Author: crupi.4

Text Review: Hunger Games

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The text I chose to review for this assignment is The Hunger Games. The series consists of 3 books, but the overlying theme of them all is the government is in total control, living affluent lives in the capital, while everyone else in the US is living in poverty. Every 4 years the Hunger Games are hosted and once you turn the age of 13 you name is added to the count. If you are selected you are forced to fight to the death and if you win you receive a nice house, riches and to never have to enter the hunger games again.

President Snow is the leader the Panem and holds all the power. If anyone attempts to flee or not accept government decisions they are tied to a steak in the middle of the districts and whipped infant of the town, or possible killed. President Snow is able to have sole power because his power comes from the fear he inflicts. When Katniss and Peta the two man characters are the last two alive in the Hunger Games, rather than one of them killing the other (the way its supposed to go) then attempt to kill themselves together. The Game Makers stop them before they succeed and they are pronounced the 2 winners. This strips a lot of power from President Snow as Katniss and Peta showed the entirety of Panem that it is possible to uphold president Snow. Winning the Hunger Games not only raises the class of Katniss and Peta and the actions they performed but they hold power from disobeying capital laws and remaining alive. This infuriates Snow as he makes it his mission to kill Katniss as her stunt created a cascade effect of rebellion in the districts.

This is similar to DeBeauvoirs’ excepts on “the Other”. There is The One and then the “Other” which is usually the undesired and the lesser option. In Hunger Games the people of Panem are the other’s as they are all poor, unrepresented and under strict control. Relating to the Hunger Games, President Snow “sets himself up as the essential, as opposed to the other, the inessential, the object.” This is a strong representation as to what President Snow is doing and demonstrates that President Snow somehow made him self essential and made and treats the people of Panem as objects. 

 

Collins, S., 2008. The Hunger Games. Scholastic Press.

sarner, l., 2021. Why the ‘Hunger Games’ prequel book is so controversial. [online] New York Post. Available at: <https://nypost.com/2020/01/22/why-the-hunger-games-prequel-book-is-so-controversial/> [Accessed 25 April 2021].

confronting racism in the workplace

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                      MIT Management Review

Systematic injustice in the work place

Rachel Crupi

 

Injustice is occurring everywhere around the world all the time, but specifically prominent in the US work system. There is a discrimination between men and women setting women behind, but even more discrimination based off of race, making black women have the toughest barrier to hurdle. Jennifer Joe and Wendy Smith writ from “The Conversation” that president Joe Biden “committed the US government to racial equity by issuing four executive orders on January 26 that seek to curb systematic racism”. This article focuses on what co workers and those with higher positions can do to support and be an antidote to systematic racism in the workplace. This article brought to my attention that even asking “what can I do” isn’t the best way to help because it implies that their is a power dynamic when the main goal is to remove that and create equality. Joe and Smith concluded after numerous interviews that acknowledging the strengths and talents that those of color have in the workplace and apply them creates a more effective, beneficial workplace for both parties. Those of color have said they try to perform at higher levels just to prove to their colleagues that they have the same talents and abilities as their fellow coworkers- specifically the white ones. This is unfair to those of color to have to work harder to prove that they are at the same level as their white coworkers when they may even be at a higher level, but won’t be seen that way because of their color. Recognizing how to act differently and properly will benefit those of color and their company if the dislocation can be eliminated.

DeBeauvoir’s excerpt from “The Second Sex” discusses the concept of Other which is prominent in every single racist remark, action and situation. That is where racism comes into play as the racist view the group they are discriminating against as other because they are not them and in their minds that makes them “lesser” people. She writes “In small–town eyes all persons not belonging to the village are ‘strangers’” and this is still how some people view others but where is this “criteria” that they do not belong, where does this idea of us versus them stem from and why is it continuing after all these years with major legal and social movement. 

 

Avery, Derek, and Erinca Ruggs. “Confronting The Uncomfortable Reality Of Workplace Discrimination”. MIT Sloan Management Review, 2021, https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/confronting-the-uncomfortable-reality-of-workplace-discrimination/.

Joe, J. and Smith, W., 2021. 3 ways Black people say their white co-workers and managers can support them and be an antidote to systemic racism. [online] The Conversation. Available at: <https://theconversation.com/3-ways-black-people-say-their-white-co-workers-and-managers-can-support-them-and-be-an-antidote-to-systemic-racism-154052> [Accessed 13 March 2021].

Contex Presentation: Persepolis

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History of Iran in 1970: The Revolution 

Persepolis takes place during the Iranian Revolution. I myself do not know much about Iran, especially the revolution. I researched Iran’s history and the political and cultural events that were taking place during this time, in the 1970’s to better understand the novel.  Learning about the history and gaining context of Iran during the time this book took place increased my comprehension of the novel, allowing myself to further appreciate the story and history. 

Marji is a young girl who is shielded from the politics of her country by all the adults in her life, yet she continues to search for answers and ultimately someone to take her curiosities seriously. She mentions that her parents would go to demonstrations, most likely the one against Mohammad Reza Shah and her uncle was in prison for 9 years. Her family was actively involved with the revolution but chose to share very little with her. Marji turns to literature to understand what is occurring and this becomes very important to her as her grandfather is involved and who and what to believe. 

In 1970, 52 american diplomats were held hostage for over a year. When the hostage occurred President Carter allowed Iran’s deposed Shah to come to the US for cancer treatment. The students used this action to “descale a break with Iran’s past and to end American interference in its affairs” (History.com). 

The revolution began in 1979 and resulted in the toppling of the monarchy which was created by Mohammad Reza Shah in 1921. Mohammad Reza Shah began the White revolution in attempts to carry out a national development program. This new structure he evoked was economically successful, but did not bring equal success among the people. By the 1970s citizens were fed up with the Shah’s government. In January of 1978 thousands of students took to the streets and began to protest the Shah regime. Then in September Shah’s regime inflicted Marshall law and troops began to fight the demonstrators killing hundreds, causing the government workers to go on strike which then led to oil workers going on strike greatly impacting the oil industry. The people then turned to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, a radical cleric who forced Shah to demobilize his government and flee to Egypt. 

After learning about Iran’s history the way the book was written began to make more sense. Marji is a young girl and the book is written from her perspective which explains the pictures. She also has so much emotion built up from the lack of recognition she received from her parents and she revealed that emotion mainly through her pictures rather than writing about it. 

Afary, Janet. “Iranian Revolution.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 20 Jan. 2021, www.britannica.com/event/Iranian-Revolution.

History.com Editors. “Iran Hostage Crisis.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 1 June 2010, www.history.com/topics/middle-east/iran-hostage-crisis.