Reflections of Oppression

We continue to repeat the same mistakes. We miss the value of that which lies before our eyes and neglect or exploit that which should be preserved. We take advantage of one another. We take advantage of nature which supports us. The tragic fates of Karintha and Tom Burwell reflect something tragic about society as a whole. Karintha and Burwell bore the brunt of something perverse about the people that we as a whole have produced.

Karintha's destructive and horrible qualities, namely her violence towards animals, are a product of her mistreatment. The men around Karintha who sexualize her at too young an age cause her to develop unhealthily. The men around Karintha who pine after do not see the humanity in Karintha, they only see their desire objectified in her. The incomplete humanity of the men spreads and destroys Karintha as well. This does not mean that people don't deserve blame for their actions. Karintha should be held responsible for what she did , as should the men that mistreated Karintha, but none of them got to choose the world into which they were born and the forces that produced them were out of their control.

A similar dynamic is seen in "Red Blood Moon." It is particularly evident in Bob Stone. Stone's internal conflict, his struggle with reconciling his feelings for Louisa with his racist beliefs leave him a deeply confused man. The perversion of racism lies centrally in its attempt to strip people of their humanity. For those who have their humanity taken from them violence, rage and shame pervade the psyche. For those who benefit materially from racism at the expense of love, humanity and equality the hatred can eat away at the oppressors. Wherever oppression exists, both the oppressed and the oppressors are destroyed by hatred. The injustice committed by oppressors must be understood as acts of those produced by an unjust society. Stone's confusion and conflicted commitment to hatred, and Burwell's rage show what racism does to all those who exist under it. Racism eats away at us all for hatred is a plague upon anyone who is confronted by it.