Sythesis, Orwell,Hughes,Milgrim
Many people find it difficult, if not impossible, to defy the unspoken tradition of modern authority. Stanley Milgrim's "Perils of disobedience" shows that an otherwise sensitive, good-natured citizen can easily be transformed into a tool, and perform actions that one would never do if given enough time to reflect. Milgrim's study suggests that an individual's need to conform to authority overrides the sense of responsibility to sort right from wrong. Langston Hughes, in "Salvation," explains just how severe the personal effects can be for giving in to such pressures, and George Orwell in "Shooting an Elephant," demonstrates how even individuals in positions of authority are not exempt from the rule. George Orwell demonstrates that no matter what your beliefs, or position in society, no individual is absent form the immense pressure to conform. Orwell, a British police officer in Burma, allows an anxious crowd of locals to decide his actions for him, causing him to take a life that should not have been taken. Upon investigating reports of a rampaging elephant, Orwell fin
Hughes and Orwell demonstrate how normal people can react in ways they would normally condemn. Their choices clearly show that one can be conscious of what is right or wrong, yet moments later, be able to rationalize the opposite as a plausible choice. They only enforce the message that Milgrim's essay states, "Obedience is as basic an element in the structure of social life as one can point to." Clearly, both Hughes and Orwell regretted the decisions they made, but something compelled them to do it. It is this unwritten social rule of obedience that would force a police officer to unnecessarily kill, and a religious boy to lie in church. One must be able to realize the greater evil that can come from simple obedience without question. It is everyone's responsibility to choose right over wrong on his or her own. Langston Hughes laments the decision he made in "Salvation." In this piece, Hughes is at a church revival in which he is expected to find Jesus. Hughes is mislead to believe that he will actually see and feel Jesus. This expectation is what keeps Hughes at the altar until
Some common words found in the essay are:
Hughes Orwell, Orwell British, Jesus Hughes, Minutes Orwell, Langston Hughes, Milgrim's Perils, Hughes Jesus, George Orwell, , Hughes Salvation, langston hughes, hughes orwell, orwell elephant, george orwell, police officer, jesus hughes, hughes admits,
Approximate Word count = 743
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
