provides predictability, it reduces the threat of the unknown. When something or som eone that is unknown or unpredictable enters a culture, the culture’s beliefs, values, norms, and social practices tell people how to interpret and respond appropriately, thus reducing the perceived threat of the intrusion† (Lustig & Koester, pg. 148, 2012). â€Å"Your beliefs become your thoughts, thoughts become your words, words become your actions, actions become your habits, habits become your values, values become your destiny. † (Mahatma Gandhi).A good example of trusting those with similar cultural patterns is the white cop and his father; The frustrated and racist cop with a chronically ill father who believed, that only a â€Å"white† supervisor or person was competent enough to help him with his ill father’s medical needs (Wolfe, 2010). Another cultural pattern in the film is seen by the two black carjackers, â€Å"systematic and repetitive instead of random and irregular. † The two young men and their discussion of why they should be scared being the only black people in an all-white restaurant, even though they were not, instead others being scared of them because of the color of their skin.This in turn led them both to steal the car because it was expected of their race to steal. Nonverbal communication can send messages to the receiver just as loud and clear as any verbal communication message. There are many different instances of both these concepts being utilized in the film making each culture really â€Å"pop out† in their identity. Nonverbal messages can work to either complement or contradict the intended verbal message. They also help maintain the back-and-fourth sequencing of conversations, which function to regulate the interaction. Nonverbal messages can also work to substitute for the verbal channel by replacing verbal words. In intercultural communication, difficulties in achieving competence in another verbal code are compounded by variations in the nonverbal codes that accompany the spoken word† (Lustig & Koester, pg. 200, 2012). An example of nonverbal and verbal message in the film is a message of action that expresses emotion as well as specific information; How the racist white cop unprofessionally conducted himself after pulling the black Buddhist film maker and his wife over for a traffic violation. He physically man-handled and shamefully performed his search on the wife up against the vehicle. He aggressively communicated that he was in charge and he can do what he wants (Wolfe, 2010).Another example of nonverbal and verbal communication is toward the end of the movie where the young white cop picks up the young black boy hitchhiking and they begin to discuss where the black guy has been, seeing how he was covered in dirt and visible blood spots. The white off duty cop continuously looks him over for evidence, when the boy starts laughing out loud about the statue that was sitting on the cops dashboard. The cop kept asking what was wrong and as th e boy went to reach inside his pocket, the cop grew nervous, grabbed for his gun, and shot the boy. Only to realize that the boy was carrying the same statue that was sitting on the cops dashboard (Wolfe, 2010).The film Crash, is a remarkable, must see film with bravery and honesty in showing fear, prejudice and the dismembered society that people live in. It truly expresses the characters in a way that they are able to see the ugliness inside them as well as others who work to redeem themselves after realizing their cultural beliefs and ways. This movie is socially important in teaching its viewers the meaning and emotions behind the lives people realistically walk through on a daily basis. It teaches the importance of understanding cultural identity and working through cultural bias. Far too often, people are quick to make judgments simply based on someone’s physical appearance.It is imperative that people learn to accept their cultural identity but be mindful and respectfu l of those who are different around them. Initial perspectives, such as those presented by Hall, can be deadly towards others and lead to Hofstede’s dimensions that can destroy a relationship in many ways. References: Imbd. (2012). Crash. http://www. imdb. com/title/tt0375679/plotsummary Lustig, M. and Koester, J. (2010). Intercultural competence: Interpersonal communication across cultures (6th ed. ). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon Wolfe, J. (2010). Cramberry. Intercultural communication Indentifies in Movie- â€Å"Crash. † https://cramberry. net/sets/28641-intercultural-communication-indentifies-in-movie-crash-by-j-wolfe

Two Lives of Charlemagne - 1525 Words

