Introduction for Paper

 

Many things going on globally that we may not be aware of, or may know of the situation, but don’t know how bad the conditions are.  People who are beat, threatened, abused, or tortured don’t always have the guts to speak the truth.  These people get traumatized, and scared for their lives.  They want help, need help, but can’t break free to get help. One moment you say goodbye to someone that left for work, within the next few months you may receive their casket. There are unspoken situations that go on globally such as mothers working abroad, that should reach our attention; governments should enforce rights of a person at any given place or time.

 

 

 

 

Living Dead

            In George Orwell’s novel 1984, there were many situations that mock certain situations that happen in people’s lives now.  One of the few things in the novel that really caught my attention the most was Winston and Julia’s love and sacrifices for each other.  Winston and Julia’s relationship goes through many battles.  They made many sacrifices for each other, and at one point, the freedom they felt when they were together was all they cared about.  Despite all the rules that their society laid on them, they’d still find ways to see each other.  Just as in the song “Work Song” by Horizer, Winston was the guy he was talking about.  “Room was empty, didn’t care how he lived….No grave can hold my body down, I’ll crawl home to her”(Horizer).  He didn’t really care that they weren’t supposed to be together.  He didn’t’ care about the rules, and he knew that one day they’ll get caught.  So he took advantage of the time spent with Julia.  He didn’t let Big Brother take him down, he still went back to her regardless of the possible punishments.  There love is also symbolized in the song “Your Ex Lover is Dead” by Stars, “Live through this and you won’t look back… I’m not sorry I met You” (Stars).  Sadly, Winston and Julia’s relationship didn’t have a happy ending.  Even if they told each other numerous times that they would never betray each other, that’s what they ended up doing in the end.  They both were tortured, and eventually gave in and told them to stop and do it to Julia/Winston instead.  They were left with no choice; they had to put their love story to an end and forget what was once there.  When they saw each other again, they both didn’t even worry about one another as they did before; their “ex lover is dead”.  Even if this book didn’t end with any happy endings for Julia and Winston, the ending was still very powerful.  It just showed how much power a totalitarian government can really hold.  They fought for their own freedom, and disliked everything about Big Brother, but in the end they were brain washed, and tortured enough to get persuaded that this is really it; they’ll always live under Big Brother, and that they should love him.  Everything they once fought for is just left behind, something they don’t even bother to come back to.  They used all their strength for something, and ended up weak with no more strength to fight back.  In the end it made me think, that soon everyone in Oceania will be walking just as stiff as Julia and Winston’s ex wife; the living dead.

           

Behind Closed Doors

Thesis:  There are unspoken situations that go on globally such as mothers working abroad, that should reach our attention; governments should enforce rights of a person at any given place or time.

            There are some employer’s that state that some of these people shouldn’t be complaining because they have enough rest time, they get treated as family members, they enjoy their job, it’s not too hard, etc.  As Diego Salvatierra quoted Katrina Garib in the Yale Globalist article, “Yes, they may wake up at 7 a.m. and cook dinner at 7 p.m., but they spend a lot of time in between doing nothing.” Some domestic workers complain that they don’t have enough free time away from the families that they take care of (Including their boss’ and their children’s).  But what others may not know is that these people do have a lot of spare time in between their work time to relax, and do what they want to do themselves.  These people should be grateful for the conditions they work in, “ I paid my nanas above the minimum wage, which is very common; they’re better off than others, and shouldn't complain so much.” Live-in maids do not pay rent and get free food, she added” (Diego Salvatierra).   Live-in maids should be thankful that there’s a few boss’ out there that would actually pay them higher than the minimum wage, and would give them enough luxury to have their own free time within their work hours.

            Even as other employer’s argue that some of them pay their live-in maids more than enough, and give them enough free time; one employer does not speak for all employer’s of live-in maids across the globe.  Even if one live-in maid were lucky enough to work for a compatible employer, there are many employer’s out there who mistreat or exploit their maids/nannies.  There are many employer’s that may also tell their neighbors and the public that they treat their maids the best and have them live in the best conditions, but in reality, their maids are the ones suffering behind closed doors.  “While cases of such harsh treatment are rare, Hong Kong’s policies on migrant workers have often made maids reluctant to report abuse for fear of losing their livelihoods and being deported if they fail to find new jobs swiftly. No formal charges have yet been made against the Hong Kong employer, who also reportedly threatened to kill Erwiana and her family if she revealed the abuse she suffered”(James Pomphret).  Many of these people are being threatened if they speak, or dare to leave, and many of these live-in maids go through horrific situations that not many people even know of.  These people should be properly protected and need our help globally.  One employer can’t speak for the other thousands of employer’s, as there’s hundred’s of maids known to be or have been abused out there.

