William Shakespeare’s Othello, Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game, and Speaker For The Dead

In William Shakespeare’s Othello, the protagonist of the same name was a general in Venice. He promoted Florentine Michael Cassio to a higher position of personal lieutenant instead of his friend Iago. This, of course, incurred the ire of Iago. He plotted against Othello and Cassio’s by enlisting the help of Roderigo, the spurned suitor of Desdemona (Othello’s fiancée).


Iago sowed intrigues between Desdemona and Othello and Othello and Cassio. Iago made Othello jealous by insinuating that Desdemona and Cassio was having an affair. It so inflamed Othello that he decided to kill Desdemona by strangling her, also upon the suggestion of Iago. Cassio got wounded by Roderigo and the death of Desdemona.

Othello later learned belatedly from Emilia, Iago’s wife, that Iago manipulated all the stories. Othello wounded Iago then killed himself. Iago killed Emilia. Iago got imprisoned and Cassio was proclaimed the new governor of Cyrpus.

Orson Scott Card’s Ender`s Game was more gruesome as miscommunication led to the annihilation of an entire race – the alien Formics or better known as the Buggers. Andrew “Ender” Wiggin was a young child-genius who was made to undergo training in preparation for the feared Third Invasion of the alien Buggers. During the first invasion, the alien almost wiped out the entire human population due to lack of technology. The Second Invasion, the human population again almost got eradicated but not as much as the First invasion.

To prevent total eradication of mankind, the International Military Forces enlisted the help of genius children aged five to thirteen to undergo simulated space training that were intended to equip them with skills when the aliens would come.

Ender showed incredible battle skills earning him the Commander post in so short a time. He was then made to undergo a series of simulated battles culminating in the exterminating of the buggers’ planet which in turn killed them. It turned out that the final test was not simulated but the real one. And Ender just committed Xenocide by eliminating the entire Bugger race.

Ender feeling remorseful for his mistake, he together with his sister Valentine, left on a colonization ship bound for the bugger’s destroyed planet where he intended to reside. There, Ender found out that the Buggers’ left him the pupa of the last surviving Queen or the Hive-Queen.

The pupa telepathically talked to Ender and explained to him that the reason why Buggers attacked humans was they believed that humans are not sentient or capable of consciousness. The Buggers realized their error and wanted to make amends by refraining from attacking humans anymore. Therefore, Ender’s Xenocide to defend earth was no longer necessary. Due to lack communication, the bugger could not relay this message to humans which led to the tragic end of the buggers.

Ender related the Queen’s tale by writing a book called “The Hive-Queen” and using the pen name “Speaker for the Dead”. He left the colony and brought the pupa with him to seek a place for the bugger to breed.

Orson Scott Card’s Speaker For The Dead was another tale that delves on miscommunication. But unlike the previous examples, William Shakespeare’s Othello and Ender`s Game, the story did not end tragically. It did not also led to death of humans or the wipe out of an entire alien race. The Speaker For The Dead offers Ender the redemption he so desperately sought after the Xenocide of the Buggers in the preceding book due to miscommunication.

In Speaker for the Dead, Ender was called by his real name Andrew Wiggin. Ender wanted to amend for his previous mistake by working as a speaker for the dead or a person who speaks in behalf of the dead to shed light on their actions or the way they lived their lives.

Another possible miscommunication problem arose in the story when a new specie of intelligent alien called the Pequeninos or popularly known as the “piggies” had been discovered. Conflict arose when the piggies killed two xenologists – Pipo and Libo. The killing started when Novinha discovered the presence of descolada in every life form in Lusitania. The significance of Pipo’s and Libo’s murders was revealed: the piggies do not consider the trees as their gods and do not worship them.

The trees came from dead piggies called the brothertrees. Another tree was the fathertree derived from dissected piggies. These fathertrees are capable of reproduction and are sentient. Descolada aids in the change of piggies to trees. Due to Ender’s efforts, he was able to forge peace between humans and piggies through a signed treaty. In this instance, Ender effectively lessened the harmful effects of miscommunication.

The three tales vividly depict the possible harmful effects of miscommunication among races or peoples. Miscommunication has waged unnecessary wars and took a number of lives. Communication then is a necessary aspect in human relations as shown by the stories.

Iago in Shakespeare’s Othello provided a face to the chilling act on the ease with which communication could be easily twisted in order to create conflicts. Miscommunication could easily be brought upon by people with malicious intentions, people with no conscience and lives for their ulterior selfish motives. People such as Iago are guilty of treachery and falsehood.

