Social Separation
Meghan Daley
In
poems “Theology” by Paul Laurence Dunbar, “Tableau” by Countee Cullen, and
novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelly,
disharmony and a separation in a society is exposed between two people or
groups. In “Theology”, Heaven and Hell is talked about, showing one can believe
in both, Heaven and Hell. In “Tableau”, there is an image portayed of a white
boy and black boy holding hands, creating an ideal vision of how society should
function without racism. In Frankenstein,
there is a disconnect between Victor Frankenstein, and the monster he created,
through the use of science and technology. In this weeks Zen Meditation, when
we were discussing any points of stress or discontent in our lives at the end
of the session, we were indirectly attempting to bridge the gap of disconnect
between those who weekly attend the Meditation; and grow stronger as smaller
community within Loyola. These three texts, along with my Zen Meditation illuminate
how cultural differences are inevitably followed by social disconnect.
“Theology”
is a short poem brining together those who believe in Heaven, and those who
believe in Hell. This is a six-line poem, a sestet, with rhyme scheme
A-B-C-A-B-C. In this poem Dunbar talks about how the speaker believes in Heaven,
“There is a heaven… / my soul doth tell me so” (Dunbar 1-3). He then goes on to
say, “There is a hell, I’m quite as sure” (4). During the time period this poem
was written, 1896, there was segregation throughout society and a disconnect
between religious views. Dunbar expressing in this poem that he is able to
confidently believe in both Heaven and Hell was a bold statement. Doing this he
exemplified how religious differences should not drive a divide within society,
but unfortunately do. Having the poem come full circle with the rhyme scheme
and having each rhyming sound have a pair has a profound impact on the poem. It
demonstrates how society should be able to come together peacefully and not
allow religious differences to create a cultural segregation.
In
“Tableau”, a similar message is portrayed, one that envisions a society where
racism is not present. In this society two children, “Locked arm in arm they
cross they way, / The black boy and the white” (Cullen 1-2). Here Cullen is
envisioning a society where all people can get along together. He is
criticizing the society around him, in 1925, where there is rampant segregation
saying there is no reason whites and blacks cannot peacefully coexist. He
illustrates how racial segregation leads to a divide within society. Cullen uses
a rhyme scheme of four quatrains, where each rhyme completes itself,
illustrating how if there were a peaceful society, everything would flow and
function more smoothly, as the rhymes do throughout the poem.
In
Frankenstein, after creating the
monster, Victor is not pleased with his creation, and chooses to not care about
the creature he has just brought into this world, and is happy when he goes
missing. Victor says, “I had gazed on him while unfinished; he was ugly then,
but when those muscled and joins were rendered capable of motion, it became a
thing such as even Dante could not have conceived” (Shelley 36). This quote is
important in understanding the immediate disconnect between Victor and the
monster he had created. Dante is the man who wrote Inferno, about the burning fires of hell. Victor said that not
even he, Dante, could fathom what Victor had created. This shows that Victor
felt the monster was that bad, not even those with the imaginations that wrote
about hell could understand what he had just done. This quote exemplifies the divide
between the two characters in the novel. Victor and the monster are very
different in society and this leads to a separation between them; and this
separation soon leads to chaos.
In
the end of our Zen meditation this week, we opened up at the end of the session
to talk about any problems we may be having in our lives, or any points of
stress. Here, we are attempting to become closer and get to know each other
better. We are attempting to understand our differences and accept them, thus,
becoming closer as a community; something the characters in the texts are
unable to do. The Zen Meditation motto and ideals parallel the ideas of the
writers of the texts, which all strive for a stronger more peaceful connection
between groups of people.
Societal
norms and cultural differences lead to social disconnect. In “Theology” this is
shown by attempting to bring those who believe in Heaven, and those who believe
in Hell, together. In “Tableau” this is demonstrated through racism in the
1900’s. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein,
this is shown through the creation of the monster and Victor Frankenstein. It
is very hard to forget about the cultural differences that lead to disconnect,
however this is part of what we try to do in Zen Meditation. These texts along
with the Zen Meditation illuminate the universal message of how humans are
defined by their culture and this leads to a societal disconnect.
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