FRQ 3

In great literature, no scene of violence exists for its own sake. Either from your own reading or from the list below, choose a work of fiction in which the reader is confronted with a scene or scenes of violence. 

Then, in a well-written essay, analyze how the scene or scenes contribute(s) to an interpretation of the work as a whole.  Do not merely summarize the plot. 

In the short story collection Things We Lost in The Fire Mariana Enriquez employs scenes of violence and violent living situations in order to convey the tragically brutal experience of everyday life and the social injustices found in Argentina, ultimately illustrating that in a country of poverty and conflict, finding comfort is very difficult.

To begin, Enriquez utilizes a violent living situation to highlight the effect of poverty on Argentina. In the short story, The Dirty Boy, the narrator regularly encounters, and decides to help, a young boy who is described to be living on a mattress on the street, with poor hygiene, is malnourished, and without proper clothing. The narrator eventually takes the child to get some ice cream and a bath because they had internal conflict from sympathizing with the kid. Because the specifics of a boy in a depressing situation is shared, a picture is painted of how common this is seen in Argentina. Consequently, the picture of impoverished children, who are also not supported by the government, shows the battle that citizens face in the country. It is difficult for them to see the homeless children struggle and they understand the struggle is partially because of the government. Therefore, the common violence of a citizen struggling with no aid is uncomfortable for the impoverished and the people in their community. In addition, Enriquez shares the violent nature of protective people in Argentina. The mother of the previously spoken about boy was a naturally violent woman. She protected her mattress and her child at all costs. Verbal abuse and physical abuse with sharp objects was often threatened to people that come too close to her. Because the impoverished mother is so quick to violence in her situation, it is known that her instincts point her in that direction. Consequently, since instincts kick in for the mother, it seems she has faced violence in the past and her natural reaction has been trained to protect her because of past trauma. Therefore, the situation of instinctual violence showcases the lack of comfort people are able to find in impoverished living situations from past experiences. 

To continue, Enriquez utilizes violence in order to convey social injustice seen in Argentina. Crude domestic violence against women is seen in the short story Things We Lost in The Fire. Women in Argentina were being brutally burned by their partners for disobeying them or to show the control they had over the women. When the women were sleeping, the men would come into their room, place a towel over their face and pour a boiling liquid over them, and the women never saw legal or social justice for these actions. Because the domestic violence seen in this situation is so violent and ignored, the lack of support for marginalized groups in Argentina is highlighted. Consequently, the intense ignorance of the government to such horrible actions puts the women into a very tight space. They are being oppressed with no light at the end of the tunnel. Therefore, the social injustice of violently abused women makes their living situation seem impossible. In addition, the violent self-proclamation of marginalized groups in Argentina points out the challenging battle of justice in Argentina. The marginalized women spoken about prior, after a long time of torture, decided to push back with their own violent symbol of freedom. The women got together to walk into fires and personally burn themselves as a symbol of their choice and escape of the patriarchy. Because the abuse of these women was so intense, the need to get justice was heightened. Consequently, since they got their own justice through the violent action of burning themselves to show their own autonomy, the lack of support of the Argentinean government is highly critiqued. Therefore, the violent means citizens go to seek social justice showcases the need for reform and criticism from everyday people.

Overall, the violence portrayed attaches the reality of struggles of living in Argentina to the stories written. The poverty and social injustice is critiqued heavily because of the uncomfortable situations each character is put in. Ultimately, the lack of support from conflicting and poverty ridden countries puts significant stress on its everyday citizens and does not allow for these citizens to live a comfortable life.

Many works of literature feature characters who have been given a literal or figurative gift. The gift may be an object, or it may be a quality such as uncommon beauty, significant Social position, great mental or imaginative faculties, or extraordinary physical powers. Yet this gift is often also a burden or a handicap.  

Select a character from a novel, epic, or play who has been given a gift that is both an advantage and a problem. Then write a well-developed essay analyzing the complex nature of the gift and how the gift contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole.