Through Iago’s masterful and cunning manipulations, Othello committed the worst act of killing the one he loved most. Then in an act of repentance upon the discovery of truth on how Iago made up stories, he killed himself too. This tragic end goes to show the extent miscommunication could lead to in people’s relationships and lives.

Iago shows a side that is inherent in some people. We can relate to Othello’s plight as we, ourselves, experienced intrigues sown by other people. We hear criticisms, unfair judgment, backbiting and other acts of manipulations. In the process, we feel hurt. We lose friends. We got alienated even to the point of being ostracized. Such is the effect of miscommunication that every person could relate to.

Card’s Ender’s Game provides another facet to the dangers of miscommunication. It is worst than the fate suffered by the characters in Othello as the Buggers met total annihilation due to plain simple miscommunication. The massive xenocide leaves the readers feeling totally deflated. It is simply mind-boggling how a simple lack of communication could lead to such a tragic end. Yet, what makes it so chilling is the fact that that this is realistically possible.

How many times do we see wars explode due to plain miscommunication of motives? Civil wars, wars among countries, genocide were evident in our history. From this nonsense threat of human lives, we see the negative effects lack of communication among leaders, among the government and its peoples and among nations bring. How easily could problems have been avoided if people took the time to sit down and address issues in a more objective way?

Card’s Speaker for the Dead offers us hope in the midst of such grimness. Humans, as we are, miscommunication would be something we need to cope with. With Speaker for the Dead we learned that the hope of eradicating the debilitating effects of miscommunication is found in the act of reaching out to another person or race.

It is indeed ironic that we come to hate what we don’t understand. At the same time, we come to understand only if we stop hating. All three stories depict the kind of hatred that could stem from miscommunication. Hatred could be as total as Iago’s or blinded as Ender’s. But hatred and its dire consequences could be greatly reduced if we all take the time to understand the enemy. At least, if not to understand them, then to stop hating them so we could start the long process of understanding their motives.

People’s motives for doing certain things vary. Some are for their own gain. Others for revenge. Still others, for good intentions. It is a special kind of person who takes the time to stop and listen. There is a thin line between what we perceived reality to be and actual reality. In our haste to view and judge things negatively, we fail to grasps its positive implications. That is why, in the process we end up judging other people’s motives unfavorably.

The problem with miscommunication is it underplays man’s more noble side such as the values of trust and honor. If we hear false accusations about us it is so easy to react negatively. To lose objectivity in the face of unfair accusations. Too often, we fall victim to these unfair lies.

The breakdown of communication such as in the case of Iago would have been greatly reduced if Othello took the time to talk and listen to his beloved Desdemona and his friend, Cassio’s side. The negative consequences of miscommunication would have been avoided if Othello remained objective all along and not let his emotions took over.

Somehow, Othello’s rush judgment offers us a lesson on what to do in the face of intrigues and manipulations.

At some point in our lives, we all come across people who would misunderstand us and our motives. We meet people who have no qualms hurting us and our loved ones by spreading vicious lies. Betrayal is not confined to Iago alone. In our lives, it is almost a certainty that we would stumble across a few Iago’s and fall victim to their wiles. Therefore, it is imperative then that we ready ourselves for such eventuality. We do not want to end up as clueless as Othello.

Basically, to lessen the impact of manipulations I believe it is important to maintain objectivity all throughout. Then weigh options available well before deciding which one to follow. Had Othello took the time to observe with his own eyes and not through someone’s prodding what was actually taking place then he would have avoided the tragic end that he and Desdemona met. He should have get to the heart of the matter first before making rush decisions.

From the stories, we can gather that another good way to prevent miscommunication would be to avoid preconceived notions about the person. For instance, if we look at someone wearing ordinary clothes we naturally assumed that he or she is of average financial status. On the other hand, if we see someone dressed to the nines, we assume that he or she is filthy rich. These misconceptions, of course, could greatly hamper our ability to communicate with the person as we already formed opinions about him or her even before the person speaks.

We could also try to do what Christians normally do in the face of lies and intrigues – we can forgive. By forgiving, we begin to see the person for what he or she truly is. With hatred out of the way, we can be more objective in dealing with the situation and getting to heart of the matter would not be as difficult as when we are under the influence of hatred.

It is sad that during our present times, despite the advances of communication, miscommunication is still a huge problem we faced even on a daily basis. Perhaps if we stop judging and start understanding then we become better communicators and effectively reduce miscommunication in the process.