Living Quiet Under Unethical Issues

LanaRhae Gojit Navarra

9 November, 2014

ENGL 102-08

Thesis:  There are unspoken situations that go on globally such as mothers working abroad, that should reach our attention; governments should enforce rights of a person at any given place or time.

 “By one estimate, 15 to 20 percent of the 100,000 Sri Lankan women who leave each year for the gulf return prematurely, face abuse, or nonpayment of salary, or get drawn into illicit people trafficking schemes or prostitution” (Waldman).

Waldman, Amy.“Sri Lankan Maids Pay Dearly for Perilous Jobs Overseas.” New York Times. 8 May 2005. Web. 8 November 2014.

Every year, 15-20% of women are abused, or are highly mistreated while working abroad.  There are many women nowadays that are left with no choice but to work abroad to make a living for their families back home.  These parents have no limitations to support and protect their own.  As every woman makes her way to these houses they work at abroad as maids, they have no idea what living and working conditions they will face.  In Sri Lanka, women are often given the chance to join a training program that trains them to become proper maids, and are given tips and heads up on what they may encounter while working abroad (Waldman).  Only from one country, 15-20% of these women are being highly mistreated; imagine how many woman around the world face these hardships everyday?  Woman should be given the same rights as they’ve had when they were still home.  They leave their country to work for their family, to give them a better life, but are fighting for their own rights and their own lives every day at work.  These women should not get beaten for their hard work, and sacrifices.  This quote relates to my thesis because it shows how women are abused, rape, almost killed, working for free, and not given proper rights every day.  The worst part is, we don’t hear much of it.  There may be a few stories that get on the news, newspaper, or are heard from ear to ear.  But there isn’t any huge action and attention given to these people. These women should be treated right, and should be protected as they work abroad. 

 “That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,--That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Governement, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness”(The Charters of New Freedom). 

“The Charters of Freedom ‘A New World Is At Hand’”. Delcaration of Independence.  National Archives and Records Administration. Web. 8 November 2014.

After the Declaration of Independence was written, everyone will be have protected rights.  After this huge event, many people had hope and thought the years of inequality, and being mistreated with no say was over; but it wasn’t.  The Declaration of Independence mislead the people, most of those who were poor, black, jews, and everyone else who wasn’t a rich white man.  At this time, not even the woman were necessarily apart of this declaration, there was many unethical issues still happening after this document was written.  The Declaration of Independence was more for the rich white men.  They were the ones who had their rights protected, who the government valued first over any other human being.  Why would they write this document and not grant it to everyone?  Why give hope to those who are at the urge of giving up?  These people were struggling every day of their lives, and to hear or see hope like this written on a document was glorious; but to later find out it wasn’t meant for them. Everyone should be equally protected, rich, poor, middle class, whites, colored, Christians, Catholics, etc.  Equality should’ve made its entrance to this country the moment the Declaration of Independence was written.  This quote relates to my thesis because mothers who go abroad are sometimes mislead, and are usually left with the options to continue fighting and possibly die, or to live their lives mistreated, beaten, abused, and raped and have a better chance of surviving.  The poor, colored, woman, etc. were had no protection of their rights as they walked.  Just as these women who work abroad, they leave their country with a voice, and are hoping to be just as protected and treated just as well as they did back home.  Once they get to their boss’ house to work as a maid, everything is different.  The work environment is usually no where close to what they expected; they have no say, nor any type of right or government to protect them from their abusive boss’. 

“All marriages between party members had to be approved by a committee appointed for the purpose, and –though the principle was never clearly stated-permission was always refused if the couple concerned gave the impression of being physically attracted to one another”(Orwell 65). 

Orwell, George, and Erich Fromm. 1984. New York: Signet Classics, 1950. Print.