In the novel Our Share of Night, Mariana Enriquez employs a character with an abnormal gift to manipulate and communicate with an undead, other world in order to convey a father who cares intensely for his family, but ends up hurting them by participating in cultish commitments ultimately illustrating that power that transcends human capabilities comes with a significant, possibly fatal, cost.

To begin, Juan was born as a medium and presents his gift of witchy powers to gain power within a violent community in order to show his want to have control. Juan has the capabilities to open portals to speak to the dead. The order needs to utilize these abilities to fulfill their prophecy of taking over the world, but Juan does not want to help The Order because he has consistent conflict with their leaders. Because Juan wants to lift his social status, he is conflicted on whether or not to stick to his values of keeping the world safe or to accept the offer of controlling the world. Consequently, since this internal conflict makes the decision of protecting or harming the world more difficult, it is shown that Juan is willing to accept either outcome at the cost of the other. Therefore, the complexity of lusting for power while still trying to keep control of using a gift for good is seen by internal conflict. In addition, Juan not only faces internal conflict associated with his powers, but he also faces a physical setback from his gift, showcasing the duality of wanting more power while being physically limited from it. Juan developed a severe arrhythmia at the age of 5, needing surgery that left him with a large scar and lifelong heart complications. This condition was set on by the strength of Juan's other worldly powers and could kill him if he were to continue to put his body under the stress of using them. Juan continues to use his powers throughout the novel and is put into urgent care almost every time. Because Juan is faced with physical limitations and continues to push past them with no regard for his life, his gift conflicts with what he truly wants out of life. Consequently, since Juan faces this conflict every day, his choice of power over his life is made, but his body shows the duality of gaining what he truly wants versus what he is actually capable of. Therefore, the harmful physical manifestation of a gift conflicts with a person's chosen path for their life. 

Not only does Juan's gift show transcendence and limitations, his choices to continue pursuing a life of contacting the dead severely hurts his son and wife. Juan's wife loses her life because of his association with The Order and the sacrifice associated with them needing Juan's powers to fulfill their destiny. The Order does not have the ability to contact The Darkness, a place and creature that alludes to biblical hell, even though they must make contact to gain more control of the world. Juan, not wanting to get his son involved with The Order, does not want to continue making contact with the darkness, so The Order kills Juan's wife and puts her in a place he cannot contact her. Because Juan still wants control over the order, but also loves and wants his wife, he was placed at a standstill of decisions to manipulate him to his ideal outcome. Consequently, the manipulation includes putting his son at more risk, taking the lives of the people of the order, and continuing to make contact with the darkness in spite of himself, as he struggles to make a decision that includes intense costs and wins for him. Therefore, the people around a gift that is being exploited are hurt, against the wishes of the people gaining power and being accepted into a higher social status. In addition, Juan notices his son developing powers as a medium and tries as hard as he can to hide them in order to display his love for his son, combating his love for his own status as someone with a gift. Juan knows that if his son were to be found out as a medium, the order would exploit him, and he would suffer for the rest of his life similarly to himself. Juan utilizes his friends and makes sure that his son has the strongest protection spell possible. Because Juan does not want his son to live the same life as him, he is shown as loving and compassionate as well as full of self-hatred. Consequently, since Juan loves the idea of taking control of the undead world for himself, but also understands he is suffering, his mental conflict between living an ideal and imperfect life at the same time. Therefore, understanding that living to a person's fullest capacity comes with sacrifice is comfortability, but wishing ourselves fullest capacity away from others as a way to protect them shows hidden hatred for the present moment.  

Overall, Juan displays a gift of powers to communicate with the dead and the opportunity of unlimited control and power, but is conflicted with harmful physical conditions, the loss of a loved one because of his status, and wishing to protect the people around him from his life all because of his gift. So, Juan displays a love and hatred for his situation, and a duality of ideal life of getting all he could’ve wished for while still holding true to his values.