Football's Last Taboo

The article Football’s Last Taboo by Patrick Barkham vividly shows the real feelings of those involved in football concerning gay players and their treatment of those players who come out of the closet. It is indeed true that the idea of a gay player on the field playing for a major club is still taboo and in many circles in the football hierarchy, including within FIFA, it is still very much frowned upon. This is the reason why many gay players choose to hide their true sexual orientation because if they were to reveal it, it is more likely than not that they would be discriminated against and shunned not only by their fellow players and managers but also by the fans of the clubs for which they play. Barkham gives the example of Liverpool player Justin Fashanu who in nineteen ninety stunned the world by becoming the first football player to come out of the closet and openly declare that he was gay. Fashanu was shunned by the entire world of football, which included not only the manager of his team but also his teammates, the fans as well as his family. Due to this lack of support even from those people who he would have expected it from such as his brother, John, Fashanu’s career started going on a downward spiral which would eventually result in his taking his own life eight years later. It is a very interesting thing to note that despite the fact that almost all the other parts of the entertainment industry have gay people playing prominent roles in them, in football, the idea of gay players seems to be taboo and that players who have dared come out of the closet have received vicious taunts and abuse from the fans.

Barkham’s article focuses specifically on Anton Hysen, a Swedish football player who is the twenty year old son of former Liverpool defender and Swedish international, Glenn Hysen. For a person who is just at the beginning of his football career, Anton has done a very bold thing by coming out of the closet and declaring that he is gay. This is something that many other gay players would not dare to do in consideration of the potential of ruining their chances of keeping their careers going. Anton states that he has his family and the liberal nature of many Swedes to thank for the support he has received since he revealed his sexual orientation to the world and opposed to the treatment that Fashanu received, Anton has received and maintained the support and goodwill of his family and the fans of the team for which he plays. Perhaps his retention of the support of the team’s fans is based mainly on the fact that it is still a small team and if he were playing for the big leagues of Sweden, then he would be more exposed to the abuse directed at him due to his sexual orientation. It can be noted that Anton’s self confidence as well as not taking personally the abuse that has been leveled at him on occasion is what keeps him going and it is quite possible that when he goes to the big leagues, he will achieve great success in spite of the negative reception that he is likely to receive.

In this article, Barkham engages the reader by getting directly to the point and stating that the subject of his article (Anton Hysen) is gay and further gives the example of Justin Fashanu as a comparison. He then reveals the prominent background of Anton’s family in the football world by introducing his father, Glenn, and brother, Tobias. Having done this, he then discusses with Anton how he has been received by the football fans in Sweden as well as his teammates. This article can be said to be very bold because it discusses a topic which is very rarely, if at all, discussed by those who are involved in football. There is so much stigma involved around this issue that many players either choose to keep their gay sexual orientation secret or do not come out in support of their gay colleagues. Barkham’s article can also be said to be very revealing because it not only deals with a taboo subject, but it also shows the extent of homophobia within the football profession. It is a direct attack against the football establishment for continuing to tolerate the homophobic ideas, which can only be considered to belong in the Middle Ages, in the world as it is today. It is a very revealing article and it considers facts about football which are rarely even thought about by those who are involved in it or even by those who are its biggest fans. It is our belief that this article deals with very pertinent issues which should be taken very seriously not only by the football establishment but also by all those who are involved in football because it is high time that homophobia in football came to an end.

References

Barkham, P., 2011. Football’s Last Taboo. The Guardian Weekly, 29 Apr. pp. 25

Culture Shock

Culture shock is a growing phenomenon all over the world as globalization continues to spread and many people move from one country to another in an effort to improve the circumstances of their lives. Many people experience culture shock when they encounter other cultures which are not similar to those in which they formerly used to live. This unfamiliarity with the new culture makes many of those who encounter it fail to understand the factors which influence conduct of local people so that they do not discern how they themselves should behave. When these people lose all familiar signs and symbols of social intercourse, they have to try to adapt themselves to different lifestyles, living conditions and business practices in a new cultural setting and this often proves to be a long term and difficult process. In this condition, feelings of alienation accumulate sharply because of poor adaptation and consequentially, culture shock occurs, followed by a series of psychological confusion and emotional discomfort (Xia, 97 – 101).

There tends to be many responses to culture shock and this depends on individuals. Some people often choose to completely immerse themselves in the new culture which they have encountered in an attempt to fit into the fabric of the new society. Such people often shun the culture which they previously used to practice and instead develop a very negative attitude towards it (Dongfeng, 70 – 74). Others choose to only adopt the aspects of the new culture they have encountered which they consider to be good but continue to practice the culture which they are more familiar with. A third group chooses to completely reject the new culture and tightly stick to the culture which they believe to be the best for them. These often create their own settlements or sectors within the society in which they have gone to live and it is only on rare occasion that they encounter the new culture.

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.