Propaganda 2011

prop·a·gan·da

1. information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution, nation, etc.

 

2.  the deliberate spreading of such information, rumors, etc.

 

3. the particular doctrines or principles propagated by an organization or movement.

 

"Propaganda" is usually applied to political matters. But with this definition, wouldn't most of what we encounter be considered propaganda?

 

All the advertisements on TV, on billboards, on the bus, on the train; the magazines with their "miracle weight loss" guides and the fads of the season. The internet that has EVERYTHING you're looking for. They all have some sort of direction, or message they want to get to people who see them. 

I would have to say that even the things we are taught to be "good" or "bad", that is also a form of propaganda. There's the common logic (?) we're all expected to know and understand, but I feel that these basic ideas we are taught shape the way we see other more complex, and perhaps more controversial topics of the world, which is the more direct and obvious form of propaganda. 

So pretty much, everything is propaganda in its own way. 

Just want to put it out there: I despise politics.

 

"Black Boy" Response

Best book of the year, hands down. The plot is honest, frank, understandable and flows, and there are certain points made in the book that readers can easily relate to.

I really like Wright's style of writing. In general, it uses simple words and sentence structures to convey some very complex ideas, and a significant amount of it is delivered through dialogue. I also feel that he is trying to speak out about his opinions through his experiences. I think that he does a great job at it, because these experiences he goes through in his life time are put together nicely and timed well. Nothing ever drags on for too long, but I am still able to get a clear picture and idea of what is going on.

Reading about his origins and life as a child, and then comparing that to how he turned out is really impressive and admirable. He grew up in an abusive household under extremely religious and strict authority. His education was broken and it was quite a while before he became literate, yet he ended up writing a book as great as this one. This was probably what stuck out to me the most. I am a fairly realistic person, but this book has me thinking that maybe passion and perseverance can get you places in life.

Hungry For Attention: Is young Richard alone in his cravings?

In the first chapter of Black Boy by Richard Wright, he reminisces a few memorable experiences, many of which, if not all, expressing a certain hunger for something. There was the literal hunger, when he asks his mother for food, but there was also the hunger for attention at the beginning of the book when he sets the house on fire, as well as a hunger to entertain himself. There was a hunger to learn, a hunger to rebel. 

Everyone wants something. It's why there's so much greed and suffering in the world. They may be entirely different from Richard's; they may be as complex as his desire for attention or as simplistic as his hunger for food. But there is no one in the world that is completely satisfied with what they have. It's just human nature. The cravings of the other characters of the book, such as his mother's and his brother's, are hinted at to prove this, although they are not as obvious as Richard's.

So no, Richard isn't alone in his cravings.