Learning from Your Mistakes Can Make You a Better Person- September 6, 2010
Entry #2-
A young offender behind bars
Learning from your mistakes is always beneficial; it is like having a road map, you can avoid all the pitfalls that you have already made. In the short story Thank You Ma'am, by Langston Hughes, Luella's empathy and kindheartedness towards Roger roots from her past. "I have done things, too, which I would not tell you." Luella would not be as nice to Roger, who robbed her, if she didn't understand him, she might have even sent him to jail. At the climax of the story, when Luella gives Roger what he was trying to steal from her, Luella teaches Roger a lesson so he can learn from his mistakes just like she learned from hers. "'Now, here, take this ten dollars and buy yourself some blue suede shoes. And next time, do not make the mistake of latching onto my pocketbook nor nobody else’s—because shoes come by devilish like that will burn your feet.'" Luella has already learned that stealing is wrong and should not be done. This has brought her to be a better person in many ways. She lives more ethically, is more empathetic to people like Roger, and teaches others how to make themselves better people as well.
The concept that is shown by Langston Hughes is not just applicable in stories, it makes its appearances in real life as well. There is an article presented by British Broadcasting Channel (BBC) that is similar to Langston Hughes's story. In the article, an offender meets his victim, Adam, in a new program in attempt to show offenders the harm they have caused. When they finally reunited, Adam realizes that his offender is a completely new and changed person and they are both pleased. Adam was happy that his offender has changed, and even said that "He (his offender) was very sincere... The guy that walked into the room was a completely different guy than the guy that had hit me." His offender was also thankful that Adam Murray accepted his apology. This shows that learning from your mistakes can make you a better person. Adam's offender learned from his mistakes and will think twice before assaulting anybody again.
Literature is like life in the essence that they both impact each other. Authors writings in stories can change the way an entire nation thinks. Authors usually draw their story from their current time period and culture. Langston Hughes's "Thank You Ma'am" is about a woman who is robbed in the mid 20th century. When Langston grew up in America, there was still lots of segregation towards his race. He lived in a poor neighborhood where mugging and other crime rates were high. As he grew up, he achieved more and was more successful. He realized that it was wrong for people in the area to steal, even if they were poor. His life experience is similar to his character Luella. Just like her, he influenced others to do the right thing (through his writing.) Another real-life example that has a character similar to Luella is the person who assaulted Adam (read above.) He learned from mistakes that he made and became a better person, just like Luella Bates Washington Jones, and Langston Hughes's friends. The theme "Learning From Your Mistakes" isn't only useful to fictional characters, but real people as well.
Lamb to the Slaughter
There are Two Sides to Justice- August 16, 2010
Entry #1-
There are Two Sides to Justice
Lance Armstrong wearing his Live Strong Campaign's shirt
In life, nothing is ever black and white; there are many shades of gray. In Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl, Mary Maloney shows that there are two sides to justice. Not every crime needs to be punished. Mary Maloney was a caring housewife, however, when her husband, Patrick, decided to leave her. This would change her entire image because of the humiliation. Absent-mindedly she struck him on the head. Though killing Patrick was not the best option, putting Mary in jail would not just affect her, but her innocent baby. Patrick's death should not affect the entire family; Mary did not deserve to be divorced. Though Patrick's death was too harsh a punishment to face, Mary Maloney being jailed would not benefit anybody.
This theme also applies itself in real life. In a New York Times article about Lance Armstrong, there are two sides to justice. There is no solid evidence that Lance Armstrong has used performance enhancing drugs on purpose. He claims he does not know what mandatory injections he has taken. He also has prostate cancer. After all, steroids cannot make you cancer free. Stripping him of all his Tour de France Titles is unfair to him and his supporters, not to mention his teammates. Though it may be true that he used steroids unwillingly, it is not fair to the second place contestants who would become champion and take the trophy. However, if this should be true that he unknowingly or did not take steroids, it is not fair that the second place contestant for each Tour de France race take all of Lance Armstrong's titles after he worked so hard for them. That is one of many dilemmas one faces with justice.
Justice is a complicated subject. Not all crimes need to go punished. Some punishments hurt more than just the individual, but innocent bystanders too. In the case of Mary Maloney in Lamb to the Slaughter, Mary did not intentionally kill her husband. It was an instinct reaction driven by her temporary rage. Her punishment would not only hurt her, but her baby as well. In Lance's case, winning a Tour de France title 7 times with cancer is very hard, even with steroids. It does not give him an advantage but helps him even out the race. His punishment would hurt all the people who had placed bets on him, who had trained him, his teammates, and everybody close to him. The purpose of punishment is to discipline the guilty into not repeating the crime, however in both Mary and Lance's case, none of their crimes are likely to repeat themselves.
This theme also applies itself in real life. In a New York Times article about Lance Armstrong, there are two sides to justice. There is no solid evidence that Lance Armstrong has used performance enhancing drugs on purpose. He claims he does not know what mandatory injections he has taken. He also has prostate cancer. After all, steroids cannot make you cancer free. Stripping him of all his Tour de France Titles is unfair to him and his supporters, not to mention his teammates. Though it may be true that he used steroids unwillingly, it is not fair to the second place contestants who would become champion and take the trophy. However, if this should be true that he unknowingly or did not take steroids, it is not fair that the second place contestant for each Tour de France race take all of Lance Armstrong's titles after he worked so hard for them. That is one of many dilemmas one faces with justice.
Justice is a complicated subject. Not all crimes need to go punished. Some punishments hurt more than just the individual, but innocent bystanders too. In the case of Mary Maloney in Lamb to the Slaughter, Mary did not intentionally kill her husband. It was an instinct reaction driven by her temporary rage. Her punishment would not only hurt her, but her baby as well. In Lance's case, winning a Tour de France title 7 times with cancer is very hard, even with steroids. It does not give him an advantage but helps him even out the race. His punishment would hurt all the people who had placed bets on him, who had trained him, his teammates, and everybody close to him. The purpose of punishment is to discipline the guilty into not repeating the crime, however in both Mary and Lance's case, none of their crimes are likely to repeat themselves.
