Thoreau vs. Machiavelli: Morality vs. Stability

When comparing Civil Disobedience by Thoreau to Machiavelli’s The Prince, there is no correct answer as to which is more rational.  Both of them share their outlook on the government; however, they both have their differences in their opinions.  For starters, Thoreau is talking to the bystanders telling them to act against the government he calls “the machine.”  While Machiavelli is talking to the princes, advising them on how they should run their own governments.  So we can already see that they are opposites just from labeling their audiences.  Furthermore, due to Thoreau’s use of language and unrealistic style of living life, Machiavelli’s style of government will be better because of the fact that it is realistic and truthful.

Something important to notice is that both Machiavelli and Thoreau focus greatly on the relationship between people and their leaders. Machiavelli focuses on how a leader should act towards his subjects, and Thoreau writes about how an individual should react to a corrupt leader.  These concepts are in great contrast to each other; Machiavelli believes that a ruler may do whatever is necessary to remain in power, whereas Thoreau would not hesitate to spend a night in jail if he disagreed with a tax.  However, it is important to realize that not everyone is as brave as Thoreau, so this might be unrealistic.  Machiavelli writes, “Thus no prince should mind being called cruel for what he does to keep his subjects united and loyal.” This quote reflects his very elitist views; as long as it is for the good of the country, the outcome justifies the cruelty.  Sometimes cruelty needs to be practiced in order to maintain stability.

 

Thoreau believes that men and women should act upon their morals and principles… to “let your life be a friction to stop the machine," –- the machine being a metaphor for a corrupt government.   While this is a great theory, I think that it is slightly unrealistic.  No one wants to be the one to stand up against a machine. The idea of fighting for what you believe in looks great on paper… but, unfortunately, the truth is that when the opportunity is given to do so, most of us will back down out of fear.  Machiavelli talks about the power of fear; he says “fear preserves you by a dread of punishment which never fails.”  His theory is essentially that, by establishing the fear of punishment, a prince is able to maintain an orderly government without injustice. That being said, his presumption is more realistic than Thoreau’s because fear can control people.  An example of this is when Ms. Parham used a Machiavellian-style of teaching the other day, and not one person stood up against “the machine.”  ( :D )  That is because our fear of punishment controlled us, which is the same way men and women would act under a Machiavellian-style government; orderly.  

Thanksgetting

On thanksgiving we like to lock ourselves inside the house with our close, and not so close, family members, eat food, catch up, and bond; but do we really? Holidays have changed. Thanksgiving use to be a holiday where we were thankful for our families, and opportunities in life; now we are thankful that old navy is having a buy one get one free sale on black Friday. What was once a holiday of giving has turned into another excuse for American buyers to go out and shop, shop, shop! Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year, draws shoppers out of their homes when they should be inside with their family. However we must ask ourselves, is it thanksgiving that has changed, or American culture? It seems like now we would rather be sleeping outside target awaiting a sale on our favorite shoes, than bonding with our relatives. Materialism in America has posed more of a threat than just making us loose track of our values; we have become human-like drones of consumption. We see the open doors of large shopping malls pasted with signs claiming, “You need these!” “Buy, Buy, Buy!” “You can’t pass up this deal!” and we ambush more like beasts than humans. Last year there were numerous cases of death from people falling in the stampede of shoppers fighting to get the best deal. We need to raise human compassion, even if it means reducing sales. Many Americans dread spending time with their in-laws and obnoxious aunts who use thanksgiving to voice their opinions on your “desert-dry” turkey and “less-than-admirable” dining set. You pretend to enjoy your time together when in reality you are anxiously waiting for your pesky relatives to voyage home so you can watch the Sunday game. Why is this? Appreciating family and the time you have together, now, seems just as rare as a happy marriage. Divorce rates climb at the same rate as iphone sales, and no one seems to see a problem. We must return to the time when we valued our parents, in-laws, brother, sisters, aunts, and uncles more than the material items that we think will make us happier, and our lives more significant. The key to happiness can only be found when we let go of the things that don’t matter to us. Forget about iphones. Forget your new jeans. Forget those earrings. All that would mean nothing without loved ones to share them with. So share. Share, and give, and actually be thankful this thanksgiving.

The Reluctant Fundamentalist: The Importance of Symbolism

            I believe that there is only one way to read a book, but there are many ways to interpret one.  In my opinion, the best way to truly understand the meaning of a book is to uncover the symbolism within.  This philosophy is greatly true in The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid.  The author uses a significant amount of symbolism beneath the façade of the basic storyline, but it requires sharp attention to discover.  Upon reading this book, I found that Erica, the girl who Changez falls in love with, has a symbolic connection to America.  This symbolism was not particularly easy to find, but if read correctly, the book revealed many hints to this connection.  A small hint to Erica’s symbolic connection to America is the similarity in the two names; Erica shares the last five letters with America. In the beginning of their relationship, when Changez sees Erica for the first time, he says, “ So stunningly regal was she.” (p.17) He later says, “ She attracted people to her; she had presence, an uncommon magnetism…strong, sleek and invariably surrounded by her pride.” (p.22) The book also reveals that Changez felt the same way about America in the beginning; He was attracted to America and its’ power, and he wanted to live the “American Dream.”  America is a country filled with pride, which Changez talks about later in the book.  The way he describes Erica is synonymous with his descriptions of America in the beginning of the book.  When the 9/11 attacks occur, Changez’s view on America begins to change.  Non-coincidently, his relationship with Erica begins to have problems.  Later in the book, Changez lets go of America and returns to Lahore around the same time that Erica goes missing.  I believe that this is not a coincidence.  The symbolism is extended even further when Changez makes love to Erica, insisting that she pretends he is Chris.  This scene contains important symbolism; If Erica is a symbol for America, than, in this scene, America influences Changez to pretend to be someone else, hiding his true identity.  After this scene, Changez gets deeper into the American life style.  However, Changez remains to be “reluctant.”  On page 106, he says “perhaps, by taking the persona of another, I had diminished myself in my own eyes.”  This quote shows how Changez feels about changing for Erica (America) and that he is ashamed of his new personality.  This is a perfect example showing his reluctance towards the American life.  Changez realizes how much America has changed him when he visits his old home in Lahore and becomes nostalgic.  Hamid’s use of symbolism is significantly effective in The Reluctant Fundamentalist because it adds so much more meaning to the main idea of the book.  Without understanding the symbolism, the reader might think Erica is simply an American girl who Changez falls in love with, but the symbolism adds much more purpose to her character.  Just from understanding the symbolism of Erica, the reader gains the understanding of America’s effect on Changez and how he really is a “reluctant fundamentalist.”