Essay 3
Essay 2
Gorety Parra
Instructor Hamalian
English 114B
12 March 2013
The Wall, the Statues, and the Change
Revolution can be defined as a change in government, society, or just anything that may affect everyday life. This difference can include change in government or even effect on how people act towards a certain subject. One major alteration is the change in space since there may be a significant meaning behind a certain object. In order for there to be a revolution, a change in space must be included since the space may represent what has to be changed; this has been proven by many events throughout history, as well as books and media.
V for Vendetta, the film, was directed by James McTeigue and it focuses on the subject of change in space. Around the year, 2030, the world is in total chaos because of the many wars that has been going on. In the United Kingdom, people are ruled by a Fascist leader which has tried to take certain privileges from his citizens as well as control over minorities. He is able to have control using the television and violence towards his citizens as a way to have control. Some unlucky minorities, such as racial and sexual minorities, are sent to a detention center which included injections which may or may not have been dangerous. A man named “V”, who was in the detention center, reacted differently and was given strength which also helped him survive an explosion of the detention center, which he caused. V then begins to plot a revolution for the United Kingdom which includes destroying buildings and eliminating people who were a reason why there was no peace in the United Kingdom. V decides to change space by eliminating physical objects, such as people, buildings, and statues in order to have the revolution he wants.
Even though V is only fiction, his mask and ideals all go back to one person, Guido Fawkes, other known as Guy Fawkes. Fawkes, just like V desired change and was destined to do so using what he was taught while serving in the military. His plans included using explosives in order to get the change that he thought England had to regain. The day he was caught during the action of his plot was the 5th of November. Even though his plot never fully went through, Fawkes will forever be a symbol of having change using just a tad bit of violence which would be all worth it in the end of the revolution. He is such an icon, that his face now has become a mask and it usually signifies that there is a revolution taking place such as V for Vendetta or different parts of the world. Edith H. Carey’s, “The Fifth of November and Guy Fawkes”, explains that there are still celebrations and rebellions even though Guy Fawkes actions took place around the 1600’s. Rebellion may come in different forms, but the risks and planning of Fawkes will always be a symbol of the need to try to destroy an object to receive the change that the people want.
Just like V, many citizens throughout history have tried to create a revolution for a better life using the method of destroying a physical object. One example of this was on April 9th, 2003 in Iraqi. The Iraqi war invasion had just begun and many citizens were furious that this was happening and especially because their leader, Saddam Hussein was promoting terrorism. Some citizens were brave enough to go to the famous, large statue of Saddam Hussein and try to bring it down. The United States’ forces helped these citizens using their vehicle to tumble down the statue. In Shahira Fahmy’s “They Took it Down” he explains the events of the tumbling of Saddam Hussein’s famous statue on Central Baghdad. He states “This symbolized the end of the war, the end of authoritarian figure associated with terrorism and the liberation of Iraqi people.” (Fahmy). The destruction of a physical object became a symbol of freedom from the war that so many people were against. It was more of a reunion since there were many people there to support this cause, including the United States’ forces. Many people went out and celebrated this event because they felt that by taking down their statue, they had also taken down the power Sadam had. This was just like V’s revolution when every citizen of the United Kingdom stood by his side to destroy the House of Parliament.
Another event where an object had to be destroyed in order to symbolize a change for their country was the fall of the Berlin Wall. During the time period of 1961 to 1989 East and West Germany were separated by a physical wall. This wall was built to separate the communism side of Germany, the East side, and the democratic side of Germany, the West, during the Cold war. The original symbolism of the wall was just a negative memory for many citizens of Germany. Since the cold war was over, many citizens joined together to reunite and destroy the wall once and for all to symbolize the ending of a bad era. Eventually this celebration attracted many people, and soon this event that was meant for the Germany community, eventually brought people all around the world. Tzvetan Todorov’s article, “The Fall of the Berlin Wall in History” states that the wall “First led to freedom of circulation between the two halves of Berlin… first irreversible of collapse of communism” (Todorov, 44). The event was a symbol as an ending of the separation of Germans and the beginning of freedom and peace of both East and West Germany. V wanted his destruction of buildings to be recognized as a new beginning for citizens and the ending of the high control that the government has.
