[English] Context essays - Whose Reality?

[Water]

PS: DAMNIT, FELL INTO THE TRAP TO Revolve around the TEXTS



The answer to each of us to the question of “Whose reality is more important?” is mine.

During my tram rides to and from school, I would flick through “The Greatest Dictators” history book in my backpack, out of curiosity and interest. Reading the biographies of various political leaders such as Papa Doc, Robert Mugabe and Mao Zedong, I noticed that they all shared a common view, ideally, to impose their ideals and values on others. Whilst the demographic were poverty stricken and in turmoil, one would wonder why such authority figures would be so ignorant and negligent of the situation at hand in the pursuit of furthering their ambitions. The people, through years of hardship, either became subservient in the hope of fastening the road to prosperity or rebelled, against the incumbent government out of desperation for democracy and freedom.  The drive to impose a totalitarian government that crushed the people, illustrates the truth that a dictator considers his realist as paramount; the struggle for freedom likewise shows that the people consider their reality most important. And if our life is considered most important, then in parallel, so would be our reality. It is not a concern if we are a person of benevolence, aggression or neutrality; our reality is where we hold the accumulation of our principles, our experiences and wisdom and we consider this to be our greatest prize. It is after all, what we have molded and reconstructed throughout our journey in life. Hence, though we may consider reality to be of utmost importance, it is also one that can be both harmful and seductive, where ultimately, perceived reality can be consuming and destructive.

Where one’s perceived reality is held in highest esteem by an individual, it can be both escapist and liberating. The reconstruction, of perceived reality with objective reality, and validating the reasons behind our actions, which otherwise would appear illogical can offer tranquility and salvation. This is exemplified in the American play, Streetcar named Desire, where Blanche, attempts to escape from her past through her intricate web of lies. When this attempt fails, she exclaims “I don’t want realism, I want magic!” further deepening her perceived reality where she finds solace and tranquility. And yet, it also illustrates the pitfalls of perceived reality as a tool for escape.  It makes us vulnerable and weak to the external forces outside of our reality; similar to a heightened wall, where the outside can be considered nonexistent and neglected. When Blanche is confronted by Stanley’s act of rape, it is felt overwhelmingly by Blanche as an attempt to break her constructed reality. However, it only serves to strengthen it. By the denouement, she can only accept her own reality as her salvation as she beckons “Is this the gentlemen I was expecting.”  This reinforces the notion that though escaping can offer an alternative reality, clinging to that escape deepens our problems and is dangerous.

In contrast to Blanche’s character, there are also others who are domineering that they seek to impose their reality over others.  Often, it is a desire for a world that they view to be ideal or alternatively to create a world that can reflect their personality and values. Moreover, this mentality can accumulate feelings of fear and resentment amongst people; however at other times, it invokes a sense of liberation and refreshment. This is exemplified during the Cultural Revolution of China, a time of great famine and hunger where Mao urged for a reform in education and ethics. Legislation was passed declaring that all bureaucrats were required to hold a “Little Red Book” of Zedong’s quotation. This reflection of history elucidates the enforcement of Zedong’s ideologies on others. However, at the expense of Zedong’s policies, many innocents were sacrificed due to poor reform for the concept of “all equality.” Though Zedong wanted a society that could flourish (which under its predecessor, it could not) was not without rebellion and resentment within his own political party who saw some of his ideologies to be unrealistic.  Thus, it illustrates that by coercing our reality onto others, it can incites aggression in defense as it may threaten the reality that constitutes a person’s ethics and morality. Indeed, despite Zedong’s efforts, today only a few of his policies remain which also exemplifies that through imposing our realities onto others, it cannot transcend to act as their sole reality, but be only partially successful.

