Writing Class: Mr.Zinn the Illuminator

Name: Eka Berniati

Class: PBI-D 4^th Semester

NIM: 14121320236

WRITING 4

Mr.Zinn the Illuminator

Introduction

Howard Zinn, the great American activist who firmly, historian and Inspirational writer, the author of “A People's History of the United States”, a book that literally changed the consciousness of a generation. Here he developed with care, lucidity, and comprehensive sweep his fundamental message about the crucial role of the people who remain unknown in carrying forward the endless struggle for peace and justice, and about the victims of the systems of power that create their own versions of history and seek to impose it. What is interesting of course Zinn book is his courage to reveal the dark side of the new continent 's history and commitment to the definition of the subaltern in Spivak : they are marginalized in the politics of narrating history . Shooting targets do not bear responsibility : Christopher Columbus and the historians who write naive version of the arrival of the colonists . In the words of Zinn , any particular emphasis in the writing of history would support an interest . Can be political, economic , racial or national . But unfortunately in the historical narrative , this bias is not as bright as in the writing of the map . Historian writes as if any reader has a single common interest . The particular writers seemed to forget that the production of knowledge is a tool of combat in the antagonism between social classes , races , nations or peoples .

Summary

Some references about Howard Zinn I got from a few articles on the internet . One of them was written by Zinn himself , titled " Untold Truths About the American Revolution " . In the article he questioned the U.S. war of independence against the British army , which , in fact , noted by many historians forget .

The war of American independence is not the same sense equally struggle , in which each person is not the Britain army desperately defending the new state . When talking about the war of American independence , the first question that should be noted is , " what do we get ? " . After that , another question arises , " is it true everyone fighting for the independence war ? " . Answering these two questions , Zinn argued that there are some who do not agree with that struggle: the Indians , the blacks , and poor farmers .

Three groups Zinn was raised in his article . Indians , according to Zinn , no fanfare celebrating the spirit of revolution the United States because they were more than happy with the Englishman . Why? In 1763 , the British government is entrenched in America make such an agreement with the Indians that they would not be disturbed . The agreement shows that British troops were not allowed to enter the territory of the Indians . After the British defeat in the war of independence and sovereign United States , the agreement were also abolished . Then the newly independent Americans began to slaughter one after settlement of the Indians they encountered .

The blacks are incorporated into the class that Zinn did not rejoice . Before and after the war of independence , they remained enslaved . And slavery was , bangsatnya , set in the Act . Meanwhile , farmers do not get any lower that has been promised to them before the war began . They were promised land for cultivation if the war was over . However , when it was independent , low farmers were left alone . Alignments Zinn, is a matter of ideology in the writing of history. He is someone who is anti-violence and reject whatever reason that is used to support a war. Read a bit about Zinn, I was reminded of the Irish writer James Joyce.h it had once said that history Adala "nightmare that I want to wake up from her". It seems that, since hatred Zinn's why he tried to uncover the dark past nightmares tub, the loser of the angle, so that one day we wake up from the so-called "injustice" and "oppression" it.

Critic

Zinn have kindness that he brave to say truth about history. Zinn feel that is case, where from learn about fact Crhistopher Colombus can caused revolute in someone think. From someone learned about the information which hidden, mostly someone itself will have many question from hidden information. In the other hand, Zinn not appear fact and evidence about badness Christopher Colombus, no specify. Zinn also tell that history should opened not should any closed like this quote “History is important. If you don't know history it is as if you were born yesterday. And if you were born yesterday, anybody up there in a position of power can tell you anything, and you have no way of checking up on it.” Means, someone who don’t know history it will easier get false from others people and never ever know the really truth. He inspired a generation of high school and college student to rethink American history. I feel confuse and more fexed and want to know more far about it, find information about it and change my consiousness that not Colombus who find American continent.

There are weakness from Mr.Zinn, I have one less thing I love about writing styles Zinn: absence of some references and footnotes. There are so many hard facts that he should give a note where he got it, but the info is absent. Zinn's just say at the end of his book that he told all based on the experience of teaching and of the books which he lists at the end of the page. Perhaps this is what makes it not been seriously considered in academic. And then, he not explain that muslim who find American continent he really not appear little about muslim in American continent history, Zinn also not opened kindness of Colombus in his article mostly he more specify why he do it or why he opened badness from Christopher Colombus.

Conclusion

In conclusion, history is the owner of the ruler, who ruled they who determine history. When islamic civilization that was burried since his defeat in crusades, history participate burried with them. And then history was recorded again with the exact same event, but with different actors and characters depending on who wrote it, of course we know who won that war. We have to know that there is whose name is in the history “craft” building new history. Historians usually subjective, and is in the underlying because a historian was asked to write history by people in power, means there is name the order history or in the message. History also depends of author, who is publishing for example Howard Zinn, yes I absolutelly agree with him that the book can change consiousness someone and the world also, because why? Because someone ability depend what the book which their read, from book we can know something or more information than not read the book, book also which saved history to adding knowledge from the past and make new generation don’t forget history from the past. Read more to get more knowledge and from read we know anything, history.