Systemic injustice in literature

A system built on the foundations of injustice is based on the relations between the oppressors and the oppressed. The oppressors possess more privileges such as power, knowledge, and higher social classes, allowing them to exploit and take advantage of those who are inferior to them. In a society based on hierarchy, social expectations and norms emerge and become the standard that exert pressure on individuals. Thus, individuals find themselves conformed to rules, traditions, and obligations in order to feel included, and any divergence from these norms will lead to their exile. Social and cultural expectations become deeply embedded in societies and their institutions which leads to their reinforcement and continuity until they become normalized and internalized.

Literature plays a crucial role as a tool to express the injustice embedded in societies. There are several stories that reflect injustice and address a social issue, and familiarizing people with such stories will help them understand how oppression exists within societies. Stories that reflect types of injustice such as racial oppression, primitive social traditions and customs, and social classes and divisions from different parts of the world will be discussed including Stranger in the Village by James Baldwin, The Guest by Albert Camus, The Lottery by Shirley Jackson, and The Falling Girl by Dino Buzzati.

Systemic injustice

Systemic injustice mainly occurs because of corrupt institutions that practice discriminatory acts and create patterns of behaviors that affect unprivileged individuals. Injustice may be on an individual or group level, whereby individuals or groups may feel lacking and deficient when comparing themselves with others. This feeling may arise when some groups are perceived as possessing more goods than others but are not worthy of their privileges. Systemic injustice is manifested in various forms, whether through racial oppression or social inequality and complacency to expectations and norms. For example, a society that fortifies acts of racism will also project systemic racism, engraining racist thoughts into its individuals. Racism becomes part of every official institution, impeding education, finance, and other aspects to individuals from the unprivileged race. The seclusion of minority groups leads to disregarding their voices and their needs. Not only do the oppressed become entangled in this cruel relation, but also the oppressors become stuck in a certain pattern of behavior that they must ensure.

Another facet of injustice is when oppressors are driven by their materialism and their greed for money and power. Thus, maintaining their position as higher than those of the oppressed remains their goal. Blinded by their ego-centrism and arrogance, they do not perceive their actions of exploiting others and stripping minority groups from their rights as immoral, but rather it is a normal procedure and they are merely entitled to it. In fact, they may blame the unprivileged people for the discrepancy in possessions because to them, unprivileged people do not work hard, and they may consider them as ungrateful for the acts of kindness the upper classes show. These perceptions create battles between the privileged and the minority groups in society which pushes those who are in power to constantly try to be in control.

Systemic injustice and literature

Through a fictional story with characters that are fighting oppression and injustice, literature serves to provide context for real-world issues in order to raise awareness and familiarize people with the situation. The significance of literature lies in its power of creating unity and shared emotions through people all over the world, bringing them closer to those who faced oppression so that they could understand their perspective and side of their story. Thus, teaching social injustice through storytelling and literature for young adults is essential to raise awareness and educate generations about the historical context of oppressed groups. Storytelling echoes the unheard voices of those who are oppressed, giving them power as well as instigating sympathy and compassion in others, which might eventually lead to action and change. Each society has its own unique culture and set of traditions, customs, and rituals, and a history of injustice that many people are unaware of. While many believe that denying an unfortunate past and forgetting what happened such as the African American slavery, the massacres of the native Americans, and many tragedies, stories that give voice to the marginalized are crucial in order to uncover the truths of these horrible incidents. Being exposed to different perspectives of the story will lead to a community that does not withstand the unfairness that is embedded deeply in systems and fighting for what is right.

Racial oppression in literature

Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced. James Baldwin, 1924-1987

Stranger in the Village

"Stranger in the Village" is a personal experience of James Baldwin as the first black man to arrive to a Swiss village, whereby Baldwin reflects on racial discrimination and voices his concerns and irritation as an oppressed black man. In this essay, Baldwin is alienated by the society he arrived to, treated as a stranger and never welcomed. Baldwin was perceived as inferior by white people who claimed authority over him, creating a system of hierarchy and injustice. In the village, the control portrayed by the white people is unquestionable and inevitable due to their white supremacy, while Baldwin, as an African American black man, feels detached from his identity due to the enforced control and pressure exerted on him. Eventually, Baldwin becomes part of a society based on divisions in every aspect whether it is in language, religion, or education, and in order to create a sense of belonging, he must conform to the authority of white people. Baldwin asserts white people maintain their power and identity depends on othering the black individuals and simply ignoring their existence. The fact that Americans brought the black people to live in their country but isolated them from their past and history is what reinforces misconceptions and affects the mentality of people. Black individuals become prisoners of themselves detached from any reality. According to Baldwin, the white Americans do not regard African-Americans as humans, but rather dehumanize them despite living with them and bringing them into their culture. The exclusion of black people from their society is achieved through creating ahistorical individuals who have no past, and thus no identity. Baldwin struggles with his self-conflict of desiring emancipation from all racist accusations and understanding his history. In his reflective essay, he seeks to understand his roots and establish his identity through acknowledging his role in the American society, and thus, Americans must either face the reality of world that is not only white, or continue disregarding humanity as including all individuals. Baldwin claims he has an identity and he is part of the world because of the ongoing battle between the black people and the world.