Similarly, there will be circumstances where we will accept other realities to expand the horizons of our own. This has been a frequent occurrence in today’s society as globalization has forced different cultures to mingle with one another, either because of trading or political needs. This idea is often rewarding, where people develop to become more empathetic and knowledgeable of others.  In Lian Hearn’s trilogy, The Harsh Cry of the Heron explains this through the eyes of Takeo Otori, a Japanese warlord, who seeks to maintain prosperity and peace throughout his country by appeasing another warlord. Through vigorous examination and observation, he tries to understand the ethic and behavior of his opposition to maintain a peace he considers paramount based on a belief he was “fighting for his [country].”Thus, it illustrates that many of us will only consider understanding the reality of others when it is of reward or when we are endangered due to threatening outside forces. However, as Takeo continues to stretch his horizons through the understanding of others, he himself also finds peace and understanding with himself illustrated through “devot[ing] himself to painting, he made many studies and sketches of birds.” This indicates that through the acceptance of other realities, we as individuals are able to grow within ourselves to become wiser, patient and less susceptible to affronts that others would consider to be mentally confronting. We may still consider our own reality paramount but it can be an expanded and become a more compassionate reality.

Perceived reality is an important component within our life. It is what creates our personas, our individuality and our understanding of others. However, by neglecting other realities we threaten to undermine our own by refusing to acknowledge others. Similarly, by accepting other realities to coerce them to conform to ours can at times be dangerous and destructive.  

As I close the biography book, “The Greatest Dictators,” and walk off from my tram stop, I reflect and ponder about the many millions of lives that were affected just because of a word from these political tyrants. Many people tried to escape; others were subjugated or simply resigned. But whatever the cause, these people wanted to live and these great historic tragedies can only serve to emphasize that our reality, indeed, is most important.

[Water]

Your context Piece is good, as the others have said, you have a great vocab!
just one thing to note, you should try to include real life examples along with text references in your body paragraphs

Thanks for the comment, when you mean by real life examples along with text references.

I did intergrate Mao Ze dong , and in my introduction.
And text references of two texts.

Or are you looking for something different? Just curious

[Water]

Final Draft!


Our perception of Reality is Affected By Many Influences.

In the novella, Maestro, Peter Goldsworthy once said “[How] can I know that my [my world] was foolish and innocent…a world of delusion and feeling and ridiculous dreams.” Reality is not truly understood by mankind and probably never will be understood for many generations to come. What makes us real? How do we know that we are alive? Eating? Smelling? Hearing? Tasting? Seeing?  Thinking? All the components that supposedly should give reason and logic in the creation of objective reality are in fact ambivalent and ambiguous. Yet despite this, how we perceive reality, subjective reality, can be interpreted and understood by others. It can be analyzed to acknowledge the reasons behind our actions, our thoughts, our feelings. Hence, though reality as an entity by itself is in the midst of centuries of philosophical debate, perceived reality can evoke responses, and be explained.  It is influenced by a number of elements, including ourselves and those around us. Such components include the events that we experience, our observations and our loved ones. It can shape our identities, and how we view society, indeed, the world. These exterior forces are the building blocks of the reality that we recognize to be subjective.  

Interestingly enough, though technology has thrust our world to one that can be considered contemporary and modern, a family’s culture and role, though traditional, still holds significant power over our ability to perceive other realities.  Generally, these traditions stem from the culture of different ethnic groups, and they can steer us to a certain mindset that can be considered either destructive or beneficial. This is dependent on, in the emergence of a culture, its willingness to be open and become accepting of other societies. It is a notion that can be explored within the Chinese culture. It is indeed, a culture that is rich and diverse in history, renowned for their perseverance and hard work. However, inherently, it has always been rather reserved society. Since the 1980s, and the arrival of Chinese, many have come under the scrutiny of Australian society. Chinese Born Australian students are generally driven to study studiously, however in turn, suffer in social skills that are pivotal in assimilating with society. The parents enforce the traditional idea that studying will bring wealth, and a life of comfort and health. It is an idea that is somewhat flawed. Such ideas can crush individual’s perception of reality and narrow our understanding of society and of others. It can cause us to become hind sighted and to refuse other people’s ideas and views of success. The parents themselves are fearful of other cultures and to them; different culture appears to be daunting. This is because they lack the knowledge of English to communicate with other cultures within Australia, and hence they restrict themselves to viewing the world as dangerous. Since Chinese early arrival, Australia was a society that many of them simply could understand and because of this, they also retreated to their own world and coerced upon their children. However by early 2000s, many Chinese students have matured to understand that though studying academically is a crucial aspect to success, limiting ourselves to studying, is in fact dangerous and hazardous to further future success. They aspire to recognize the world is in fact, larger than what their parents have limited themselves to accept. Though it is without question, that their parents yearned for a better life for their children than themselves, family roles and traditions still wield a significant influence in the development of perceived reality in a child’s early development.