Book Review of Two Lives of Charlemagne After having read both versions of the life of Charlemagne there is no doubt that they differ greatly in the sense of style, audience, and emotion. By reading these two descriptions of Charlemagnes life we are able to decipher somewhat of the life he led as a shaper of early medieval European history. However, both of these versions possess the admiration of a noble man who they believe is worthy enough to be noted in history to some degree. The first account of Charlemagnes life was by his courtier, Einhard, who thought it would be a tragedy if history forgot such a noble ruler. Furthermore, not only does he believe that it should be him to write about Charlemagnes life, but only him. He†¦show more content†¦He treated her with every respect and never had a cross word with her, He treated her with the same respect which he showed his mother (pg. 74, Einhard). He, Einhard, also gives attention to the intimacy of Charlemagne. He refers to several times that the emperor was b rought to tears whenever one of his children died or when Pope Hadrian had died. It is most evident that Einhard knows the person he is writing about extremely well and he himself is a primary source to Charlemagne. The style that Notker is identified with is somewhat of a fairy-tale like rhythm. His writing is filled with random stories that at times have nothing to do with Charlemagnes life. He even goes to admit that they do not. Since the occasion has offered itself, although indeed they have nothing to do with my subject matter, it does not seem to be a bad ideaÂ… (pg. 115, Notker). The ones that do have a hint of Charlemagnes life have very little or no influence the view of his life. The majority of his writing seems to be a composition of stories that he was told by other people. His stories always seem to start out like a fairy-tale. They begin with things like At this point I must tell you a story or On another occasion. He admits that he has never even been to the land of the Franks, just heard stories. I am a lazy man myself, more sluggish than a tortoise, and I have never traveled to the land of the FranksÂ… (pg.Show MoreRelatedThe Two Lives of Charlemagne Essay708 Words   |  3 Pages The two lives of Charlemagne as told by Einhard and Notker are two medieval sources about the accounts of the life Charlemagne. Modern sources by Matthew Innes and Rosamond Mckitterick discuss how history was recorded during the medieval period and how it was suppose to be viewed in the early ages. Observing each of these sources helps get an understanding of how the writing of history is important in recorded history and how it affected how the history of Charlemagne was recorded. Read MoreThe Countless Lives of Charlemagne Essay1113 Words   |  5 Pagesfamous work about Charlemagne is a book entitled The Two Lives of Charlemagne which consists of two separate biographies published into one book and tells the story of Charlemagnes life as two different people experienced it. Apart from this, there are many other places you can turn to learn more about the life of the king of the Franks, including letters, capitularies, inventories, annals, and more. However, each of these sources seem to paint a different picture of Charlemagne. In one, he seemsRead MoreStyles of Historiography: Herodotus vs Einhard940 Words   |  4 Pagesin two completely different styles. Einhard’s style is about giving specific details, while Herodotus’s style is about giving his own personal opinions and information that he has from secondary sources. 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He wrote this biography, after his death in 814 CE to honor Charlemagne and his contributions to the Frankish dynasty. In the historical context Charlemagne is believed to have contributed largely in flourishing the Carolingian Empire. In the book, The Life of Charlemagne, Einhard describes Charlemagne’s personalRead MoreCharlemagne by the Sword and the Cross Essay880 Words   |  4 PagesCharlemagne by the Sword and the Cross By the sword and the cross, Charlemagne became master of Western Europe. It was falling into decay when Charlemagne became joint king of the Franks in 768. Except in the monasteries, people had all but forgotten education and the arts. Boldly Charlemagne conquered barbarians and kings alike. By restoring the roots of learning and order, he preserved many political rights and revived culture. Charlemagnes grandfather was Charles Martel, the warriorRead MoreReligious Conflicts in The Song of Roland1326 Words   |  5 PagesChristians and Muslims in 778 A.D. In it, Charlemagne and his men, weary in their seventh year of battle against pagan forces in Spain, have captured every heathen stronghold but the kingdom of Saragossa, held by the Muslim king Marsile. Terrified of the might of Charlemagne’s army, Marsile promises treasures, hostages and his conversion to Christianity if the Franks will go back to France. However, Marsile has no intention of surrendering and wants only for Charlemagne to end his siege of the city and getRead MoreCharlemagne : The Kingdom Of The Dark Ages1100 Words   |  5 Pagesfourth century of the Dark Ages. Charlemagne was determined to unite and christianize the Germanic kingdoms of Europe. He lived in a time in which the Germanic groups who inhabited Europe remained disorganized and had no central authority (Ann 1). Through many battles and years of war, he reached his destination of unifying Europe. Charlemagne deserves the title â€Å"Father of Europe† after he unified his kingdom and set a precedent for his successors. Charlemagne inherited the throne with his brotherRead MoreCharlemagne And The Carolingian Renaissance1677 Words   |  7 PagesNaomi Spiegelman Professor Rui de Sousa Medieval Civilization - Section 01 27 September 2017 Charlemagne and the Carolingian Renaissance The Carolingian Empire was not at full fruition when Charlemagne rose to power, it was quite the contrary. In the eighth century, the lands covered by what is now known as France and Belgium, as well as part of Germany made up the Frankish state ruled by the kings of the Merovingian line. The Merovingian empire was weak and in a steady decline; the majority of