The Guest

The Guest is a short story by the French writer Albert Camus centered in post-colonial Algeria revolving around a French schoolmaster Daru, given the responsibility of escorting an Arab who committed a crime to prison. The Arab who is a victim of colonization and oppression in his own country is underrepresented. He remains anonymous and his physical features are explicitly described, illustrating him as a foreigner with a fearful yet defiant complexion. Throughout the story, the Arab lacks agency and autonomy as he is in an inferior position, whereas Daru and the French system have authority over his fate and actions. The Arab does not have privileges or resources and is thus at the bottom of a hierarchal unjust system. The circumstances of his life as an Arab in his colonized country made him suffer from oppression, famine, and the lack of basic needs, causing him to commit a murder against his cousin because of a misunderstanding on grain rations. The Arab is dehumanized by his oppressors and treated as an animal by the policeman Balducci in a land which was supposed to be his own, and in a place where he should have been free. When Daru is given the choice to escape or go to prison, he chooses the road to prison because he is under the pressure of two choices, both which will lead to his exile. The Arab will either face the punishment of betraying his own people since he murdered his cousin, or he will be punished by the French authorities by sending him to prison. The Arab has always been a prisoner to a system that forced him to comply to its expectations, and he has never known the true meaning of liberation. The oppression of the colonizers has become internalized, and in this sense, the oppressed become afraid of making their own choices and escaping what they have been used to. An internal struggle arises in the oppressed of choosing to go against the flow or sticking to the guidelines that they have learned, bearing in mind the consequences of their actions. The Arab faced with these options chose prison because he thought that is the only option he was capable of.

Social traditions in literature

Harmful Societal Rituals

The Lottery by Shirley Jackson is a short story about villagers who perform an annual lottery ritual. Although the townspeople have forgotten most of the rituals, they hold on the tradition which turns out to be a barbaric act, and the person whose name is chosen in the lottery gets stoned to death. The people are against any change in the ritual despite it being an uncivilized and violent because they believe that it is form of sacrifice for the greater good. Social values and traditions are interpreted in some cultures as tools to maintain justice and unity; however, in most cases, they end up causing injustice and harm. Societies with primitive beliefs and traditional customs justify horrendous actions in the name of traditional values. From child marriage, honor crimes, marital rape, and genital mutilation, many traditions in certain countries violate human rights. The importance of traditions in some societies make the people get too attached to such values that they become institutionalized and part of a larger system, making people afraid of any change. In The Lottery, the villagers believe that they are benefiting their society because they do not acknowledge the crimes they are committing. The fact that this lottery has existed for a long time and has been passed across generations makes the villagers comply to this tradition blindly. Moreover, performing this tradition as a collectivized group makes it more impersonal and explains the lack of empathy. The Lottery portrays the human innate tendency towards unjustified violence. Systemic injustice continues to exist because societies have been accustomed to certain values and traditions and are afraid to let go. Harmful acts become normalized because they are part of the system, and with time people forget that there is any oppression going on, but rather they focus on complying to rules.

Social classes in literature

The Falling Girl

In the short story The Falling Girl by Dino Buzzati, Marta, a 19-year-old girl is standing on the top of a skyscraper and lets go of herself. Marta begins her fall passing by the upper floors that represent the higher classes in society. The protagonist is concerned with how the rich people perceive her and is satisfied when she has successfully captured their interest and attention through her dress that appeared fancy under the rays of the sunlight. However, as she fell and passed by the middle classes, no one helped her or even was shocked to see a girl falling, as it was normalized. Eventually, Marta began to realize that she has been deceived, and the ball she wanted to arrive to at the bottom of the skyscraper has all been a lie. As the sun set, Marta no longer appeared as fancy as before, and she started to look more older in age. When she arrived to the lower floors, a husband and a wife were complaining about how they do not have the privilege of being entertained by girls falling like the upper floors. The story depicts how society is built on class divisions and how people become blinded by materialism and greed. In order to impress the prominent classes, society pushes people to become products of entertainment, leading to their oppression. When Marta reached the bottom, she finally understood the truth of the upper classes and the injustice that comes within social classes. People who belong to lower classes tend to undermine their self-worth whereas those who belong to upper classes perceive themselves as better. When individuals realize that they are underprivileged, this may instigate a sense of fear and concern, and increases their depression, disappointment, and lower their esteem. Marta, being part of an oppressed group in society, felt the need to assert her presence. However, she realized that all she was doing was performing a role assigned to her by the upper classes.

References

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