Therefore, through the voice of many young adult Chinese Australians, it can be established that in the progression from young children to adults, it is us who shapes our reality. Though a minority of people will be entrapped in a single reality that is stagnant and immobile, many people will have a perceived reality that is continually transforming and morphing. It is  our acceptance of others, our experiences, and our observations that aid us in constructing and developing our reality. Such instances can be drawn on in Tennese’s play, Streetcar Named Desire. Blanche, a tragic protagonist, is seen desperately clinging to her old world that has long since disappeared from her aristocratic threshold. As she exclaims “I don’t tell the truth. I tell what ought to be truth,” she reinforces the notion that there will be some, who will refuse to acknowledge realities that do not align with theirs. Another reason for her downfall is because, since childhood, Blanche, has been little –exposed and far too protected from the harsh reality of the world. Subsequently she is unable to grapple with this reality. Hence, not only is it important that the development of perceived reality is dependent on our household and parent’s teachings but also our willingness to accept other realities.  Blanche failed the latter and thus was someone who could not accept the reality of others. At the same time, observations can be made about Stella, who, in stark contrast to Blanche, is willing to assimilate into New American society. This is illustrated in her union with Stanley, and her tolerance of Stanley’s “pleasures (which), like mine are with bridge and movies.” Here, she understands that her old world has crumbled and thus must accommodate herself to a society that rejects the life of aristocracy. We experience two characters who attempt to confront the adversities facing against them, whether successful or not, they illustrate that it is us, who controls our reality in our adulthood. Whether it to be for the worst, or for the better, we are own proprietor of reality.

Though family traditions and the progression within adulthood all play a role in shaping our reality, it is our exposure to different environments that has the greatest effect in constructing our reality. Through understanding, observation and experiencing as much as life itself can offer, we, as individuals are able to develop our own ideas and thoughts. These ideas and thoughts are also what create our reality, and the reason to why so many cultures have emerged; from medieval Europe, the feudalism of Japan, the dynasty of China to the tribal societies within Africa. These cultures are brought about because of a congregation of people who share paralleled realities. These similar realities are formed because they have stemmed under from the same environment. Generally, experiencing different environments allow us to become a more open person and more accepting of others. This is because we also become more aware and accepting of other realities we recognize as not endangering our own. It is because of this, that modern society has also developed to become one that is globalized. In an age where media from another country can reach to our doorsteps within hours to minutes, it allows us as individuals to be open to other backgrounds and societies. These different environments can offer us a glimpse to experience diverse cultures, so that we too can develop as an open individual. In one sense, exposing ourselves to different environments is always beneficial given that it is a person who is willing to enjoy life. Many of us, are that person, and through exposing ourselves, can we construct a reality that can be considered fulfilling for ourselves, both emotionally and physically.

Thus reality can be affected by many influences, and some may not be as clear as others. However, the most common influences in the construction of our perception of reality are family roles, our transition from childhood to adulthood and our exposure to different circumstances. These are pivotal in shaping our reality. Whether someone is willing to shape and change their reality is entirely dependent on their personality and their experiences. The shaping of reality itself is cyclical. How can we judge that what we observe and give meaning to is a notion of perceptived reality? The beginning of perceived reality lies in our birth; however it is continual. Through our childhood towards adulthood, all the elements and factors that we experience through life are what constructs, shapes, and morphs everything that we feel, think and say. Thus, reality, indeed, can be shaped by many influences; it is one that cannot be measured with numbers but simply what Peter Goldsworthy recognizes it to be as “endless.”

