Garrett Hardin’s Lifeboat Ethics

Garrett Hardin in his article states that the current global situation where the rich and the powerful dominate the poor and the weak is an inevitable fact of life. He declares that the resources in the world are not enough to support the entire human population and that only a few can benefit from these resources. He considers the United Nations as a world organization to be a toothless dog whose authority is not enough to control the harmful actions which are harmful not only to the environment but also increases the gap between the rich and the poor. He brings out his belief that only those who are fit to survive in this world are its true owners and that all those who are unable to cut a niche for themselves should be allowed to suffer.

It is my opinion that Hardin is incorrect in his pessimistic assumption that we cannot reverse the negative effects that our actions have brought upon the environment. We have it within our power to ensure that our environment is kept safe and all the resources within it are open for use for everyone in the world. All that all human beings have to do is to take social responsibility, to develop a consciousness or awareness towards the environment so that the environment can be maintained at a perfect state while it benefits the entire human population. We have the power to end all poverty in the world if only we care about one another, if the rich would not aspire to get richer at the expense of the poor without any consideration for the consequences of their actions.

References

Hardin, Garrett. Lifeboat Ethics: the Case Against Helping the Poor. Psychology Today, 1974. Retrieved from http://www.garretthardinsociety.org/articles/art_lifeboat_ethics_case_against_helping_poor.html

Themes connecting V for Vendetta and The Road

Both V for Vendetta and The Road are based on a post apocalyptic future where the world as we know it has been destroyed and the result is that people have descended into chaos which they cannot control. The ability to survive is what keeps the people in these novels going because not to have this ability means that the people involved will have to be destroyed. In addition, there are various moral themes which are designed to ensure that the reader understands the circumstances that the various characters have to undergo to retain their morality throughout the novels. These novels are essentially a discussion of the possibilities of events which are likely to take place in a post apocalyptic world.

One of the themes in these novels are that of parent children relationships and this is mainly because of the fact that the main characters have these relationships. In The Road, there is an unspecified apocalypse which leads to the destruction of civilization and almost all of the life on the planet and it is during this period that an unspecified man and his son attempt to escape winter by traveling south where it is warmer and there is less danger of their being attacked by cannibals, who, having nothing to eat have turned towards other human beings. This is similar to V in V for Vendetta, who has for years taken drastic action against the order established in the post apocalyptic Britain, where after a nuclear war that destroys the world, the country has been taken over by fascists (Moore, 12). V takes Hevy Hammond under his wing and comes to play a father figure to her after the lack of parental attention that she received for most of her life, since the fascist government killed all of her family and the people that she loved. In both novels, one will find that the father figure is a strong character who serves as the bastion of hope for those who look up to them despite all the odds that they have to face in order to attain their goals.

Survival of the fittest is a theme which dominates both of these novels and this is mainly because of the fact that in the post apocalyptic period, people have to do some very selfish things in order to survive. This can be seen in The Road where because of the shortage of food, some human beings have chosen to become cannibals in order to be able to survive (McCarthy, 147). Moreover, in V for Vendetta, it has become the custom for individuals to only fend for themselves. These people have chosen to become subservient to the fascist government instead of fighting for the democratic tradition that has been a part of British life for many centuries. The fascist government on the other hand, works towards its own survival through ensuring that it runs a police state where all the people in society are placed under close surveillance in order to prevent any form of rebellion. In addition, despite all the odds that he faces throughout his captivity, V is able to survive while all the others who were tortured and experimented on do not. Despite the hardships that he undergoes, V is able to become stronger from them and when he finally manages to device a way to escape, he comes to plant the seeds which will eventually lead to the destruction of the fascist government which is responsible for his experiences. The father and son also go through a lot during their journey as they have to fight off various groups of cannibals as well as gangs as they move towards achieving their goals. Despite the fact that his wife killed herself because she could not bear to live in a world of chaos, this does not happen in the case of the man who chooses to live for the sake of his son. Even though he is most likely suffering from a serious lung disease, he continues to show great strength to the last minute when he dies, leaving his son behind.