The Minutemen and Their World by Robert Gross

Book review on award-winning book The Minutemen and Their World by Robert Gross.

Introduction

The Minutemen and Their World by Robert Gross is a winner of the Bancroft Prize. The book first came out in 1976. Recently, it has been reissued in celebration of its twenty-fifth anniversary edition with a new Afterward by the author.

In The Minutemen and Their World, Robert Gross wrote a subtle and in-depth depiction of the people and community of this special place. It is a convincing explanation of the American Revolution, depicting it as a social movement.

 

Summary of Book

The Minutemen and Their World offers a glimpse of the lives of the people living in the colonial period in Concord Massachusetts; this is where the Revolutionary War in Robert Gross’s book starts. Gross, “sets the Concord Fight, as it used to be known, in the context of the townspeople’s ordinary lives, before and after April 19, 1775. It examines how the citizens farmed the land, raised their families, and carried on their politics at the end of the colonial period.”

On April 19, 1775, the American Revolution took place at the Old North Bridge in Concord, Massachusetts. The “shot heard round the world” became the wake up call that put the peaceful New England town at the center revolution. Concord’s image took a major shift and its growing popularity hinged on its being the intellectual capital of the new republic. The town where Emerson, Thoreau, and Hawthorne came from symbolized commitment to liberty, intellectual independence, and the firm integrity of the rural life.

 

Author’s Main Theme

The major themes revolved on how people viewed the British invasion, their thoughts on imposed taxes and tariffs, and an overview of life in general during the period. The book depicts the life of people in Concord, Massachusetts to serve as an example for the bigger picture or the overall story on the American Revolution.

Gross points out that the struggle for independence from Britain is not to be considered as a revolution but a cautious social struggle against the pressing issues of the day – patriarchal governance, religious fanaticism, individualism, and restricted government control.

 

Author’s Message

Gross’ message contained in the book is that the Revolution is a means for people of Concord to have a clear grasp on the situation and be able to direct its own course. In 1775-1776, great changes occurred in the colonies, particularly Concord. The urgent concerns include decreasing supplies of land, desire of its residents to hire their own minister.

With all these problems, participation in the Revolution gave Concord an opportunity to exercise initiative and regain rule on its political and communal life, bring back independence. Gross says, “The men of 1775 had not gone to war to promote change but to stop it.”

 

Writer’s Style

In the book, Gross augmented the book’s information by using historical public records to relate a story, associating emotion and motivation with the statistical trends. Quantitative data was presented subjectively and to avoid biases Gross allows the reader to draw his own conclusions.

 

Strengths and Weaknesses

In the book, the most persuasive argument Gross points out is the loss of patriarchal control in Concord, and even across the colonies. His vivid description how sons rely on fathers for land, and daughters rely on fathers for dowries sets the tone of the story.

When drastic changes occurred economically, dowries are affected, local fertile land becomes scant and grown children leave the family to pursue the frontier. In turn, the father loses source of labor (slavery was not popular in Massachusetts) and the children lose inheritance and stability. Gross approaches each argument in a similar manner – he tells a personal story backed by quantitative research. This makes the story more effective because it presents facts in a very interesting manner, something which anyone can relate to emotionally.

 

Conclusion

The Minutemen and Their World was revolutionary in the sense that it personalizes a Revolution. The author added to the understanding of the Revolution by presenting historical records and statistics and intertwine it with the lives and motivations to all of Concord’s citizens – great men, but also average people: poor men, widows, spinsters, ministers, blacks, farmers, blacksmiths, intellectuals, substitutes, and dissenters.

The arguments are based solidly on facts because of the great quantitative research, but the author sometimes wonders “if the Minutemen would recognize themselves in my mirror”. Academics sometimes use Gross’s work to compare Vietnam to the American Revolution but Gross does not include it in the main text. This is a must read for students who wants to know about the Revolution in great detail.

"Ordinary Men" By Christopher R. Browning

The Holocaust presented not only the atrocities committed against the Jews in particular; it was more so a testament of atrocities committed against humanity in general. Browning uses as a basis for his story a compilation of documentation gathered on postwar German interrogations of men of comprising this unit who carried out the wartime atrocities. He takes a deeper look at the Reserve Police Battalion 101 from Hamburg composed mostly middle-aged men from artisans and working class non-career police reservists. These men were either too old for normal front-line service or those who had no desire to practice a career in the police outside their role in this reserve unit.

