A societal concept has perpetuated itself within the parameters of the entirety of human civilization, exemplified by the luxuries and reverence of the people pertaining to the pinnacle of the social, or even, international ladder. In essence, this concept is known as privilege, a right accorded as a benefit or advantage, only to a peculiar group. An early representation is by the Greeks, whose society consists of several groups segregated by gender and status, with each following class afforded less benefits and wealth. Privilege extends even to the modern world, encompassing the controversy of racial privilege and gender inequality. One might deduce that privilege is only relevant to the subject of society, but because of its broad …show more content…
Can privilege be contrived from the hindrances of distinct countries, and if so how does it equate to self-contrived privileges? What categories of international privilege exist and how are these privileges categorized into them? What are the actual benefits of the American idealism? These questions prevalently revolve around the privileges of America. In comparison to other discrete countries, America possesses both society and governmental privileges in contrast to other countries. The absence of severe corruption, dearth of ethnic cleansing, and strong sense of community constitute American privilege.
Although the governmental status of America has been cast aspersions upon by the disputes of politicians’ corruption, the severity had never attained the state of complete calamity or malice, a seeming utopia in comparison to other countries. Conveyed in Barbara Kingsolver’s novel, The Bean Trees, whose plot encapsulated is an aspiring Kentucky girl named Taylor, who was abruptly given a Native American child on a blind trip to Tucson, Arizona. In this town, she discovers new acquaintances of which she experienced both good and bad incidences, while concurrently trying to construct a proper upbringing for the child. In the chapter,”Ismene” Taylor converses with one of her acquaintances, Estevan, an illegal immigrant who escaped from Guatemala. He states the events of the kidnapping of his daughter for the defiance of the
In The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver, three characters in particular undergo a catharsis, each in their own way: Esperanza, Turtle, and Taylor. This paper will focus on the change on the development of the character Esperanza, showing the suffering and difficulties, she has undergone and how through a catharsis, this suffering was ameliorated.
The academic reading, “The Social Construction of Difference”, by Allan G. Johnson provided detail examples of how the construction of society is constructed based on privilege and oppression. Johnson explains how privilege is a matter of being a certain group that is highly value than the other group of people. Oppression is what is lead to since it’s when a privilege group is feeling superior and wanting to take control over certain
Sister Kay Haver explains, "the Refugees realize that the suffering is not over when they arrive in the US” (Mehri). As a member of the Sanctuary's Educational Committee, which helped to create a safe haven for immigrants, Haver describes the obstacles Guatemalan immigrants faced once they escaped to the United States. The Guatemalan Civil War involved extreme violence and pressure from the government, which fought mostly against leftist rebels. The Guatemalan Government has been proven guilty for the genocide of these people. The government targeted mainly poor, indigenous Mayans, similar to Estevan and Esperanza in The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver. Kingsolver grew up in rural Kentucky and briefly lived in the Congo during her
For instance, white people or people who have privilege, meaning that they have a career and a job, are privileged. On the other hand, there are a lot of disadvantaged population that won’t have the opportunity to live as their white folks. Disadvantaged population can be a minority of Whites, African-American, Hispanic and other minorities that didn’t developed the tools and skills to compete with a privileged population. For instance, the educational system is one encourages privilege and disadvantage separating the population more and more, creating a culture of acceptance and low skills as a norm among
Violence and lack of jobs is all around the world. Immigration is often a result of this. Immigrants are forced to leave their homes based off many different factors. The reasons for immigration can easily be avoided and aided by those who are able. In The Bean Trees, by Barbara Kingsolver, immigration is explored through Estevan and Esperanza, who have taken the journey from Guatemala to America due to various reasons. The immigrant experience is often characterized by violence and the need for jobs.
Privilege is an unfair distribution in which a particular group, goods, services and equity ratio is higher than another group.
