Teachers always tell students that they can do anything. Whether it be my second grade teacher reading "The Little Engine that Could" to the class or my Spanish teacher hanging a poster of Rosie the Riveter, teachers always try to encourage students. However, I don't believe they are telling the full story. I believe that individuals wield enough power to change the world but need some form of support.
In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Jim is able to earn his freedom with some help from Huck. Without Huck's warning, Jim would have been captured on Jackson's Island by Mr. Loftus and Company. Without Huck's help, Jim would never have been able to evade the robbers. Without Huck, Jim would never have escaped from the Phelps's home. Jim had the power to earn his freedom, but without the support of Huck, he wouldn't have been able to overcome the obstacles in his way. And vice versa, Huck wouldn't have been able to avoid being sent back to his father without Jim's help.
This weekend, I had the pleasure of seeing a modern adaptation of The Merchant of Venice at the Stratford Festival. There is a lot of Anti-Semitism in the play and this is further emphasized by the fact that it takes place during the Holocaust. This got me thinking about how Hitler has changed the world and the support he received. Hitler was only able to carry out his plan with the help of others. Similar to how the Venetians hated Shylock, a Jew, in The Merchant of Venice; People hated Jews with a passion during this time and with their support, Hitler was able to commit his heinous crimes. If Hitler had not received any support, he would not have been able to carry out his plan and six million Jews would have been saved.
Individuals have a lot of power but are still dependent on our support. We have to think about this when we make our decisions. When we support anyone, whether it be a government official or a CEO, what are we enabling them to do?
In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Jim is able to earn his freedom with some help from Huck. Without Huck's warning, Jim would have been captured on Jackson's Island by Mr. Loftus and Company. Without Huck's help, Jim would never have been able to evade the robbers. Without Huck, Jim would never have escaped from the Phelps's home. Jim had the power to earn his freedom, but without the support of Huck, he wouldn't have been able to overcome the obstacles in his way. And vice versa, Huck wouldn't have been able to avoid being sent back to his father without Jim's help.
This weekend, I had the pleasure of seeing a modern adaptation of The Merchant of Venice at the Stratford Festival. There is a lot of Anti-Semitism in the play and this is further emphasized by the fact that it takes place during the Holocaust. This got me thinking about how Hitler has changed the world and the support he received. Hitler was only able to carry out his plan with the help of others. Similar to how the Venetians hated Shylock, a Jew, in The Merchant of Venice; People hated Jews with a passion during this time and with their support, Hitler was able to commit his heinous crimes. If Hitler had not received any support, he would not have been able to carry out his plan and six million Jews would have been saved.
Individuals have a lot of power but are still dependent on our support. We have to think about this when we make our decisions. When we support anyone, whether it be a government official or a CEO, what are we enabling them to do?
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