Gandhis Act Of Civil Disobedience - Free Essay Example

  For a long time people have fought for freedom and liberty against those that oppress them. One example of civil disobedience was Gandhis Mahatma also known as The Great Soul because he was an influential person who fought for the equality of the people of India. Gandhis ideals come from being influenced by his devoted mother about Hinduism and Jainism believing in nonviolence and respecting all religions. One way he demonstrated his discontent was by marching 241 miles on the coastal town of Dandi to the Arabian sea. This is seen as an act of civil disobedience because he was going against the British government in a peaceful manner by protesting non violently. He protested against the British due to the fact they refused to allow India to collect or sell salt. This act of civil disobedience was effective because even the British leaders acknowledged him as a force they could not suppress or ignore and finally granted Indias Independence on August 15, 1947.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Gandhis act of civil disobedience was a great way to limit the amount of tension between the British government and the protesters. In 1888 Gandhi sailed to England to study to become a lawyer his first job in an indian company required him to move to South Africa. Was discriminated on a train because he had a dark complexion and was forced to give up his seat and sit on the floor. Staying in Africa for 20 years to fight against their discriminatory laws the government   during that time the rulers were The boers (Descendants of white settlers) passed a law requiring all Indians to register with the police and be fingerprinted. Gandhi and a group of Indians refuse to obey the law and were put in jail. In jail Gandhi read the essay civil disobedience By David Henry Thoreau a 19th century American writer. Gandhi adopted the term civil disobedience to describe his strategy of non-violently refusing to cooperate with injustice. Instead preferring to use the sanskrit word satyagraha (meaning devotion to truth).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Returning to India to help fight the unjust laws of the British leading a group of 78 followers on a march to the Arabian sea defying the british authorities by making salt from the sea water. His followers and himself walked over 390 kilometers (241 mil) from their starting point at Sabarmati Ashram.   Gandhi addressed large crowds within each passing day an increasing amount of people joined their march also called the salt satyagraha. By the time they reached Dandi the Arabian town Gandhi was ahead of tens of thousands, speaking and leading prayers while walking toward the beach to make salt. Soon after civil disobedience broke out across all of india involving millions of indians causing authorities to arrest more than 60,000 people Ganhi himself was captured on May 5th but the protesters continued without him. After Gandhis arrest a new leader rose ,On may 21, the poet Sarojini Naidu led 2,500 protesters on the Dharasana Salt Works, some 150 miles nort h of Bombay. Several hundred british-led indian police men ,met the protestors and brutally beating the peaceful demonstrators.

Belonging Is Imposed from Without Rather Than From Within Comparing In the Park and Room - Literature Essay Samples

Individuals who have experienced an unconventional or life-altering event will inevitably face the judgments of broader society, hence dictating whether such individuals feel a truly valid sense of belonging. This concept of the significance of exterior factors on ones sense of belonging is portrayed through the novel Room written by Emma Donoghue and Gwen Harwood’s poem In the Park. In its descriptions, In the Park effectively captures the underlying themes of the consequences of motherhood such as a degraded social status and alienation within both personal and societal context. Similarly, Room proposes the hardship of independently raising a child under unordinary circumstances only to be critiqued by the broader society. Both texts emphasize on a mothers seemingly ephemeral lifetime of fitting in until childbirth, where they are obligated under societal expectations to sacrifice time, personal leisure and factors which once allowed them to belong to the world. The poem In the Park features the idea of a mother withdrawn from societal norms to tend to her children. The mother’s â€Å"unkempt state† and struggle to adhere with the role of family is conveyed within the phrase â€Å"Her clothes are out of date† alongside connotations of spacing out while her children bicker at her feet. In addition, her former husband thinks to himself â€Å"o but for the grace of god†¦Ã¢â‚¬  after their obligated small talk. This further highlights her degraded appearance which stereotypically does not comply with the expectations of the typical housewife. Therefore, the children in this context can be perceived as the barriers to belonging whilst on the other hand, her failure to conform to social expectations results in criticism. This notion is also present within Donoghues Room, which is nonetheless set in different circumstances in which the mother is forced to raise her child Jack in a confined imprisonment. She strays from the societal norms to provide the best education despite harsh conditions. Withdrawing from the norms in the context of ‘Room’ however explores darker themes contrary to In the Park. â€Å"Nothing makes Ma scared. Except Old Nick maybe.† as narrated by jack, referring to the power the father figure has over the family. These sacrifices the mother makes to ensure Jack’s safety is later backfired when the media labels her as the woman who raised (as quoted) ‘a child of rape. Thus, she can no longer belong due to the loss of her former social identity. The concept of community based moral and social responsibilities is inferred within the two texts. Hence, responsibilities are perceived as common obligations that are carried out without dispute. Harwood’s In the Park possesses notions of the mother â€Å"feigning positivity† despite her desultory lifestyle. The structure of the poem allows distinction between the individuals expected exterior output verses the true interior thoughts. This is showcased as the mother initially strikes up small talk; â€Å"Its so sweet to hear their chatter, watch them grow and thrive†. Later however as her former husband departs, the metaphor They have eaten me alive silently directed towards her children, serves a strong symbolism of her hidden hardship. The mother is expected to conceal as she cannot articulate her internal thoughts to others as to avoid judgement, and most importantly, to be accepted. Similarly, in Donoghue’s Room, external barriers to prevent belonging are reflected within societal and personal relations. Whilst the drive to belong is propelled by the protagonist’s longing within, the novel ultimately emphasizes belonging as being dictated by external factors and the individuals ability to respect moral responsibilities. Donoghue expertly utilizes the problem-solution text structure with distinct chapters marked as imprisonment, escape and living. Ironically however, within the anticipated chapter ‘living’, new issues emerge when the mother battles her inner post traumatic impulses to comply with her obligation to the role of family. Psychological barriers are interweaved within the final chapters as the burdens of adjusting leads to the epiphany that the mother can no longer belong in the same way she once did. She states, â€Å"I wish people would stop treating us like we’re the only ones who ever lived through something terri ble, all I did was survived†. This conveys her intent of regaining her former identity, despite constant media attention and critique from the broader society. Personal experiences and beliefs shape the individuals outlook upon self-identity. However, within the context of this discussion, it is the perspective of broader society that prevents ultimate sense of belonging. Thus, the main ideas in Donoghues Room and Harwoods In the Park highlight the loss of belonging due to factors without rather than factors within.