Morality is a prominent theme throughout both of these novels and this is mainly seen through the actions of the main characters. Despite the fact that most of the food supplies have been depleted in the country, the man and his son work towards maintaining their morality through making sure not to fall into the temptation of cannibalism. The man tells his son that they are among “the good guys” and that because of this; they cannot indulge in the vices which have come to dominate the society around them. It is also because of the man’s morality that he chooses to live even though his wife commits suicide shortly after giving birth to their son because she could not live in the post apocalyptic world. He chooses not to follow the same path because he feels his responsibilities as a father and realizes that he cannot die without first making sure that his son is safe. Furthermore, he makes sure to carry two bullets in a revolver during his journey with his son and these bullets are meant for each of them in case they come to a situation where they have no option other than dying a painful death, especially in the hands of the cannibals. The same is the case in V for Vendetta where V, seeing the injustice that is taking place in society, chooses to take action to bring the fascist government that presides over it down (Moore, 10). Through the story that he gives of Valerie, a lesbian who was in prison with him, he encourages Evey not to give up on the struggle for a just society. In addition, V is attempting to restore the concept of relative morality in the society as a means of ensuring that all the people have their freedom of choice and are not guided by an autocratic government which tells them what to do.

In conclusion, the lives of the main characters of these novels are driven by various themes which dictate their lives. Among these is the fight for morality in societies where the sense of morality is completely perverted. Moreover there is a sense of parental responsibility for by older individuals over the younger ones as they work towards ensuring that the younger ones survive in a traitorous world. Finally, the theme of survival of the fittest also prominent in the novels as the main characters seeks to survive against all odds.

The Relationship between Tom and Laura in the Green Menagerie

One of the most interesting relationships which can be seen in The Glass Menagerie is that of Tom and his sister Laura. One will find that he has a lot of love and respect for Laura and that despite this, his perception of his sister is somehow problematic. Because, as the narrator of the play and also for the reason that he is recollecting it, it is possible that most of his memories of Laura are distorted (Leverich, 6). The play shows that Tom, in spite of his hiding his feelings behind an often cruel demeanor, has a lot of love for his sister and this is seen especially where, after his mother insists that he help Laura get a suitor, he invites his friend Jim home as a potential suitor. Moreover, despite the fact that he is fed up with his family and has for a while had the desire to escape them, Tom seems to stay for the purpose of ensuring that he supports his mother in taking care of Laura. Laura is also seen to have a positive view of her brother because despite his being younger than her, she is more often than not considerate towards him and does not say or do anything that could potentially hurt him. One will see that it the relationship between these two characters is a normal sibling one where there is great love between the two of them even though there are instances where there is potential conflict. Laura’s deformity is one of the underlying themes of the play and this is because of the fact that although she has a lot of potential in living a normal life, she chooses to live a secluded one and she does this with the open support of her brother, who considers it the best thing for her.

The way in which Tom treats Laura can make the audience speculate that it is not a matter of his cruel towards her but that he has an incestuous obsession with her. It is possible that Tom is secretly in love with his sister and that because of the shame that he has towards these unnatural feelings, he chooses to treat her cruelly in order to hide or overcome them. In addition, these feelings can be seen to manifest themselves in several instances, especially where he wholly supports Laura’s decision to leave high school and live at home in complete seclusion from the rest of society.  It seems that Tom supports his sister’s decision not for any purpose of protecting her from society, but because of his need to keep her to himself so that she might not catch the eye of another man. As a consequence of his not wanting his sister to get involved with anyone, and despite the fact that he at first resists his mother’s attempts to make him help his sister meet potential suitors, Tom finally agrees to do so by bringing Jim home for dinner. Jim is an old friend of both of these siblings from high school and in fact, Laura had been secretly interested in him for a long time (Crowther). However, one detail which arises later is that Jim is engaged to be married and therefore cannot be a suitor for Laura; a situation which might make one suspect that Tom had brought him home on purpose. One of his most likely reasons is that he might have wanted to hurt his sister to the extent that she lost all hope of getting married and remained alone for the rest of her life; most likely a result of his incestuous feelings towards her. Furthermore, by bringing Jim home as a potential suitor, it is likely that he only did it to please his mother as well as assuage the guilt he might have felt at not doing anything to help his sister.