[Water]

*Bump* ~~~ Scrap Essay ~~~~

[Water]

New Essay~~ Drafted with Ghost's Advice

The lies we choose to believe are more real than the truths we cannot recognize.



Truth though ubiquitous, distorted by a pool of alternate realities, is almost impregnable to discern whether it truly is simply, truth. It confers on an individual a reality that is unique and provides each individual an altered interpretation of circumstances and events.  Indeed, in some cases, our responses are fabricated to give meaning to the objective, under the circumstance that objectivity appears to be outside the boundaries of our psychological scope. In this sense, what we construct to give meaning to a truth that we cannot recognize will appear to be more realistic than truth in its rudimentary state. At the same time, the construction of meaning of the comprehended truth can sometimes be contradictory with our values and our established reality. Thus, it becomes no less believable than the objective truth, which though arguably is given full awareness, will be denied its recognition. Here, we establish two domes of truth: what is recognized however refused, and the unrecognizable. Through the discrepancies between lies, that is the construction of meaning by an individual, interpretations can be created as unreal or more real than the absolute. This is largely dependent upon the circumstances and environment that we encounter.

At times, the truth is blurred by external or interior forces which transpose reality to become unrecognizable. As a result, individuals will shift to believe that the subconscious construction of meaning of the truth is in fact, the reality that exists in our universe.  This notion is established through the play, A Streetcar Named Desire, by Tennesse Williams, where Blanche, a tragic protagonist, is denied the right to indulge in a life of luxury and privilege. It is a former life that she has been pampered and protected. By being pulled from this reality, Blanche constructs a reality outside the realms of the absolute and objective. It is through her instant exclamation, “I tell what ough to be the truth,” that Blanche, in her desperation for a real that accommodates her desires is shown. This establishes her descent into someone who can no longer discern between illusion and truth. Her attempt to recreate the realms of her past, encapsulates Blanche’s inability to grasp her position within society and her circumstance. Her truth is blurred by the exterior of her past, and the interior, of her clinging and dependent disposition. Blanche reaffirms to us as individuals that under the circumstances that we do not desire or comprehend, our lies becomes more real than the truth that is beyond our understanding.    

Whilst, lies can hold more reality than the absolute, it can equally be less real than objective reality that is denied. It is destructive to the self who views the truth as painfully daunting and at the same time, the lies constructed to shield from the truth, is hopelessly flawed and illogical. Robert Drewe’s Memoir, The Shark Net, draws on this concept through Dorothy, the mother of Drewe. She is in conflict with her husband, who commits adultery, and she suspects this.  However, tied by social conventions into playing the role of the subservient wife, she cannot accept the truth of his adultery. When she confronts her husband, is assaulted, “slapped” and results in a “bitter fight” and the “slamming” of “bedroom door.” Thus, she simply denies, unable to recognize objective reality, which perverts her happiness, clouding her with melancholy and despair. Rather, she chooses to play a different persona of “Dot.” Yet even this construction of an alternate reality does not protect her from depression or offer her a majestic meaning of reality. Dorothy, in her desperation to protect the fabric of her family and in following social conventions to offer her son, a normal Australian life, sacrifices herself mentally, to go against her principles and morals and refuses to acknowledge her poignant reality. She illustrates the abyssal hole that is created when inefficient lies is coupled with the blinding of truth. These lies cannot offer salvation to an individual, and therefore cannot be considered more real, than the absolute, even when it is voluntarily not recognized.  

