Injustices and Solutions

Edimar Naranjo

May 8, 2013

Umoja

Literature

Response #3

Injustices and Solutions

There will be times when individuals will be treated in an unjust manner, and those individuals can respond in many different ways. In order to get one’s point across the table one must react in the correct manner. Others may believe that an individual must  react on instinct, or try to gather support, but this will end up as a waste of time and will do nothing in one’s favor, this can also come at a very heavy price referred to as death. An individual’s responsibility is to solve injustice by understanding the oppressor’s point of view, knowing the oppressors strategies, and changing their  perspective in order to be able to view things differently. In the short story “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut the protagonist, Harrison attempts to solve the issue of injustice known as oppression in a very violent manner, but Harrison should have tried to understand the oppressor in order to stop the injustice that was going on. On the other hand in the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury the protagonist Guy Montag comprehends that he must be able to see others point of view, this is what makes Guy Montag able to defeat the oppressor. In the novel Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison the narrator is a violent oppressed person, and he doesn’t understand that he must change his point of view in order to solve issues of injustice.

An individual must understand the oppressors point of view, in order to be able to solve their issue of injustice. Violence is not and will never be the solution. Violence only leads to death. In the short story “ Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut, the protagonist, Harrison, chooses to attempt to solve the issue of injustice by using violence and claiming that he is the emperor, but Harrison ends up getting shot by the antagonist, Diana Moon Glampers. Harrison is being oppressed by the government, he has to wear handicaps.“ Harrison tore the straps of his handicap harness like tissue paper... she fired twice, and the emperor and empress were dead before they hit the floor.” (pgs.4-5) Harrison and his empress were killed instantly, and they could not do anything about it. Harrison approached the problem in the wrong way, instead he should have attempted to understand the oppressors point of view, thus leading him to success.

Furthermore, one must know the oppressors strategies in order to be able to analyze the authority in their society. If an individual analyzes the oppressor, they will know their weakest part, this will help that individual defeat the oppressor. In the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, the protagonist Guy Montag lives in a society where he doesn't comprehend about what the government does to oppress the society. With the guidance of Clarisse McClellan, the character foil, Guy  realizes that he must make a change. He studies Captain beatty, the antagonist of the story. Guy makes a smart move by not fighting, but using his logic and analyzing his surroundings. “And Clarisse. You never talked to her. I talked to her. And men like Beatty are afraid of her. I can't understand it. Why should they be so afraid of someone like her?” (Pg.70) Montag studies Beatty for answers. Beatty knows the history of books, this is why Montag analyzes him. Montag wants to know why is Beatty afraid of people who dare to be different. In the end Montag defeats the oppressors and is able to start over. Montag solves the injustice that he was affected by, thanks to knowing the oppressors strategies.

An individual must also be able to change their perspective. If an individual changes their perspective, then they will be able defeat the oppressor and  solve their issue of injustice. In the novel Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison the narrator claims himself invisible, but he does not do anything to make a change. Instead he reacts violently to almost anything. “I pulled his chin down sharp upon the crown of my head, butting him as I had seen the West Indians do, and I felt his flesh tear and the blood gush out, and I yelled, Apologize! Apologize!”(pg. 2). This is not the way to solve things, instead he should have changed his perspective and he should of not responded violently. If he would have thought of the situation differently, then he would have not had to go through this whole situation of hurting the man.

In conclusion, an individual's responsibility is to solve this injustice by understanding the oppressor’s point of view, knowing the oppressors strategies, and changing their  perspective in order to be able to view things differently. If an individual does these things they will succeed, and they will solve their issue of injustice. Violence will not solve anything, Harrison from the short story “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut Harrison reacts violently, and he suffers the consequences by dying. In contrast, Guy Montag changed his perspective and solved his issue of injustice.  The narrator from the novel Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison reacts on instinct, so he remains invisible, and he is unable to solve an issue of injustice referred to as racism. When living in an unjust society one must not react on instinct, but one must act with intelligence.