(G)rumblings and Ramblings

Title: 12 Years a Slave Author: Solomon Northup Note: All efforts have been made to keep this review short and spoiler-free. However, there are some spoilers because analysis does require some factual substantiation.  I shall try and avoid adding too many facts. The point here is to provide an analysis. This is not a gateway for potential bluffing by lazy potatoes who would rather not read those 227 pages. This memoir, if it is read thoroughly, will present a number of sociological and ethical issues that many would rather not address. It is both an observation and an indictment of the arbitrary intra-species dehumanisation that is sociologically indoctrinated into both the dehumaniser as well as the dehumanised. The arbitrary discrimination based on race is of course, pervasive. This racism is not only demonstrated by the slave owners in the South but, even by the more 'enlightened' men of the North. The discrimination by the latter is displayed by two lines ...

Title: The Vegetarian Author: Han Kang Note: All efforts have been made to keep this review short and spoiler-free. However, there are some spoilers because analysis does require some factual substantiation.  I shall try and avoid adding too many facts. The point here is to provide an analysis. This is not a gateway for potential bluffing by lazy potatoes who would rather not read those 180 pages. The novel is geographically located in Seoul.  It appears to bring forth the following issues: Xenophobia : the most glaring issue during this novel was the extreme xenophobia that was exhibited by those who were informed that the protagonist had become a vegetarian. It was considered an exotic habit of other cultures that was either absolutely unacceptable or marred with polite condescension (Kang, 2015:23). The threat of passive non cooperation : the immense amount of anger that the decision of the protagonist - that is purportedly based on a series of d...

At the outset, I’m just going to declare that I really liked the movie. It was witty, fun and the bad guy was vanquished. The direction and the casting were on point Interestingly, I have observed some articles on the internet projecting feminist aspirations upon the protagonist of this movie., i.e, Wonder Woman, and, in some instances, on the person who played Wonder Woman on screen i.e., Gal Gadot. Side note: For those who may like to do their homework there was an article regarding the personal life of the man who created the character of Wonder Woman. The link to that article is provided below: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4569438/sex-cult-Wonder-Woman-William-Moulton-Marston-mistress.html Instead of analyzing the movie, I will analyze a sample of articles on the internet. I believe that these articles represent the schisms within the feminist discourse. I will conclude with the observation that Wonder Woman ought to be viewed for what it i...

Title: Politically Correct Bedtime Stories Author: James Finn Garner Note: All efforts have been made to keep this review short and spoiler-free. The first edition of this book was published in 1994. It has been reprinted several times since then.  I have re-read this little book for the third time. At each read I find myself more in admiration of the author’s ability to write something so seemingly light accompanied by an acute subtext. The book is filled with mirth at the desire of today’s generation to be presented as free of bias and overflowing with feelings of equality, fraternity and alternative lifestyles.   The subtext of the content, portrayed most prominently from the seat of the narrator, applies strongly to the contemporary desire for excessive verbal caution [1] . The author was definitely ominous, if not, downright predictive, in his adaptations. More than this, however, the book is an acute observation of the drastic changes ...

So, since I live under the proverbial rock for most part, a friend mentioned a recent socio-cultural issue to me while we perched at our usual spot on a nice Sunday afternoon. Eventually, I perused the net for an article or two to familiarize myself with the facts surrounding the aforementioned issue. The articles that I read were from firstpost and the huffington post. Their respective links are provided below: The First Post Article: http://www.firstpost.com/india/outrage-over-delhis-piano-man-jazz-club-event-cancelled-after-backlash-over-casteist-band-name-3522781.html The article by the Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.in/2017/06/05/the-allegations-of-casteism-against-a-south-delhi-jazz-club-expo_a_22126430/ The facts appear to be as follows:   The Piano man is a jazz joint located in New Delhi, India, that has a quote by Louis Armstrong on the left side of its site. Apparently, the Piano Man had scheduled for a band to perform on 5 Ju...