In spite of his cruelty towards Laura, and his desire to escape from her and their mother, most of the thoughts that dominate Tom revolve around them. His aspiration for higher things in life is often overshadowed by the need to ensure that Laura is well taken care of and the need for his support that his mother must have in order to make this come true (Saddik, 25). Tom seems to be a man of contradictions because even though he might not show it, it is his deep love for Laura which keeps him home with his family. It is possible that it Laura did not have her condition or that if he had lived alone with his mother, Tom would most likely have left home sooner than he did. However, because he insists that Laura is hopelessly peculiar and that she cannot be able to survive in the real world, it is possible that he wants to protect her from the society which will most likely than not attempt to make Laura’s life miserable. This protective nature is in contrast to the attitude taken by his mother and Jim, who believe that her peculiar nature is a positive thing which makes her a unique individual in the society. Despite these positive statements concerning Laura, it seems that Tom does not relent on his desire to see his sister live a sheltered life and this creates a situation where there is obviously an increase of his cruel treatment of her as seen when he eventually destroys her beloved collection of glass figurines. Tom has a low opinion of Laura and believes that she is not capable of living in the real world; a belief which his mother, Amanda, doe not share. It is because of Tom’s opinion of Laura that he is constantly nagged by his mother to open his eyes and seen Laura for who she really is; a unique individual whose uniqueness can play a positive role in making her life better.

Laura, on the other hand is an individual who is deeply broken both physically and emotionally with the latter being as a result of the negative attitude towards her that her brother develops. She is an extremely compassionate individual who, despite her disability, does not feel sorry for herself and instead shows a lot of empathy towards her brother, even though his attitude towards her often borders on absolute cruelty. This empathy can be seen in the scene described by her mother where she cries for the unhappiness which her brother is undergoing in life and this can be contrasted to the selfishness which her brother displays towards her (“The Collected Stories of Tennessee Williams”, 110). Laura has been the ever loyal sister who, despite her brother’s cruelty and treatment of her, does no do anything bad or in revenge towards him. Instead of developing a hatred towards Tom, as it is often the case under normal circumstances, Laura seems to hold no grudges against her brother and continues to love his despite all the cruelty that she receives from him. Unlike her brother, who only grudgingly accepts his life the way it is, Laura is a woman who accepts her life and makes the choice to live as best as she can under the circumstances. This attitude towards life can be attested to through her having the fewest lines throughout the play, which also works towards showing that she is utterly selfless, unlike her brother who has a lot of lines dedicated to complaining about his lot in life and his desire to escape into a better one. Unlike Tom, whose selfish character is depicted through his speeches, Laura’s character is symbolized by the things which surround her such as the glass menagerie, which works towards showing that she is a delicate and unusual individual. This is in contrast to the way that her brother views her; a woman who is incapable to taking on the real world because of her deformity.

One will find a massive contrast in the manner that these siblings relate throughout the play and this is mainly because of the fact that while one is completely selfish, the other is so selfless to the extent that she even cries for the unhappiness that her brother is suffering. This creates a situation where it is extremely difficult to decipher the reasons why these two individuals feel the way they do towards one another. As has been discussed above, Tom has a lot of love and respect for Laura and that despite this, his perception of his sister is somehow problematic. Moreover, there has been some suggestion that the way in which Tom treats Laura can make the audience speculate that it is not a matter of his cruel towards her but that he has an incestuous obsession with her. In addition, it has been found that in spite of his cruelty towards Laura, and his desire to escape from her and their mother, most of the thoughts that dominate Tom revolve around them. Finally, throughout her lines in the play, Laura is depicted as an extremely compassionate individual who, despite her disability, does not feel sorry for herself and instead shows a lot of empathy towards her brother.