In all the other examples, there have been protests that require what some may call “violent” acts in order to get their argument to be heard such as destroying a building or property that took years and a lot of money to construct. There are ways in order to get the rights that the citizens deserve while also doing a peaceful protest and not damage any government property which can also anger authorities and have the chance to be even more disrespected and not have people’s ideas heard. This protest can be defined as civil disobedience and has been proved effective through many successful protests. One example is Gandhi’s Salt March in the 1930’s. Great Britain was in control of Indian salt and did not allow India to sell it which eventually led India to be in debt. Gandhi decided to turn against this without destroying any property, and went to go produce salt in the town of Dandi along with thousands of followers and media. It was a simple act but it eventually led on to India getting the rights that they wanted. In Thomas Weber’s “Gandhian Nonviolence and the Salt March”, he explains that the Salt March was “not merely about removing the British but to demonstrate what an ideal nonviolent society should look like”. (Weber) Gandhi is one of the many leaders who was successful into bring peace without the need to use destruction.
Sometimes the saying “Actions speak louder than words” is true since just like the film, V for Vendetta and different times in history, the citizens had to take action by toppling down a building or statue that signifies the unjust corruption that the government has portrayed as a sign that their revolution has begun. In some cases, however, there is no need for destruction but every revolution is different from each other. Revolution involves the idea of change including a change in space where destruction of a space can signify more than just a building or statue, but a new beginning.
Instructor Hamalian
English 114B
12 March 2013
The Wall, the Statues, and the Change
Revolution can be defined as a change in government, society, or just anything that may affect everyday life. This difference can include change in government or even effect on how people act towards a certain subject. One major alteration is the change in space since there may be a significant meaning behind a certain object. In order for there to be a revolution, a change in space must be included since the space may represent what has to be changed; this has been proven by many events throughout history, as well as books and media.
V for Vendetta, the film, was directed by James McTeigue and it focuses on the subject of change in space. Around the year, 2030, the world is in total chaos because of the many wars that has been going on. In the United Kingdom, people are ruled by a Fascist leader which has tried to take certain privileges from his citizens as well as control over minorities. He is able to have control using the television and violence towards his citizens as a way to have control. Some unlucky minorities, such as racial and sexual minorities, are sent to a detention center which included injections which may or may not have been dangerous. A man named “V”, who was in the detention center, reacted differently and was given strength which also helped him survive an explosion of the detention center, which he caused. V then begins to plot a revolution for the United Kingdom which includes destroying buildings and eliminating people who were a reason why there was no peace in the United Kingdom. V decides to change space by eliminating physical objects, such as people, buildings, and statues in order to have the revolution he wants.
Even though V is only fiction, his mask and ideals all go back to one person, Guido Fawkes, other known as Guy Fawkes. Fawkes, just like V desired change and was destined to do so using what he was taught while serving in the military. His plans included using explosives in order to get the change that he thought England had to regain. The day he was caught during the action of his plot was the 5th of November. Even though his plot never fully went through, Fawkes will forever be a symbol of having change using just a tad bit of violence which would be all worth it in the end of the revolution. He is such an icon, that his face now has become a mask and it usually signifies that there is a revolution taking place such as V for Vendetta or different parts of the world. Edith H. Carey’s, “The Fifth of November and Guy Fawkes”, explains that there are still celebrations and rebellions even though Guy Fawkes actions took place around the 1600’s. Rebellion may come in different forms, but the risks and planning of Fawkes will always be a symbol of the need to try to destroy an object to receive the change that the people want.
Just like V, many citizens throughout history have tried to create a revolution for a better life using the method of destroying a physical object. One example of this was on April 9th, 2003 in Iraqi. The Iraqi war invasion had just begun and many citizens were furious that this was happening and especially because their leader, Saddam Hussein was promoting terrorism. Some citizens were brave enough to go to the famous, large statue of Saddam Hussein and try to bring it down. The United States’ forces helped these citizens using their vehicle to tumble down the statue. In Shahira Fahmy’s “They Took it Down” he explains the events of the tumbling of Saddam Hussein’s famous statue on Central Baghdad. He states “This symbolized the end of the war, the end of authoritarian figure associated with terrorism and the liberation of Iraqi people.” (Fahmy). The destruction of a physical object became a symbol of freedom from the war that so many people were against. It was more of a reunion since there were many people there to support this cause, including the United States’ forces. Many people went out and celebrated this event because they felt that by taking down their statue, they had also taken down the power Sadam had. This was just like V’s revolution when every citizen of the United Kingdom stood by his side to destroy the House of Parliament.
