Set of Choices which Impacted Modern Society - Literature review Example

Yona Strimber Lydia Kraus English Comp. II LLE102 The Self as the Captain of the Soul Assessing the Choices of Selected Literary andHistorical Figures Introduction The contrasting ideas of free will and destiny are two of the factors how people cope with the consequences of their decisions. It has been repeatedly discussed by philosophers, poets made verses out of it, and people govern their life according to it. Words were written and speeches were pronounced by the greatest men and women of history about what it means to make choices. “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, “The Bet” by Anton Checkhov, “Resignation Speech” by Richard Nixon, and “Blood, Toil, Sweat and Tears” by Winston Churchill, imply what it means to make a choice. Through their literary artistry and political ideologies, these literary and historical figures made their own set of choices which impacted modern society. A person’s choice can alter one’s perception of life in general; its influence can expand infinitely and thus, choices do not only refer to what one prefers but what legacy he desires to make to the people around him. Choices William Ernest Henley, through his poem “Invictus,” illustrates what life is and choice as a leading factor to affect one’s destiny. The last two verses of his poem create an image of life as a ship, where the person is “the master of his fate” and “the captain of his soul” (Henley 15-16). Patrick Lim, a professional business coach, argues in his essay, “The Art of making Choices,” that there are three kinds of choices people have to make in their lives. He coined the term “fundamental choice,” which means the choice regarding a person’s “state of being” and “basic life orientation” (n. pag.). Most events published in literature exemplify the role of decision-making in one’s destiny; as simple as choosing what road to take may have larger effects in the future. The four selected works of literature are bound together through unity of theme: choice. The texts might be morbid, frank, or ironic; the choices presented in the selected texts didactically address the impact of choice in one’s life. “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson “The Lottery,” upon its first publication in the magazine called “The New Yorker,” aroused controversy with its ironic representation of society’s violence. The setting which typifies an ordinary village filled with realistic characters contrasted with the real agenda of their celebration mentioned in the story. With Jackson’s description of the character’s habits and the way they treat each other, it is almost unpredictable that the lottery the story is referring shades the setting with an unusual accepted darkness the village has been practicing for seventy-seven years. The mention of “clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day,” (Jackson 5) following the rest of the descriptions about how the villagers are preparing for the lottery seem like to be a perfect way of inducting a celebration; but the closure of the story will explain that the exposition serves as an emphasis of the union of decency and violence. The Lottery is played like any other form of sweepstakes, only that the price is not congruent to what the readers have expected it to be. Whoever has picked the piece of paper with a pen blot on it would be stoned to death in the middle of spectators: composed of friends and family. Choice has an important task to perform in the story. The village’s attachment to tradition and their choice to deny changes which might have brought the end of a hideous event served as the focal point of the story. A black box, where the pieces of paper to draw is contained, was “no longer completely black but splintered badly along one side... faded or stained,” (8) tells much about how the villagers are devoted to their tradition. Mr. Summers often suggests of replacing the black box with a new one, but everyone else in the village refuses his idea. According to Voth, the villagers’ fear of change is evident throughout the story. A character named Old Man Warner says that the villages who decide to quit the lottery are fools. In the end, it is Mrs. Hutchingson who is drawn to play the lottery. Although it is evident that her casual mood at the beginning is only a facade of her real emotions towards the game, she does not have the choice but to play it, since the village is tied up to their traditions. “The Bet” by Anton Checkhov It is rather peculiar to realize how a simple debate over a social issue will lead to a tremendous effect on a person’s insight about what life is. “The Bet” by Anton Chekhov tells about the agreement of a lawyer and a banker exchanging freedom for $2 million amount. It all started with an argument about which type of criminal punishment is more immoral, whether it is death sentence or lifetime imprisonment. According to Bloom, although the story is written on a third person point of view, reading between the lines can provide an idea that the story is actually “written from a banker’s point of view” (30). It is as if that majority of the points made by Chekhov is actually what the banker is thinking. Furthermore, the banker’s challenge to the bet is the root of the conflict in the story, and the lawyer’s choice to accept such challenge defines its theme. After the bet is arranged, regretful statements are noticeable in the banker’s words; saying that “it was all nonsensical and meaningless” (Chekhov 3). On the lawyer’s side however, he is determined to prove that his side of the argument is correct. During his time in prison, he prevents tobacco and wine which can excite human desires because according to him, “desires are the worst foes of a prisoner” (4). His act of exterminating all forms of physical pleasures reveals his intention of not merely proving himself right but an indication that he is firm to his commitment. As a part of departing from the world he was once a part of, he orders as much books as he could, studies various languages and reads novels of complicated plot. By the end of the story, when the prison is about to gain his freedom, the banker thinks of a hideous plan of killing the lawyer, since it is the only way to spare his fortunes. However, when he comes to his cell and very close to killing him, he reads a letter from the prisoner. The letter is all about what the lawyer has discovered during the years of confinement, and is concluded by stating that he will break the compact by escaping “five minutes before the stipulated term” (11). After reading the letter, the banker goes out of the prison cell conscientiously. The choice of the banker of keeping the letter in a safety vault suggests that instead of keeping in his heart what he has learned from the lawyer, he feels a sense of relief of regaining his fortunes without a potential