Barbara Kingsolver once said, “Good fiction creates empathy. A novel takes you somewhere and asks you to look through the eyes of another person, to live another life” (Barbara Kingsolver Quotes). Contemporary Literary Criticism includes authors’ critiques of Kingsolver’s novel, The Bean Trees, agreeing this quote “…imbues the reader with giddy feelings” (“Barbara Kingsolver”). Published in 1988, Kingsolver takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster with a manifold of feelings. Her novel, filled with friendship and survival, is set in the barren American Southwest, focusing on Taylor Greer’s search for a new life as she traveled across the country (“Barbara Kingsolver”). Kingsolver’s adventurous childhood in Kentucky, eye opening
A privilege is an aspect that people will rely on to have an advantage over another, which can be completely unjust. Dr. King states in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” that “It is a historical fact that privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily. Individuals may see the moral light and voluntarily give up their unjust posture, but groups tend to be more immoral than individuals.” I strongly agree with this implication. Even to this day groups will not give up their privileges willingly, consequently exhibiting exactly how unjust and inhumane these groups of people that have this “advantage” are and can be. Due to the numerous amount of circumstances leading to this accusation, like political leaders acting selfishly or
The novel “The Bean Trees” follows the lives of Taylor Greer, and her housemate Lou Ann Ruiz as they struggle with the challenges of single motherhood and the search for their identity and place in the world. In contrast to Taylor’s boldness and confidence is Lou Ann’s timidness, skepticism, and low self-esteem. At the beginning of the novel, Lou Ann has no confidence in herself or her abilities to get along without her husband Angel, or be a good mother. But when Taylor and Turtle move in with Lou Ann and her son Dwayne Ray, Lou Ann slowly begins to regain her self-esteem and independence as she and Taylor come to rely on, encourage, and effectively support each other through their similar upbringing and shared experiences. Although she doesn’t
-Some other examples of experiencing privilege is religion. I feel that Christians and Catholics have the privilege since the US is predominantly Christian and due to that muslims and jews get looked down upon because of politics and
Throughout The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver, Marietta ‘Missy’ Greer goes through many changes. From changing her name to adopting a child and many more life changing events. When she left Pittman County, she probably didn’t expect to have what she ran away from. Taylor left her home in Kentucky since she didn’t want to end up like all the other girls there. Most girls didn’t finish school, got married early, and had many kids. Taylor wanted a better life for herself so she left and made a new life in Tucson, Arizona. Some significant items that changed her life are Lou Ann’s ad in the newspaper, a photo of her and Estevan after Esperanza’s suicide attempt, and Turtle’s custody documents. Each of these items play an important role in Taylor’s
Generations of families have attempted the journey from their home to a new life in the United States. Families have made the journey from their home to a new foreign land for a new life, and while some succeed in the journey others do not. The journey to the United States is very dangerous, but when the families arrive their journey is not over. Families face immigration and border services which are the last barrier to their new life. In The Bean Trees, Barbara Kingsolver addresses the different views on immigration through her many characters. Taylor is young and moved away from her home in Pittman County, she left to start a new life as a new person and was given a child on her journey to find a new home in the
Ultimately, experiences shape who a person is and who they become. In Barbara Kingsolver’s novel, The Bean Trees, three characters, Taylor, Lou Ann, and Mattie, all go through contrasting circumstances, molding them into different people. However, their comparable situations do create some similarities. Taylor is an independent woman who leaves her home in Kentucky and makes a new life for herself in Arizona with a child that is not her own. Lou Ann is also from Kentucky, but undergoes different events, like divorcing her husband and having a baby. Additionally, Mattie is a strong woman who runs her own business, Jesus is Lord Used Tires, and is heavily involved with helping illegal immigrants
Imagine trying to flee your country in the pursuit of freedom and a better life? The Bean Trees is about Americans who have different thoughts about immigrants coming to the United States. Barbara Kingsolver defines the immigrant experience in The Bean Trees through discrimination, making friends, and protecting those in need.
They fought for their freedom, to not be slaves; they fought for their freedom to be an equal. But yet they are still paid lower and thought of as “problem people”. How is white privilege still seen today? White privileges are still happening today in our non-segregated era, we are thought to be equal but there are still imbalances with our social and economical ways. In this paper, I will discuss how white privilege was seen in the past history, and in the present with social and economical ways.