In the book, Browning describes the dangerous use of even these units as first guards on trains that used to bring Jews to extermination camps. These units also participated in the in the rounding up Jews in the Polish Ghettos. Later, they exterminate entire villages.

This unit made up of 500 men broke down further into police reservists that did not have combat skills and were not central to the holocaust activity turned out to be the ones directly responsible for the killing of 38,000 people by shooting them to death. Also, they were directly responsible in transporting 100,000 thousand others to their deaths.

Browning turned back the hands of time by showing us what kind of men made up this unit. They were a diverse class of Party members, members of the SS, working or privileged upper higher classes and others. Their first act of killing was looked into in detail. All members of the Police Battalion 101 unit were not aware that they were to shoot unarmed and utterly helpless Jews.

What could possibly draw supposedly decent people comprising Police Battalion 101 to do such ghastly acts? Some cite the need to do so since they were in battlefield. But many believed this assumption is wrong. Those in the Battalion as a matter of fact were not skilled in combat training since most were older men.

Browning could be creating controversy when he called the book "ordinary men" to refer to the members of the Police Battalion 101. Their extraordinary callous acts could be attributed to the decaying effect of the racialist Nazi that was considered as the accepted truth in German society that brought the war. Browning does not give specific answer to the question as to why the atrocities occurred and why they were committed by seemingly good people. Those interviewed members of the unit did not bother to answer the question themselves. It is however the subject of confusion and the focus of the story as to how an ordinary person could kill children, women and old men with little or no remorse. It causes us to look closely and ask ourselves: how can racialist ideologies turned ordinary men into extraordinary monsters? That is the one question posed by the book which it did not address.

The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka

A book review on the classic “The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka.

“The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka is a heart-wrenching tale of a young man named Gregor who worked so hard for the welfare of his family. One morning he woke up and saw that he was no longer a man but metamorphosed into a vermin probably a roach. He wanted so much to continue working to help his family but his present state prevented him to do so. His metamorphosis proved to be a huge adjustment for him and his family. Later, he experienced alienation from them. Until, he lost his desire to live and perished.

Metamorphosis is an allegory to Gregor's struggle. Gregor's uncommon sacrifices to provide for his family's needs forced him to lead a life similar to that of a bug long before the transformation actually occurred. Gregor's transformation first occurred within and it manifested physically when he metamorphosed into a vermin.

We could see Gregor complaining at the start of the story. He thought that his transformation into a giant insect was a nightmare that he could simply wish away. So he shifted his thoughts to things that matter to him. We could see here that despite his present condition, Gregor's thoughts still centered on his work so he could support his family.

Gregor willingly sacrificed his welfare for his family but when he transformed into a giant insect he became a burden to them. Gregor therefore no longer serves any purpose for his parents. He was treated as a commodity. He was exploited to be able to support their expensive lifestyle. Yet, in the end, Gregor did not even get the respect and care he so richly deserved.

Equally disturbing is the last paragraph of the story. After Gregor died and the family was finally able to resume normal life, they turned their attention to Grete whom they have overlooked during their struggles. Since the parents had no use for Gregor anymore, they now focus their attention on his younger sister. Despite Gregor's terrible fate, the parents still find it in them to prioritize their whims by exploiting their daughter.

The Metamorphosis could be intended by the author to be satirical indictment of the bourgeois society and its demands. Or it could be Gregor's feelings of alienation and unspoken needs. These unspoken desires were probably crushed by authority and the boredom of the daily grind as attested by Gregor's sad fate. Whatever reasons are behind Gregor's metamorphosis, it all boils down to the fact that it occurred because he allowed himself to deteriorate. This in turn reduced him to a state at par with the insects robbing him of his unique traits and identity as a human being.

Social Entrepreneurship : Social Entrepreneurial Activities

"Social Entrepreneurship" is being responsive to the needs of our times. The non-economic motivational underpinnings of social entrepreneurial activity revolves around its passion of accomplishing a social mission, ability to incorporate innovation, strive to create impact and not just earn income are the very basis for social entrepreneurship.

Our current times call for the entrepreneurial approaches to solving social problems. Government and philanthropic organizations could not tackle the problems on their own. Their efforts are, at best, often viewed as below the people's expectations and, at worst, inefficient. Obviously, the government and social organizations alone could not implement necessary remedies for social problems. This is where social entrepreneurs come in.

Social entrepreneurs create models for the century. They lead people to greater visions and higher heights. Social entrepreneurship may be a newly coined word but the phenomenon has existed long before. This was practiced by institutions which we hardly recognize as such before. The new name enables us to recognize the efforts of these institutions at the same time put sectoral boundaries.