No one had the freedom to be with who they truly want to be with or love.  As for Julia and Winston, they realized that it is possible to have this affectionate feeling without being caught and punished for it.  They would rather have a few minutes with each other now and then, and keep their relationship going; rather than ending their relationship and leaving this feeling behind.  As George Orwell stated, despite how the room looked like, it felt paradise to them.  It was their time to feel freedom agai; they didn’t have to hide their true thoughts, their feelings, or themselves.  The room was the only place they can be their true selves again(150).  Winston and Julia would go miles for each other, and sacrifice whatever they needed too just to continue seeing each other.  These sacrifices they’d make for one another had no limitations.  This relates to my thesis because parents have no limitations to support and protect their own; just as Julia and Winston had no limitations for one another.  In the Philippines, there are many mothers out there that work abroad (usually Dubai, Japan, or Middle Eastern countries) just to make money and support their families back home.  The jobs that they’d encounter in these places would usually be maids, or a caregiver.  Filipino’s adore their families, and show a huge significance in them, just as Julia and Winston adore the feeling they get when they’re with one another.  What people don’t usually know is that there are many cases where the mother is getting abused, beaten, raped, etc.  Mothers would continue to work for these people, even after getting beat numerous times; just to continue making money and support their families.  What was happening to them abroad would hurt them physically, and mentally, but the sacrifices theses others made also had no limitations.  Some mothers get beaten nearly to death, and will still work till the hour for their families.  Mothers will sacrifice as much as they need to just have their family together, just as much as Julia and Winston will sacrifice for each other.

“She was raised under harsh conditions, and subjected to whippings even as a small child”(New York History Net).

"The Life of Harriet Tubman - New York History Net." The Life of Harriet Tubman - New York History Net. Web. 7 Nov. 2014.

Harriet Tubman grew up living in harsh conditions.  The times of slavery was horrible, unbelievable, and absolutely unethical. These women, men, and children were tossed around like dogs, and slave owners sure didn’t care how much blood, pain, tears they see in these people; these people were nothing to them.  The worst part about the times of slavery is that even if a black man is titled a “Free Black Man”, there can still be chances of him being taken away from his family to work the fields of another unjust slave owner.  These kids who were born into slavery, just as Harriet Tubman herself don’t even get the chance to see what life can offer out there.  All they see is there people working the fields, being maids, doing all the dirty work for these white men and being punished multiple times, sometimes even for nothing they know of.  Slaves had no say, no rights, and no type of freedom.  Despite all the hardships these people had to go through, there was always a few numbers of people like Harriet Tubman herself who had hope.  Who had the courage to find a way out, and come back to save her people, to save her family, to escape from slavery.  She could’ve easily escaped and never looked back, but she made multiple sacrifices to help more people escape through the Underground Railroad.  This quote relates to my thesis because just as these slaves were stuck in one environment setting, and never let out free; so were these mothers working hard as maids.  It’s as if they were there boss’ slaves.  After multiple whippings, beatings, and being treated unfairly, these slaves worked till they can.  Slaves back then and the women who are living in these houses as maids go through many things that are similar.  No matter how hard they work, they aren’t getting paid for it (happened to many women abroad), no matter how many times they shed blood and tears they still worked, no matter how many times they wanted to give up, they find a way to find themselves again and their freedom.  Both the slaves and these women don’t give up, sacrifices they made for themselves and for their people and families did not matter; as long as they lived their own freedom together.

Ultimate Sacrafice

Literature Question:

            In the novel 1984, what does George Orwell point out about the amount of sacrifices people will make for their loved ones?

Thesis:

            In George Orwell’s novel 1984, Winston and Julia develop an attraction for each other, then soon start facing different obstacles and hardships to keep their relationship on going.  They had to hide their tracks, make sure no one is spying on them, see each other for so little time, stay in unsanitary rooms, and had to constantly be on the move.  In Oceania, “All marriages between party members had to be approved by a committee appointed for the purpose, and –though the principle was never clearly stated-permission was always refused if the couple concerned gave the impression of being physically attracted to one another”(Orwell 65).  No one had the freedom to be with who they truly want to be with or love.  As for Julia and Winston, they realized that it is possible to have this affectionate feeling without being caught and punished for it.  They would rather have a few minutes with each other every now and then, and keep their relationship going; rather than ending their relationship and leaving this feeling behind. As George Orwell stated, despite how the room looked like, it felt like paradise to them.  It was their time to feel freedom again; they didn’t have to hide their true thoughts, their feelings, or themselves.  The room was the only place they can be their true selves again(150).

