Even though digital content is very widespread these days, real paper books are stuff that I still engage with from time to time. They can offer a kind of thrill and excitement that ebooks and multimedia elements can never provide. A few weeks ago, I came across 2 literary masterpieces that changed the way I think about the world we’re living in and life in general.
Raisin In The Sun : by Lorraine Hansberry
As a critically acclaimed tragedy story, it depicts the struggles of the family of Walter and Ruth Younger – a black family living in the southern portions of Chicago during the 50s. After the second world war, The United States has been historically recorded as having great struggles in dealing with the struggles of African Americans against the white people that oppress them. Such a concept is one of the most important themes of the story.
Two of the major key points included in the narrative are the need to fight racial discrimination and the importance of dealing with family matters in the midst of a very hostile environment. As a story that takes place not too long after World War II, it should be easily discerned that people of color are greatly looked down upon by the white races, particularly in the US.
Though there are other prominent names such as Martin Luther King Jr. who valiantly fought for the rights of black people, the suffering that dark-skinned people have been through during the 50s and early 60s cannot be really undermined. Walter and Ruth Younger were among those people who went through a lot of troubles just to provide a decent living for their families.
Conclusive thoughts about it.
Of course, the story is just a work of fiction, though it could really be thought of as timely and have some echoing resemblances to real-life events. The author Lorraine Hansberry mentioned real-life events that served as inspiration when she wrote A Raisin In The Sun.
Such recalled the struggles of her own father who fought legal battles in the courtrooms of Chicago and her mother who patrolled the place where they lived while carrying a pistol. Because of such events, the Hansberry house was given a landmark status of the city of Chicago’s Council Committee.
1984 : by George Orwell
One of the main thoughts of this book is that the act of writing a journal could never be a great way to ease up a man’s hardships against the government. To simply put it, a journal is never enough to cure the great emotional and mental struggles of a man who has great hatred for the government that rules over him. However, it can somehow give him the comfort he needs so that the other areas of his life will not be severely affected.
In reading the book, you can get to think about the possibility for a person to still choose not to betray the person he/she loves even in the midst of extreme torture.
Knowing the most accurate answer to this is impossible since it is very hard to find a person who has been through extreme torture just so he can renounce the love he feels for someone. Though everyone has certainly a breaking point, it is still very possible for a person to fight for his love in spite of the extreme difficulties he might be facing.
There are 2 quotes from the book that moved me greatly. First is, “It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” – This could mean that the days in the area where the events take place are long and tedious. The narrator of that passage indicates that even after the clocks hit the hours past 12 or as it consumes the entire 24-hour duration, dangers and unpleasantness of life could still sprout and invoke trouble among the people.
Another amazing quote is, “The best books are those that tell you what you know already.” – This quote from the author himself is an emotional statement. It illustrates the idea that when you read a passage from a book that mirrors your own ideologies, you can easily get attached to that book and consider it to be a masterpiece. Because the book is in conjunction with what you feel, you will surely treat the book with a great level of importance.
Conclusive thoughts about it.
Though 1984 is just a work of fiction, it could be very disturbing to read for an average high-school student. By reading the book, a teenager might have negative views about the future and the technological and social innovations that might occur in the next generations. By studying the story elements within it, it can be easily discerned that many of the movies, comic books, and video games are inspired by this masterpiece written by George Orwell.
My personal statements about this revolutionary novel are this: When the government combines the power of armed forces and technology to make society better, it can have extreme disadvantages. While a systematic approach to solving the problems of a nation is really advantageous, it can also spell trouble when done in a brutal way. Freedom is one of the most precious gifts that God has given us, and if that is taken away from any sane person, it will surely lead to a very chaotic and disorganized society.
Putting what you feel into written words, if it does not solve the problem, is undoubtedly a liberating agent that brings relief to the soul. A serene soul allows thoughts to flow in the right direction because the thoughts are what produce the feelings, so there is a great advantage to working on the solution of the problem.
If the problems are against the government, a normal citizen can do little to solve them, but at least and in truth it would not be little, the freedom of the inner being can be achieved and that would be to be able to live in peace.