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Author Topic: English Ext 1 Navigating the Global Essay  (Read 939 times)

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ashley.tang2

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English Ext 1 Navigating the Global Essay
« on: February 07, 2018, 11:39:44 pm »
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Hi there,
I was just wondering if anyone would be able to read over my draft essay for my english ext 1 essay on globalisation and give me a bit of feedback?
Thank you!!

Never before in history have so few owed so much to so many” – Balram Halwai
To what extent does this statement reflect your understanding of globalisation in the elective Navigating the global?


Globalisation has undeniably resulted in the intensification of human experiences as the involute consequences of economic growth has engendered a global reality where “never before in history have so few owed so much to so many”. However, although the validity of this quote cannot be contested, it would be imprudent to assume that this simple biased relationship encompasses all aspects of life within a globalising world, as globalisation is a process of mutual exchange and individuals on both sides of the social spectrum struggle to coexist in a world where local values are being challenged by global influences. Harsh economic polarities exacerbated by globalisation—prompting an uneven distribution of people among social classes and resulting in the dichotomic categorisation of the “few” and the “many”—are illustrated in Aravind Adiga’s novel The White Tiger (2008) [WT] and Steven Soderbergh’s film Contagion (2011). However, the factors beyond economic disparity—such as struggles with identity, morality and culture—arise in people’s lives due to the conflict between changing local and global values, forcing people to re-evaluate and find new ways of thinking and being. This notion is explored by Adiga in WT and Chimamanda Adichie in her short story The Arranger of Marriage (2009) [AM]. Thus, it is through this inherent interplay between the global economy and the local cultures and values that Balram’s quote prevails to be accurate in describing human experiences in the modern global scene.

In his film Contagion, Soderbergh illustrates the polarities created by globalisation—resulting in the organisation of the “few” and the “many”—and speculates on just how significantly vulnerable individuals are to disease in the global world. The film depicts an interdependence of the “few” owing to the “many” as the onset of a global viral outbreak sends local communities into mayhem. This is indicated through the use of lighting when Dr. Orantes is held captive in a poor Chinese village. The image here, as Dr. Orantes is brought under the light to be introduced to the sick children sitting in the shadows, symbolises her superior position as a scientist equipped with the essential medicines and technology required to cure a pandemic affecting a local community dwelling in poverty and unable to afford such benefits. This emphasizes the lack of a governing structure for a pandemic, resulting in inequalities in the distribution of life-sparing tools and prompts the categorisation of individuals into the privileged “few” and the impoverished “many”. Another aspect of globalisation explored in Contagion, denoted through the rapidly changing setting of the film, is the interconnectedness of local communities on a global scale. The first victim of the virus was infected in China and brought it to the U.S., spreading it to whoever she was in contact with. This interaction between individuals on a global scale is made possible by the emergence technologies—such as aeroplanes—around the globe, which significantly increases the pace of social interactions and greatly alters an individual’s experience of space and time. Therefore, through the globalised setting of Contagion and the interdependence of individuals, it is conveyed that the global community is outstandingly influenced by the actions of a wealthy and advantageous “few”, reaffirming the validity of Balram’s statement on the nature of globalisation.

In WT, Adiga explores similar effects of polarisation as capitalism designates divisive extremes of wealth and living standards to individuals who inhabit a society where, if one was successful in adapting to the fluidity of existence in the global world, they would have done so at the cost of their traditional values and morals. Adiga illustrates this through the use of imagery: the duality of the Light and Darkness is an image used throughout the novel to highlight the stark differences between the disparities caused by globalisation. From the outset, Balram, emphasises the inherent separateness of the Light from Darkness, with these antithetical terms implying a sense of opposition and irreconcilability. Adiga describes India as a capitalist society led and operated by the “few” in the Light, which are seen by Balram to not only be successful global navigators—such as the wealthy and prestigious politicians—but also people who have the “choice” to become a global citizen. This is contrasted as the impoverished and uneducated “many” are condemned to the Darkness, secluded from opportunity and choice and resulting in a different lifestyle. These differing lifestyles are represented in WT through the bright light that floods luxurious malls that Balram drives his masters to, while darkness shrouds the slums nearby where Balram witnesses men defecating on the streets. The system of global capitalism as represented in WT influences an individual’s values in the modern world, as increasingly widespread searches for global success necessitates the repudiation of traditional ideas of success involving the preservation of traditional customs and morals. This exchange is articulated through the rhetorical question “Your brother Kishan was beaten to death. Happy?”, which accentuates the haunting nature of the sacrifice that was made by Balram to obtain a sense of success in the global world and imposes the question of whether journeying from the “many” to the “few” is really worthwhile. Thus, Adiga draws attention to the ways in which globalisation not only creates divisive extremes and a designated way of life, but also, in order to navigate these disparate circumstances, provokes the re-evaluation of one’s traditional way of thinking.

Likewise, in AM, Adichie explores how individuals wishing to find prosperity, navigating from the “many” to the “few” in a global context, may feel forced to jeopardise their sense of identity and origin. The story’s protagonist, Chinaza, leaves Lagos for an arranged marriage with a Nigerian immigrant, Ofodile, in the US and she is astonished to find that her new husband has abandoned his Nigerian identity for the sake of acclimatisation to American customs and behaviours. Similar expectations are projected onto Chinaza, resulting in fundamental tensions regarding identity and success. This is illustrated through the motif of food, demonstrating the clash between Nigerian and American cultures. Ofodile insists on introducing her to ‘American pizza’, which Chinaza reluctantly eats while “tightening her stomach” to avoid being sick. Then, after Chinaza laboriously cooks Ofodile coconut rice, he gives her an ‘All-American Cookbook’, asking her not to “fill the building with smells of foreign food” and pressuring her to give up her cultural roots, a key facet of her identity, for the sake of assimilation. Language is also a motif that is prevalent in the story as Ofodile responds to Chinaza’s Igbo statements in English, and corrects her use of British English terms by replacing them with their American English counterpart, such as the use of “busy” instead of “engaged”, “cookies” instead of “biscuits” and “elevator” instead of “lift”. Chinaza’s experience of the globalising world extrapolates an individual’s push towards valuing assimilation and adaptability over retaining a sense of identity and origin, thus facing the question of whether the price for success as defined by global capitalism is worthwhile for the “many”.

Through the tortuous consequences of economic disparity, a global reality has emerged where “never before in history have so few owed so much to so many”. This is, to a significant extent, valid. However, to further refine such a statement, the scope of argument should not only explore the inequalities within wealth dispersion, but also extend to the blurring of traditional concepts and boundaries of time and space due to the movement towards a global culture. Ultimately, as composers, Adiga, Soderbergh, and Adichie invite us to re-evaluate our position in the global sphere and challenge us form our own perspectives on what it means to successfully navigate the global—shifting from the “many” to the “few”.