murder (Bloom 32). In the end, although the lawyer has gained so much in prison, the winner of the bet is still the banker, based on their agreement. Resignation Speech of Richard Nixon On August 8, 1974, U.S. President Richard Nixon made history when he announced his resignation from the office, making himself the first, and the only U.S. president to have quit the position. This decision rooted from his connection in the Watergate scandal. Saying that, “America needs a full-time President and a full-time Congress,” (Nixon 7) Nixon felt that he and the politicians involved in the Watergate scandal should quit the office since they could not devote a full percentage of their time to the government affairs in the midst of the investigation. Ford, who was the successor to Nixon’s position said that the speech was "one of the very saddest incidents” that he “has ever witnessed” (qtd. in Kilpatrick). After a month from his resignation speech, President Ford granted Nixon full pardon of whatever crime he has committed as president. President Nixon’s speech was centered on his willingness to serve the American people in the best way he could, even if it means giving up the position the people assigned him. He stated that, “to leave office before my term is completed is abhorrent to every instinct in my body” (7). Although it was evident that he did not have the full desire to resign, he had no other choice if he had to put the people’s welfare first in line. The choice of quitting does not mean all the time that the person is afraid to face dangerous possibilities. Sometimes, it is just about protecting the common good. For Nixon’s part, political agenda did not matter at the very moment he was reciting his speech, what he was concerned, is making the best decision he could make as a president. Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat The phrase “blood, toil, tears and sweat,” already appeared in history even before Winston Churchill included it in his first speech as Prime Minister. However, the superb speech people recognize today did not receive the rightful appreciation during the time it was delivered. According to Lukacs, an American anthropologist, the phrase is not only strong sounding but in the most powerful enthusiasm, “cast a sudden stab of light beneath the sonorous timbre of Churchill’s rhetoric” (4). Thus, there is a need to examine and further understand Churchill’s words. Actually, the speech Churchill has to deliver is an acceptance speech for the Prime Minister’s office; however, he chose to pronounce to the people a battle that has been overseen by most European countries, the battle against the notorious Nazis. Although most of the Members of the Parliament did not support and even doubted the soundness of his ideas, Churchill still went on with his speech encouraging “to wage war, by sea, land and air” (Churchill par. 5). The weak support of his supposed to be allies did not move Churchill’s will to fight against tyranny and lead Britain to victory. By the means he thought was right, he was positive that the British and the world can succeed over an attempt of unitary government of the world. A professor in Louisiana State University, Richard Story, contends that Churchill’s speech “became the voice of resolve and determination among Britain and its Commonwealth allies to stop the spread of totalitarianism” (n. pag.). The phrase uttered by Churchill would mean an enduring strength and encouragement towards the citizens of the world. Unlike other political speeches, he did not promise anything to Britain for he accepted the fact that promises were the hardest thing to make during a blurry destination of his country. Churchill, however, chose to continue what he knew was good for Britain (Lukacs). Implications in the Present The selected texts were written and delivered decades ago, but today’s issues made its messages fresh. Changes are as inevitable as death, as constant as the night and day; and the failure to recognize these changes would mean separating the self from reality. Though there is nothing wrong with practicing old traditions, it is also necessary to bear in mind that not all traditions are morally recognized nowadays, however depending on one’s tradition. There are times when the value of a person is tested and torn between the choice of being good and bad; as no one is exempted to err, limitations of one’s personality can often times build barriers to himself, to other people, and to God, whatever he sees Him to be. The weakness of human soul is forgivable, provided that he recognized his faults and does the best to correct it; Richard Nixon and the banker might be the two opposing figures to relate with, where the former changes for the good and the latter decides to stay as he was. Times of trouble may detach strength from our will, but being like Churchill would serve as an assurance that whatever obstacle there may be, one’s aspirations can be realized. Conclusion Everyday is a confrontation of a decision: to exist and live or to give up and fade away. Life is a constant process and in the end, it is judged by the way a person makes choices. The innate goodness of man, as what Anne Frank believes and wrote in her diary, must be the basis of all his judgements for in that way, there would be less chances of being astray. Good decisions are not based on what good it brought to oneself, but what good it brought to life in general for they are not meant to please personal desire but to satisfy the common good. Word count: 2096 Works Cited Bloom Harold. Anton Chekhov. New York: Infobase Publishing, 2009. Print. Chekhov, Anton. The Bet and Other Stories. SC: Bibliobazaar, LLC. Print. Churchill, Winston. “Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat.” The Churchill Center and Museum and the Churchill War Rooms, London. winstonchurchill.org., 13 May 1940. Web. 15 Dec. 2010. . Henley, Ernest William. “Invictus.” Bartleby.com. Bartleby.com, n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2010. . Jackson, Shirley. The Lottery. Minnesota: The Creative Company, 2008. Print. Kilpatrick, Carroll. “Nixon Resigns.” Washington Post 09 Aug. 1974: A01. Print. Lim, Patrick. “The Art of Making Choices.” Tickled by Life. tickledbylife.com, n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2010. . Lukacs, John. Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat: The Dire Warning: Churchill’s First Speech as Prime Minister. New York: Basic Books, 2008. Print. Nixon, Richard. “Resignation Speech.” PBS. PBS, 08 Aug. 1974. Web. 15 Dec. 2010. . Story, Richard N. “Winston S. Churchill: Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat: The Great Speeches – Book Review.” The Armchair General 22 Oct. 2008: n. pag. Print. Voth, Lori. “The Analysis of ‘The Lottery,’ a Short Story by Shirley Jackson.” Associated Content. Yahoo! Inc., 21 Nov. 2005. Web. 16 Dec. 2010. . Read More