Another event where an object had to be destroyed in order to symbolize a change for their country was the fall of the Berlin Wall. During the time period of 1961 to 1989 East and West Germany were separated by a physical wall. This wall was built to separate the communism side of Germany, the East side, and the democratic side of Germany, the West, during the Cold war. The original symbolism of the wall was just a negative memory for many citizens of Germany. Since the cold war was over, many citizens joined together to reunite and destroy the wall once and for all to symbolize the ending of a bad era. Eventually this celebration attracted many people, and soon this event that was meant for the Germany community, eventually brought people all around the world. Tzvetan Todorov’s article, “The Fall of the Berlin Wall in History” states that the wall “First led to freedom of circulation between the two halves of Berlin… first irreversible of collapse of communism” (Todorov, 44). The event was a symbol as an ending of the separation of Germans and the beginning of freedom and peace of both East and West Germany. V wanted his destruction of buildings to be recognized as a new beginning for citizens and the ending of the high control that the government has.
In all the other examples, there have been protests that require what some may call “violent” acts in order to get their argument to be heard such as destroying a building or property that took years and a lot of money to construct. There are ways in order to get the rights that the citizens deserve while also doing a peaceful protest and not damage any government property which can also anger authorities and have the chance to be even more disrespected and not have people’s ideas heard. This protest can be defined as civil disobedience and has been proved effective through many successful protests. One example is Gandhi’s Salt March in the 1930’s. Great Britain was in control of Indian salt and did not allow India to sell it which eventually led India to be in debt. Gandhi decided to turn against this without destroying any property, and went to go produce salt in the town of Dandi along with thousands of followers and media. It was a simple act but it eventually led on to India getting the rights that they wanted. In Thomas Weber’s “Gandhian Nonviolence and the Salt March”, he explains that the Salt March was “not merely about removing the British but to demonstrate what an ideal nonviolent society should look like”. (Weber) Gandhi is one of the many leaders who was successful into bring peace without the need to use destruction.
Sometimes the saying “Actions speak louder than words” is true since just like the film, V for Vendetta and different times in history, the citizens had to take action by toppling down a building or statue that signifies the unjust corruption that the government has portrayed as a sign that their revolution has begun. In some cases, however, there is no need for destruction but every revolution is different from each other. Revolution involves the idea of change including a change in space where destruction of a space can signify more than just a building or statue, but a new beginning.
Work Cited
Carey, Edith H. "The Fifth of November and Guy Fawkes." Folklore, 19.1 (1908): 104-105.
Fahmy, S. "'They Took It Down': Exploring Determinants of Visual Reporting in the Toppling of the Saddam Statue in
National and International Newspapers." Mass Communication & Society, 10.2 (2007): 143-170.
Todorov, Tzvetan, and John Anzalone. "The Fall of the Berlin Wall in History." Salmagundi, 164/165 (2009): 44-50.
Weber, Thomas. "Gandhian Philosophy, Conflict Resolution Theory and Practical Approaches to Negotiation." Journal of
Peace Research, 38.4 (2001): 493-513.
Carey, Edith H. "The Fifth of November and Guy Fawkes." Folklore, 19.1 (1908): 104-105.
Fahmy, S. "'They Took It Down': Exploring Determinants of Visual Reporting in the Toppling of the Saddam Statue in
National and International Newspapers." Mass Communication & Society, 10.2 (2007): 143-170.
Todorov, Tzvetan, and John Anzalone. "The Fall of the Berlin Wall in History." Salmagundi, 164/165 (2009): 44-50.
Weber, Thomas. "Gandhian Philosophy, Conflict Resolution Theory and Practical Approaches to Negotiation." Journal of
Peace Research, 38.4 (2001): 493-513.
Essay 1
Throughout history, citizens of the world have pleaded for change in their government and society, but sometimes these changes can come in forms of protesting, rebellions, and wars. The change that people want can come with a price it may be favorable for some or it can be total chaos for others. In some examples of rebellion, it is more likely to see a woman having more limits on what she can or cannot do. A more specific rebellion is the 1979 Islamic revolution where religion became a major part of the government’s decisions. Iran’s citizens were greatly affected by this sudden change in government especially the ones who believed it was wrong or were not used to living in that way.
