What Does Saramago Say About Humanity

Remarque explains in a verbose manner, “All other expressions lie in a winter sleep, life is simply one continual watch against the menace of death;-- it has transformed us into unthinking animals in order to give us the weapon of instinct--it has reinforced us with dullness, so that we do not go to pieces before the horror, which would overwhelm us if we had clear, conscious thought--it has awakened in us the sense of comradeship, so that we escape the abyss of solitude--it has lent us the indifference of wild creatures, so that in spite of all, we perceive the positive in every moment, and store it up as a reserve against the onslaught of nothingness” (AQOWF, 273). Through this excerpt, Paul Baumer, the main character, explains the psychology behind the inhumanity. It is not a loss of compassion, but rather a mental possession that serves as a defense mechanism to disguise the emotions that might follow had they been in their “right

Jacoby states, “in 1994 that more than 200,000 prison inmates are raped each year, usually to the indifference of the guards.” (Jacoby, 1997, P. 2) A lot of the seventeen year olds and up that go to prison with lesser charges shouldn’t have to deal with this psychological trauma and should rather want to go through corporal punishment even with the humiliation that comes with

In disastrous situations, humans are brought to the extremes. At first, people panic and become desperate for any solution, as seen on pg. 74 where Kathy describes an empty shelved Walmart that looked like the end of the world. Greed and lawlessness due to a lack of police is also an extreme; this is seen on pgs. 128-129 when Zeitoun encounters a gang robbing a Shell station on his way to work, it had thugs armed with guns. It is even more clear on page 175, where Mayor Nagin described the events in the Superdome, “About three days we were basically rationing…that’s why the people, in my opinion, they got to this almost animalistic state…they were trapped…for five days watching dead bodies, watching hooligans killing people, raping people…” Mayor Nagin says that the feeling of desperateness, of being trapped, and of helplessness made people animalistic. On the other hand and to a lesser extent, people like Zeitoun show an opposite extreme. After Katrina, Zeitoun developed a hero complex after rescuing the

For example, how the dehumanization has turned them into animals when they are starved: “Men were hurling themselves against each other, trampling, tearing at and mauling each other. Beast of prey unleashed, animal hate in their eyes. An extraordinary vitality possessed them, sharpening their teeth and nails”(Wiesel, 101). This quotation demonstrates, the lengths they will go to get food, which is often related to triviality in modern society. The way they have no care for others safety shows their lose of human interactions and their relationships with others. The use of phrases like “mauling” and “animal hate” is often used in relation to dehumanization of someone by associating them to animal like behaviors they become animal-like. In conclusion, the victims of dehumanization have lost their mental stability, relationships with others, and have become

The biggest unethical matter of this all though was that often time these women did not give their own consent for this treatment. As we saw through Demerson's memoir it was often the families of the women who were incarcerated who deemed a women's suitability towards being a

Humans are a unique species because they have possess the ability to reason. Other animal species only have instinct, thus making them less smart. In Richard Connell’s short story “The Most Dangerous Game”, it tells of a hunter named Rainsford who got stranded on Ship-Trap Island. Zaroff hunted Rainsford on the island, but in the end Rainsford killed Zaroff . In “The Most Dangerous Game”, the author uses imagery, setting, and characterization to suggest that instinct is better than reasoning.

The prison system and local police officers during the time of the Great Depression provoked many of the infamous outlaws to become what society knows them as today. This was either done by torturing, belittling, beating, or others forms of abuse inflicted on inmates intended to keep them in line. This cycle of abuse has yet to subside and has ultimately been accepted as a part of American culture. A Business Insider article quotes the Bureau of Justice Statistics directly about the number of sexual assault cases in prisons: “In its most recent report on the issue, the Bureau of Justice Statistics said there were nearly 9,000 allegations of sexual victimization in prisons and jails in 2011 alone” (Pamela Engel). Phillips realized that some action must be taken to improve the system or society would be doomed to repeat the past. By providing these footnotes Phillips has given society another opportunity to prevent the disaster that is Bonnie and

When I first started reading, ‘Burning Down the House,’ by Nell Bernstein, I was surprised at what juveniles went through while in jail. One of the chapters that caught my attention the most was chapter 5, called “The Fist and the Boot.” This chapter covered physical abuse in jail, and while reading the chapter, one of the examples of physical abuse which stood out to me the most was on page 84, where it said that, “In Mississippi, guards ripped the clothing from suicidal girls, then hog-tied them, naked and tossed them into solitary.” When I read this, I was shocked that the prison in Mississippi could even do that. Ripping clothes from suicidal girls and hog-tying them naked will not help them at all, that will only make them worse for them.