Monstrosity in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Monstrosity is a term that is normally used for individuals that have completely deviated from the best values of society. It is a means of explaining the duality of man’s nature, where despite the good that is often present in daily interactions in society, there is also a darker side, where the individual involved have secret desires that go against social norms. It is often a constant struggle for these individuals to make sure that they are able to suppress their darker side because they have to hold steady to their moral side in order to continue being accepted by the rest of society. It is therefore essential for individuals to make sure that they are able to seek righteousness through restraining themselves from committing those acts that would be considered monstrous. In this paper, there will be an analysis of the poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight in order to demonstrate that the monstrous nature of man is real and that it needs to be suppressed in order to ensure that society does not descend into chaos.

The theme of monstrosity is prominent in he poem, especially in the case where it seeks to show that individuals have to be constantly tested in order to remain committed to their ideals. In the poem, Sir Gawain is shown to be an individual that has the chivalrous characteristics that were most prized in King Arthur’s court (Walker 112). However, despite this side of him being prominent, it is revealed that he is an individual, like all human beings, who has a darker side. This is seen through the way that Gawain has to struggle in order to overcome the temptation that come about through letting go of his human qualities and giving in to the monster within. This ability is especially prominent in the way that he relates with the Green Knight, whose agenda it is to tempt Gawain into giving in to his animal needs. In addition, Gawain is also tempted to commit adultery with the wife of his host, but he overcomes this temptation and ends up in a situation where he is able to retain his chivalric character. Under these circumstances, where Gawain is constantly tested, there is a revelation that what separates man from the animal or monster within him is the attempt to hold on to hold on to ideals, in this case chivalry, that ensures that he is not able to fall into temptation. Instead, chivalry, supported by religion, is what keep Gawain from falling into a situation where he would not have been able to resist the animal instinct that was pulling him towards accepting his monstrous nature (Mills 484).

The struggle against man’s monstrous nature is further shown through the way that Gawain is given tests during the days that he lives with his hosts. During the first two nights of his stay, Gawain kisses his host after the host’s wife attempts to seduce him. However, Gawain resists the temptation to get involved with the host’s wife because to do so would be a considerable betrayal. Therefore, his action of kissing his host is important because it shows his loyalty to him and Gawain’s refusal to give in to the monster within him (Dinshaw 205). It is also a sign of his respect for his host because the latter has taken Gawain in at the worst possible moment where he was suffering despair. Gawain’s loyalty to his chivalry as well as his king make it difficult for him to tarnish the latter’s name because to do so would have been the biggest humiliation that Gawain would have encountered among his peers. These scenarios in the poem show that human beings are in a constant struggle to overcome their animal instincts (Woods 209). This struggle is essential because it allows them to overcome all the tests that are put in their way and help them achieve a level of order because they are able to suppress the monsters within them. The darker side of human nature is seen through the way that Gawain is tempted to undertake actions that go against his religious and chivalrous beliefs, yet he is able to overcome it by an effort of will.

The poem shows that there are instances where individuals can give in to their inner monster because of self-preservation. Gawain, afraid of death at the hands of the Green Knight, conceals from his host that the host’s wife has given him a magic green girdle which she tells him will help to protect him from being harmed (Foley 73). The instinct of self-preservation is one that seems to overcome the need to observe chivalry and leads to a situation where the individual gives into the monster. A consequence is that when Gawain is confronted by the Green Knight about the green girdle, he confesses to his sin, feeling extremely guilty about it. The Green Knight shows Gawain considerable understanding, stating that it was Gawain’s attempt to preserve his life that led him to concealing the girdle from him. Despite this assurance, Gawain remains troubled because he has failed in upholding his chivalrous beliefs and has instead allowed the darker side within him to tempt him into seeking to preserve himself. The tests that Gawain undergoes throughout the story are pertinent to understanding the way that despite their best efforts, human beings tend to be foremost concerned about protecting themselves from harm rather than seeking to advance the interests of their societies. This is the case with Gawain who, despite having travelled to honour a promise by Arthur’s court, is forced into a situation where he instead seeks to protect himself. At that moment, when he feels that he is going to encounter certain death, self-preservation wins out and he keeps the green girdle that he is given from his host.

