We’ve all heard the saying “life is not fair.” Inequality has been a part of life since the beginning of time. All humans experience varying forms of injustices at different points in life. There is a common thread of inequality in the three essays “No Name Woman,” by Maxine Hong Kingston, “The Moral Obligations of Living in a Democratic Society,” by Cornell West, and “Nobel Lecture,” by Kofi Annan.
In Maxine Hong Kingston’s “No Name Woman,” a mother tells her daughter a story of her aunt, who was never to be spoken of after the story was told. The family was ashamed of her because she conceived a child with a man who was not her husband. The mother tells her daughter, “We say that your father has all brothers because it is as if she had never been born.” The family disowned her because she is viewed as an embarrassment to the family. The aunt was a Chinese woman who suffered injustice because of her fear of voicing the truth. She drowns herself and her newborn baby in a well after her fellow villagers ransacked her home, because she became pregnant while her husband was away. The woman was in raped by a man who threatened her, “If you tell your family, I’ll beat you. I’ll kill you. Be here again next week.” The man was the one who organized the raid against her; two innocent lives were ruined because of one man’s inhumane and careless actions. The Chinese culture allowed for women to take the blame for men’s wrongdoings. Even the woman’s family, “…expected her alone to keep the traditional ways, which her brothers, now among the barbarians, could fumble without detection.” Women were held accountable for the problems in the home and in society, and were expected to allow the men to live as they wished. Nowadays, there is less societal inequality seen between men and women, although it will never be a completely resolved issue.
The second essay, “The Moral Obligations of Living in a Democratic Society,” by Cornell West, discusses the unfairness to blacks in American society. “[W.E.B.] Du Bois asserted that race in this country is the fetishization of a problem, black bodies on white space.” For years, black people have fought for justice and equality with whites in America. Often times it is generalization and stereotype of black culture that leads to discrimination among the African race. It is important to have respect and understanding for other cultures so that as a nation, America can grow stronger and more unified. “The roots of democracy are fundamentally grounded in mutual respect, personal responsibility, and social accountability.” Cornell West emphasizes the importance of democracy in our country and how it gives each person a dignified voice. America is a diverse country, so in order to have a successful democracy, Americans must all have mutual respect for differentiating cultures and races. Another point that West makes is with the image of the “welfare queen,” referring to black women. “Looking at the history of black women in America, on the plantation taking care of white children in white households, how is it possible that they have become the symbol of laziness?” Stereotypes are generalized thoughts that cause this sort of problematic discrimination in America. The stereotypes and generalities often made about black people in America come from ignorance, of which many people are guilty of.
In “Nobel Lecture,” Kofi Annan “suggests that each human deserves to live in peace and that we can achieve peace for each person by ending poverty, preventing violent conflict, and encouraging democracy.” Annan uses an example of a newborn girl in Afghanistan in his speech, and explains that the conditions of her upcoming life would seem unbearable to those who live more fortunately. It is hard for more fortunate people to imagine how hard it would be to live an underprivileged life. “Today’s real borders are not between nations, but between powerful and powerless, free and fettered, privileged and humiliated.” Annan stresses the importance of respect for others and respect for oneself, as it also relates to the prosperity of a nation. He says the United Nations is founded on the principle of the equal worth of every human being. The United Nations is the nearest thing to a representative institution that addresses the issues and concerns of all people in order to be fair. “…Beneath the surface of states and nations, ideas and language, lies the fate of individual human beings in need.” Humans are all in need of respect and equality. In “Nobel Lecture,” Kofi Annan explains the need for respect and equality in order for a successful United Nations. Equality begins from within- once we learn to love ourselves, we can learn to love others, and respect diversity.
Maxine Hong Kingston, Cornell West, and Kofi Annan all discuss the theme of injustice in their essays. Though each essay was very different, the struggle for equality was apparent in each piece of writing. Inequality will continue to be a struggle among people, until we can fully accept and respect each other’s differences. Life is not fair, and it never will be, but it would definitely be a lot easier if only everyone could be treated more equally.
