Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” This means the persecutor will never consciously give their victim(s) what they are yearning for. The only way for the victim to receive what they desire from the oppressor is to retrieve it for themselves. Egalitarianism is the belief that everyone deserves equal rights. Unfortunately, many fail to recognize or agree with this principle. The short story “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway as well as the film “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest” both include examples of overcoming oppression.
In Ernest Hemingway’s short story “Hills Like White Elephants” the oppression is relevant in a conversation between a man attempting to convince a woman to have an abortion. While trying to explain his case, she asks him if they will be alright and happy after the potential operation. He answers by saying, "I know we will. You don’t have to be afraid. I’ve known lots of people that have done it” (Hemingway 2). This shows verbal oppression in the sense that he is actually trying to control her emotions. It is clear that she is hesitant to confide in his suggestion based on the fact that she is asking several questions. He tries manipulating her by telling her she has no reason to be afraid which doesn’t demonstrate any respect for her feelings. She overcomes this oppression by demanding him to stop talking to her which he eventually did. If she stayed silent, his oppression may have led to her giving in. In the film “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest” mental hospital patients are oppressed by Nurse Ratched. She does everything in her power to dehumanize the patients on a daily basis. However, a patient named McMurphy is not actually insane unlike the rest of the patients and refuses to allow her to do so. For example, the patients vote in favor of watching television in the hospital but Nurse Ratched oppresses them by not allowing it even though they passed a vote. Instead of quietly accepting this oppression like the rest of the patients, McMurphy pretends the television is on. He acts out a baseball game and the patients follow along with great joy. Nurse Ratched would have gotten her tyrannical way if it wasn’t for McMurphy revolting.
Both “Hills Like White Elephants” and “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest” exhibit instances where oppressors were defeated. If the victims remained silent, they would’ve never overcame their persecutors. Silence strips our human existence by taking away the egalitarian principle of expressing ourselves. Without demanding freedom, our society will never achieve egalitarianism which is needed to thrive in life.
Source:
One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest. Dir. Miloš Forman. Perf. Jack Nicholson. United Artists, 1975. Film.
No comments:
Post a Comment