The character development of Gawain is one that seeks to encourage human beings of their ability to suppress their monstrous nature. He is an individual that seeks to make sure that he does right with all those that rely on him. This is to such an extent that he makes the decision to seek out the Green Knight in order to fulfil the promise that he made to him. As such, Gawain is an honest man, willing to undergo an ordeal that might end up taking his life, as stated that “True men pay what they owe,” (line 444). Gawain is also honest concerning the two kisses from the host’s wife, which is extremely important because it allows him to receive the host’s good faith. The honesty displayed by Gawain is important n showing individuals that they can achieve considerable fulfilment through sticking to their ideals because under such circumstances, they can be able to enhance their image while at the same time maintaining order in their societies. Giving in to the monstrous nature can only lead to their failure to ensure that they are above animals; instead creating chaos where there should otherwise be order. Gawain’s failure to reveal information concerning the green girdle and his subsequent confession about it shows that despite the temptation to let in the monstrous part of their nature, human beings can redeem themselves through maintaining those ideals that keep them separate from other creatures whose monstrous side is more prominent.

In the poem, there is biblical allusion concerning how man is constantly tested to find out how well they are able to suppress their monstrous nature. The Green Knight is described in a way that shows his godlike attributes because he is the one that carries out the tests on Gawain. He is an individual that seeks to find out how well Gawain can hold on to his ideals while at the same time making Gawain work very hard in order to achieve his approval (Carter 29). The Green Knight’s godlike attribute can also be seen in the way that he appears in Arthur’s court and makes his demands. Later in the poem, it is revealed that he does so because the court is one where the tenets of chivalry and religion are held dear, and that he wanted to see whether its members would be able to continue doing so under extraordinary circumstances (Martin 312). The way that the Green Knight behaves is more closely associated to a nature god than to a regular knight, with his tests and location at the green chapel; which is actually a barrow that would normally be associated with a dragon (Evans 723). Therefore, his actions in testing Gawain is to find out how well the latter can suppress the monstrous nature of human beings while at the same time holding on to the ideals that make up human society.

Human beings have an inner monster, and they have to constantly exercise restraint in order to suppress it. Gawain’s trials are an example of his attempt to keep away from animalistic impulses because he does not give into the seductions of his host’s wife. Instead, he seeks to remain honest and maintain his honour at a time when his dark side strains to dominate him. Gawain demonstrates that by keeping their animalistic instincts at bay, human beings are capable of achieving great things. Holding on to chivalrous ethics, as in the case of Gawain, is important in helping individuals achieve their full potential, especially in a society where there is a lack of serious observance of these ideals (Stevens 66). The poem gives the impression that it is essential for human beings to not only observe the chivalric code, but also religion so that they can be able to overcome the evil side of their nature. It is also a means through which to maintain order and fellowship in society because they can be better able to work together towards the achievement of good. Chivalry and religion are essential restraints against man’s monstrous nature, and they should be held onto in order to overcome it.

In conclusion, the monstrous nature of human beings and their need to suppress it is an important subject in the poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The poem shows that human beings have to constantly hold on to chivalrous ideals in order to ensure that they overcome the monstrosity that is the dark side of their nature. The tests that Gawain undergoes are reminiscent of what all humans undergo on a daily basis as they struggle to keep away their animalistic characteristics and seek to achieve their full potential through maintaining values that are essential for order to prevail within their own societies.