Some lies can be as real as the truth. In some senses, our lies hold no significant value to our established reality but rather act as a mechanism for survival and comprehension. Such instances are drawn from the construction of Robert Drewe’s novel as a child growing up in Perth.  His illustration of Erick Cooke, a murderer, but a man revealed to have empathetic and human traits, shows Drewe’s attempt to understand the character of Cooke, yet impossible to discern. It is through Cooke’s death, that the truth of Cooke, his past and persona, is ultimately fragmented and blurred, further reinforcing the future inept in grasping the character’s mind and psyche. Here, Drewe employs a lie, as a method to find meaning and understanding to the unrecognizable. If the truth is unrecognizable, in this case, Cooke’s true disposition, meaning however questionable, can be established as a possible answer. Then it can only transcend to act as a basis or improvement of our own reality. When compared to the blurred objective reality that cannot be understood, the lie can only hold equal weight in reality to the objective, knowing that it is plausible to social understanding however inaccurate in relation to the truth.

In contrast, where the objective is blatantly obvious, however in some cases, rejected, lies can be fabricated to appear desirable and hence, more realistic than objective reality. Such instances can have implicit and explicit results to the wellbeing of us and others. The results are more often destructive than beneficial. This notion is explored through the analytical observation of Global Financial Crisis, which sprung up during 2008. Many banks, firms and monopolies understood the risks involved in pursuit for wealth, however despite the signals of failure, refused to acknowledge it. They perceived that overall, wealth can be gained. However, to the detriment of others, economies crumbled beneath the weight of greed and capitalism. As a result, many nations sunk to large debt and unemployment. In such circumstances as these, does the construction of illusion become only temporarily more real than the objective. However, as time persists, it is shifted to become unrealistic and unsustainable. This can be destructive in ways that cannot be comprehended, tearing an individual - from the example above, even a nation, between unsustainable illusion and despair in the failure to recognize the truth.  

It can be established that the lies we choose to believe, can be adopted to form different realities. When lies are used as a tool to find meaning or to create alternate reality to the ambiguous or rejected objective reality, it can be destructive but at the same time, depending on circumstances, rewarding. It is also dependant on our circumstance and environment, where the preliminary construction of lies, determines the reality of real. Though often the truth is blurred and unrecognizable, there will be some circumstances, where it isn't. In these situations, the realities created, is largely responsible by the individual.

[Ghost!]

Hey there Water Just a few points of interest regarding your latest essay;

In contrast, where the objective is blatantly obvious, however in some cases, rejected, lies can be fabricated to appear desirable and hence, more realistic than objective reality. Such instances can have implicit and explicit results to the wellbeing of us and others, more often destructive than beneficial. ONEThis notion is adopted through the Global Financial Crisis, which sprung during 2008. Many banks, firms, monopolies understood the risks involved in pursuit for wealth, however despite the signals of failure, refused to acknowledge it. They perceived that overall, wealth can be gained. However,TWO to the detriment of others, economies crumbled beneath the weight of greed and capitalism. As a result, many nations sunk to large debt and unemployment. In such circumstances as these, does the construction of illusion become only temporarily more real than the objective. However, as time persists, it is shifted to become unrealistic and unsustainable. This can be destructive in ways that cannot be comprehended, tearing an individual - from the example above, a nation, between unsustainable illusion and despair in the failure to recognize the truth. 

ONE - I'm not too sure if adopted is the right choice of lexeme in this sentence. Perhaps evident, or even 'This notion is explored through the analytical observation of the Global Financial Crisis'

TWO - A similar point here, with the choice of detriment. Perhaps disadvantage, or even burden? These are just my thoughts keep in mind, and obviously my preferred style of writing. If you like the way it sounds, then by all means ignore me!

Truth though ubiquitous, distorted by a pool of alternate realities, is almost impregnable to discern whether it truly is simply, truth.

Definitely one of the best starts to an essay I've ever read. I love the connotations of the word pool, and in the general the wording has a very epic feel to it.

[Water]

Thanks for the comments Ghost!, Appreciated very much, actually, I agree 200% with the suggestions that you put above. They just didn't sound right when I wrote it.

[glamergirl]

who has done "A streetcar named desire", please help me on this promt <without illusion,reality is too confront>

[pi]

^^Wrong thread, post in the English section instead for more replies. This place isn't really a Q&A area.