Marjane Satrapi decided to write her experiences of growing up in the middle of the Islamic Revolution in her book “Persepolis”. Marjane was about ten years old when the revolution started, she was young and innocent and the only thing she knew is that she had to be separated from her male classmates and now she was being forced to wear a veil which was clear to her that it was because of the war. She did not understand that the reason why woman had to wear a veil was because “Women’s hair emanates rays that excite men (Satrapi, 74) said a newscaster while Marjane and her family watched the daily news. Women were told to wear the veils because according to the new Iran government, women were making men perverted. According to Adele Ferdows’ “Women and the Islamic revolution” states that women are “enslaved in the name of religion, she becomes a victim of religion” which is true since they have to hide their beauty in order for men not to be tempted. In “Mullahs, Martyrs, and Men Conceptualizing Masculinity in the Islamic Republic of Iran” by Shahin Gerami “Women were expected to look as masculine as possible.” (Gerami, 263)They could not even show an ankle or revealing makeup, “makeup was a taboo” (Gerami, 263)
Women were also not treated as equals to men. An outspoken, rebellious woman was seen as a threat to society and many of these women. . Shaul Bakhash’s article “The Islamic Republic of Iran 1979-1989” “Hundreds were executed for ‘making war against God’ and ‘spreading corruption on Earth” (Bakhash, 56). If there was a slight sign that a woman was rebelling they would be stopped and either given a warning if they were lucky or they would be imprisoned that came either with a fine or their lives. “The Government had imprisoned and exectuted so many high-school and college students” (Satrapi, 302). Some people no longer were willing to rebel in public; they would rather hide their rebellion and hope not to get caught.
When Marjane’s parents saw that her rebellious behavior might come with major consequences, they decided to send her to Vienna. She saw that more woman were free to do whatever they pleased. They could let down their hair or be free to go party whenever they pleased. According to Milton Viorst’s “Limits of the Revolution” that many women during the Islamic Revoltuion ”commonly would expose and ankle or some hair beneath their chador”. Europe was known for thinking that a woman was “a partner of her husband, a co-producer, educated and free, she is raised equally with men” (Ferdows). For this reason, Iran did not really allow other cultures to be involved. Punk or pop music was known as a disgrace in Iran and if the police caught someone hearing or wearing anything that resembled this, they would most likely be sent to jail. If clothes or makeup were not “appropriate” to the police they would also have a reason to arrest you where you would never know what would happen to you.
Woman could be said to be the ones who were affected more of the change of government, but men’s life changed as well. For the boys or men in Iran, they were told that they would be sent to a paradise with “plenty of food, women and houses made up of gold and diamonds” (Satrapi, 100) according to Marjane when their maid’s son was told that he might have to go fight for his country. Some people were too focused on the female concerns that males were sometimes overlooked. Going against popular belief, men also had a strict dress code. Men were expected to wear pants and a long un-tuck shirt “man’s long, loose, un-tucked shirt hiding his sexuality” (Gerami 263-264) as well as short hair and thick facial hair. None of the citizen was allowed to look what you would call “attractive” both genders were hiding their good looks from the government. Men were also expected to show full masculinity and not show fear. The Islamic revolution was very tough on men as well but since so many people, including other countries had their primary concern over the gender rights of woman, men were did not really get much sympathy for the dramatic change for them when the revolution started.
Overall, both men and woman suffered. “In the Islamic Republic, they pray in public and drink in private” (Bakhash, 55-56) when it used to be the opposite where people were free to pray when they desired and now it was mandatory. Regardless of gender, social classes all suffered in one way or another. One example is Marjane’s maid, Mehri, who was considered to be in the lower class. Because of this lower class people were not allowed to study or even learn how to write, they were also not allowed to eat in the same table as others, or they could not marry someone higher than them. Mehri fell in love with a boy from across the street and she would tell Marjane to write him letters. They were in a budding romance until Marjane’s father found out and knew it was against the law and the romance quickly fell apart. Amir Arjomand’s “Iran Islamic Revolution in Comparative Perspective” said that “Middle class wee under supervision by the secret police”. They were being watched over and made sure no social gatherings were going on or any private political meanings. Some high class people were brought down since the government felt that they might eventually take over the government or gain more power.
Many people were affected by the Islamic revolution no matter what gender or social class. Woman’s lives were changed since the revolution now brought dramatic gender differences. Although women were seen as victims in many societies such as Europe, men were also victims of these gender discrimination “Revolution can be defined as the collapse of the political order and its replacement by a new one”in Iran’s case, the new government was a conservative and religious one. Revolutions affect their citizens’ environment, daily lives, and themselves.