Aside from innovative not-for-profit endeavors, social entrepreneurship can be found in business ventures created for social purposes. Examples of which include for-profit community development banks, hybrid organizations which combines not-for-profit and for-profit activities. Hybrid organizations include homeless shelters that organize businesses fro their residents' livelihood.

Social entrepreneurs implement various ways to serve their social missions.
Different people have different views on "social entrepreneurship" though.


So what does the term " social entrepreneurship" really mean? What does it take to be a social entrepreneur?

The succeeding definition is derived from a variety of social entrepreneur definitions all combined to come up with one, comprehensive definition. It is taken from Say's idea of value creation with emphasis on discipline and accountability, Schumpeter' notion of innovation and change agents, Drucker's pursuit of opportunity and Stevenson's need for resourcefulness. The definition goes:

Social entrepreneurs play the role of change agents in the social sector, by:
Adopting a mission to create and sustain social value (not just private value),
-  Recognizing and relentlessly pursuing new opportunities to serve that mission,
-  Engaging in a process of continuous innovation, adaptation, and learning,
-  Acting boldly without being limited by resources currently in hand, and
- Exhibiting heightened accountability to the constituencies served and for the outcomes created.

The more a person can satisfy all the conditions enumerated, the closer the person is to being a social entrepreneur. It necessarily follows that those who practice innovation and who create more significant social developments will obviously be viewed as more socially entrepreneurial.

Change agents in the social sector: According to Schumpeter, social entrepreneurs introduced reforms and innovations coupled with a social mission.

The introduce modifications to the traditional way of doing things in the social sector. They have bold visions. They get to the bottom of the problem and address the root causes instead of doing superficial treatment of symptoms.

They effectively curb needs instead of satisfying them. They aim to introduce general changes. Their actions might be geared towards the local public but the effect could lead to global improvements in several areas particularly education, health care, economic development, the environment, the arts and other social field.

Adopting a mission to create and sustain social value: This separates the social entrepreneurs from business entrepreneurs. A social entrepreneur focuses on a social mission. It is an essential part of business, the core with which the entire activities of the social entrepreneurship revolves around.

The mission to create social improvement cannot be compromised to attain personal advantages such as profits. Reaping profits, becoming wealthy, or filling the need customers form part of the social entrepreneurship, but these are simply ways of achieving social end, not the end goal itself. Profit and customer satisfaction are not the measurements use in creating value but social impact. Social entrepreneurs seek to attain long-term social effect.

Recognizing and relentlessly pursuing new opportunities: Social entrepreneurs do not see problems instead they see view problems as opportunities in disguise.
They do not merely address social needs but also have the appropriate vision. The models and approaches they follow often change in response to the changing needs and demands of their work. Persistence is their number one trait coupled with willingness to adapt to change.

Engaging in a process of continuous innovation, adaptation, and learning: All kinds of entrepreneurs whether business or social are, by nature, innovative.
They do not necessarily invent new things but also introduce new ways of looking or using existing things.

Innovations they made maybe apparent in their core programs, or gathering of resources and funds. Creativity for entrepreneurs is a continuous learning process. Innovation often entails risks. But entrepreneurs are capable of managing these risks.

Acting boldly without being limited by resources currently in hand: Limited resources for social entrepreneurs do not pose as a hindrance to their desired ends. They augment scarce resources by exploring options such as adding partners, collaboration and soliciting aid from philanthropists. They develop strategies that promote and enhance their social missions or the objectives they sought for.

Exhibiting a heightened sense of accountability to the constituencies served and for the outcomes created: It is hard to totally wipe out ineffective social activities in business. That is why, social entrepreneurs focus on creating social value. To do this, they need to determine correctly the needs and values of the community they revolve in.

They aim to achieve a perfect balance between promoting social development at the same time providing financial or social return to their investors. This is a huge part of the challenge social entrepreneurs' face.

Progress of social entrepreneurs is determined by the relevant social, financial, and managerial outcomes. Unlike the business entrepreneurship where there is a greater emphasis on size, outputs, or processes. They use the information they gathered based on the outcomes to adapt to changes or make new goals if necessary.

For social entrepreneurs, the social mission is intrinsic part of their endeavors. Their objective of attaining socially relevant goals is the basis for perceiving and assessing opportunities. The impact they derived from achieving their social mission is central to social entrepreneurship not wealth creation. Wealth is merely one of the instruments to attain their social goals.