Thus setting an example on how herd behavior can embolden individuals to do what they usually wouldn’t, and often such ends with unpredictable violence. To relate, the author of “Herd Behavior” states in the text, “Herd behavior in humans is frequently observed at times of danger and

In the article “Research & Reports on Women’s Imprisonment”, it states, “ The

“That’s how life is, what it gives with one hand one day, it takes away with the other”. This quote can relate to a lot of real life scenarios, even drunk driving can relate to this quote. I believe Saramago is trying to let every reader have a deep understanding of life and death. Going back to the quote, I mentioned how it can relate to drunk driving, because drunk driving causes death to another innocent individual without giving them a chance of deciding when their life should end. Their life was ended through another person’s hand, similar to the story illustrated in the second part of Death with Interruptions, how Saramago created a character name “death”, and she goes around the country mailing out this violet letter to those who will

Within the chapter “How Gender Structures the prison system” the issue of sexual assault behind prison walls is brought to light. Female prisoners were being sexually violated and humiliated. Davis states throughout this passage that woman experience sexualy assault, before and after they enter the prison system. Personally, after reading this chapter and reading external sources, I feel that women became the targets for sexual abuse by an authority figure. Whomever commits these heinous acts are using their role of authority as a coverup to inflict pain on these individuals. In the prison writings of Kate Richards O’Hare, we see her share a view similar to Davis. O’Hare states, “I found that under the guise of punishment for crime, and in

Prison rape in jail can ultimately bring hierarchy between the weaker and the stronger. Although many would believe rape offenders in men’s prisons are mainly homosexuals, studies have shown that homosexuals are more likely to be sexually abused than perpetrators. In prison it is actually known that men become rapists to overpower their victims. Patriarchal systems of power, male incentive to overpower the weaker, exist both outside and inside of jail. In any community, women are seen as weak; therefore, men tend to overpower women. Most prisoners have this same mentality; therefore since there are no women to overpower they decide to suppress the weaker or smaller sized inmates. Victims are also effeminized and given tasks to perform such as cleaning dishes and cooking food. Physiologists believe that prison rape is not caused by the lack of women, but “mainly as a means by which people who have been stripped of control over the most basic aspects of their lives- when to eat a meal, take a shower, or watch TV- can reclaim some sense of power.”(Brook) According to Wilbert Rideau, a Louisiana prisoner wrote “the

When we are placed in situations of desperation, we often resort to other motives that we would normally categorize as inhumane in order to survive:“When your own life is threatened, your sense of empathy is blunted by a terrible, selfish hunger for survival,” (133). This becomes apparent to Pi when he does not feel any sympathy towards the zebra, after the ruthless attack from the hyena. Pi has trouble coping with this behaviour as it is going against values that defines him as a person: religion and his moral obligations. This willpower to survive often blocks our sense of empathy for one another and controls our mind and our hearts. Later in the chapter, the hyena has an opportunity to attack the orangutan, but does not. This relates to the idea that theses two opposites of moral and survival instincts can co exist together, such as the rhino and the goat. Ultimately, the symbolism of the two opposite natures coexisting with one another proves that nature is filled with surprises and the need for balance of cooperation and competition is essential to survive.

“There are too many people, and too few human beings.” (Robert Zend) Even though there are many people on this planet, there are very few civilized people. Most of them are naturally savaged. In the book, Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, boys are stranded on an island far away, with no connections to the adult world. These children, having no rules, or civilization, have their true nature exposed. Not surprisingly, these children’s nature happens to be savagery. Savagery can clearly be identified in humans when there are no rules, when the right situation arouses, and finally when there is no civilization around us.