            Winston and Julia would go miles for each other, and sacrifice whatever they needed too just to continue seeing each other.  There sacrifices they’d make for one another had no limitations.  Just as parents have no limitations to support and protect their own.  In the Philippines, there are many mothers out there that work abroad (usually Dubai, Japan, or Middle Eastern countries) just to make money and support their families back home.  The jobs that they’d encounter in these places would usually be maids, or a caregiver.  Filipino’s adore their families, and show a huge significance in them, just as Julia and Winston adore the feeling they get when they’re with one another.  What people don’t usually know is that there are many cases where the mother is getting abused, beaten, raped, etc.  Mothers would continue to work for these people, even after getting beat numerous times; just to continue making money and support their families.  What was happening to them abroad would hurt them physically, and mentally, but the sacrifices these mothers made also had no limitations.  Some mothers get beaten nearly to death, and will still work till the hour for their families.  Mothers will sacrifice as much as they need to just to have their family together, just as much as Julia and Winston will sacrifice for each other.

Where is happiness?

In 1984 George Orwell said, “All marriages between party members had to be approved by a committee appointed for the purpose, and-though the principle was never clearly stated-permission was always refused if the couple concerned gave the impression of being physically attracted to one another”(65).  A relationship with one you love is not allowed in Oceania.  Every decision made was crucial; everyone and everything was watched.  People usually have the freedom to choose who they want to marry or be with.  In some countries, parents enforce arranged marriages; which usually conclude to an unhappy marriage, or a broken family.  Those in arranged marriages also have a hard time leaving the one they love.  In Oceania, relationships must have approval, and cannot have any physical attraction. There isn’t any real/true relationship; the idea of a relationship in Oceania has a huge difference between the ideal relationships now.  People should be given the freedom to be with who they really love.   They shouldn’t be forced to be with someone thy have no interest in.  How will a child feel the love of a family? 

The purpose of a relationship will then be to bring another human being to life, for others to keep wealth in the family, or to keep parents and society happy. Kids will grow up into this life style, as their parents are still adjusting.  “The only recognized purpose of marriage was to beget children for the party”. (65)  In Oceania, people had kids just to add to their party.  People didn’t have kids to love and cherish with their loved one. Love and family had its own definition in Oceania, than what we are now used to.  If United States was to set these rules today, there would be many rebellions.  People should be making themselves happy, before anyone else.  In Oceania, happiness is questioned.  There are many regulations set to reduce the freedom of their people.  How will anyone feel happiness?  How will they ever be proud that they did something for themselves?  Society should not be one we worry to impress.  Society should accept people for who they are, and accept that everyone’s different. 

 

What's Behind the Camera

            In 1984, George Orwell reveals the sadden truth of what has been going on in Oceania.  “All history was a palimpsest, scraped clean and inscribed exactly as often as was necessary”(40).  In Oceania, it didn’t take a person to kill someone to lose their own life or to be removed from the system, and completely erase any information or memory of that person.   A simple thoughtcrime can instantly cause you to lose your identity and everything you've ever done or work for.  There was no real history in Oceania, everything can be erased, and revised at any given time. Meaning, there is always a question on to whether “did this really happen?”.  As for Gill Scott-Herron’s song “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”, there are similar concepts that are said in the song that people in Oceania dealt with.  Gill Scott-Herron said, “The revolution will not make you look five pounds thinner, because the revolution will not be televised, brother”. As many people know, when you’re shown on the T.V., you tend to look five pounds lighter than what you really look; although that’s not the only thing that the television can hide, the truth may be, what’s not caught on camera.

            George Orwell’s quote really came to my mind because the thought of someone having the power to control history, makes me completely speechless.  How would society know what’s really the truth, and what’s a lie?  How would we know when, where, and what really happened and what specific time?  There would be endless questions about everyone and everything if anyone today in the United States had the power to control history, as they did in Oceania.  Gill Scott-Herron’s song was also very powerful for the deep meaning he had in his song.  These two both connect because they both tell us that the truth can be kept away, unseen, erased, and forgotten without us even knowing.  The television does not always televise what we should really see, what’s really significant, and what would really impact us.  If you can hide five pounds through a camera, how much more can you hide?  For example on the news, and newspapers, we don’t get all the information about what’s going in the government, and how things are being taken care of.  We think we know enough, yet really, we know so little.  There may be set rules and regulations, but even the most powerful people we know may be going against our countries own rules; just as they can in Oceania, and as they could have/have back then in our country.