Writing Never Let Us Alone

Writing Never Let Us Alone

Introduction :

            Policies were changed. People’s consciousness was raised. On indirect lines, we should not desist from writing.  Something that make you think over is what exactly books do or what writing does. The huge problem will appear from that little part. What is connection between what everybody did and what happened in the world can be shown from writing. Uncovering something is Howard Zinn mission on his explicit statement for his article entitled “Speaking Truth to Power with Books¹”.

            Powerful effect on his life is something comes from what he has not before. Certain books changed his life. There are some books that seriously affected his life. It had a powerful effect on his thinking, and still does. It is really happened, books can do that. Even that is so tortuous and complicated, he stated “You have to begin”.

Summary :

            Two basic points that Zinn wrote on his article are keeping fact as selected one not innocent and then as soon as facts are presented, he offers us that you will put them out in the world or somebody else puts them out to you. So, there is knowing there is knowing there is knowing. From Zinn’s perspective, we can know that he wants us to learn about information that has been withheld from us. Because he knows that people believe they know something when they really do not. So from his powerful desires to uncover withheld something from the world, he gave an example by little upsetting statement, he is upsetting human habitat whole the world by stating that Christopher Columbus is not discoverer of United States. What a brave literate person he is.

Main Body (Critique) :

            There is many ways in which books can have a powerful effect. First, books can introduce an idea that the reader never thought before. Zinn stated when he read Herman Melville, Billy Bud and he is confronted with a situation where everybody obeys the law, everybody dutifully follows the rules. “ don’t always obey the rule in a country, just an innocent people will die” Those statements has Zinn put in his mind are really changed his thinking. And also Zinn read Dicken’s Hard Times , he found this statement “Remember, just give them facts, nothing but facts”. So, from those statements, Zinn became a person who always against every single incident in his life. Such what he said, led us consider that we are not one great family in this country. We have to clearly know who our friends and who are our enemies. It is always a little embarrassing to realize that you lived many years before a certain important realization came to you. From that case, what kind of against that we have to build up? When Zinn said that everyone just reveres the Founding Father and Constitution, also we have to not obey the rules in our country. So what exactly point that Zinn want we to do ? just against and refute it? What rules that we have to do not obey? Have we also refute the Founding Father or it means we have to against all of the country history? In history, there is something that we have to know and also there is something that we are not necessary to know.

            Second, as Zinn final word, he said there is something important that writing can do. As Vonnegut said that Zinn has been cited on his article, “I write so you would know there are people who feel the way you do about the world, that you are not alone”. Absolutely writing can make people feel they are not alone, but have we always put something against in order to make we are not alone? We write something important and have benefits for all people also it can create may advantages in society.

            Third, there is knowing of war. Zinn was a bombardier in the Air Force in World War II, and dropped bombs on cities, towns, and people. When he read Reading John Hersey’s book, and he knew what he does when he dropped bombs on people. But, that understood just would he talk to his students. He will let them to read it because it did more to get to the reality of war than any five lectures of his. So, the question is, why just for the next generation he shared up the fact that he found? It seems like brainwashing to the next generation. Zinn ever stated that he want to help the next generation from the withheld thing. So, let’s see what the effect that will appear in the next generation when Zinn tell about the discoverer of United States. Howard Zinn opened up or uncovered the truth of discoverer America, but he didn’t work well because still a lot weaknesses on his explanations. Especially deeply explanation of Columbus in his book A  people’s History of United States, Zinn only told a lot about the bad thing from Columbus. Here are Columbus as Zinn said :

§  Columbus and his successors were not coming into an empty land in America, but into a world which in some places was as densely populated as Europe itself, where the culture was complex.

§  Columbus just wants to dig some resources, such as gold, spices, and others.

§  Grand Theft, genocide and Racism.

§  Columbus initiating the destruction of a culture rape, torture, and maiming of indigenous people and instigator of big lie.

            A thousand reasons that Zinn gave to change our mind is still confused. Something missing and still hanging in my mind is “WHO IS EXACTLY DISCOVERED UNITED STATES?” Howard Zinn succeeded to move our history track, but not giving answer of that question. No one of his explanation really peeled the real story. So what will happen to the next generation when they don’t know who is their hero? Is Howard Zinn guaranteed it will be okay for them? Even we know that Zinn has passed away in 87 his ages.

Conclusion :

            As a result, even on indirect lines we should not desist from writing, because writing never let us alone, but still there is many ways in which books can have a powerful effect. The real powerful effect is not only for refuting all of incidents whole the world, but provide great reading for the next generations. Somehow, Howard Zinn has a great literacy in his life. No one people can brave to uncover the tortuous and complicated history. But Zinn has changed the next generation mind set. Students need to realize that through reading, writing comes naturally. Through writing, stories, imaginations, dreams, facts and fictions come to life. With life, there is always hope and the hope to have well read students with deep understanding of one own culture and others through literature will be a worthwhile challenge. Furthermore, the ability to understand our surroundings through literature allow us to become well rounded individuals. (Anne J.Arbali). In addition, education should promote productive reading-writing connections to develop young writers who will become adult writers and later, on completion of their advanced studies, intellectual writers. (A.Chaedar Alwasilah).

                                   

References :

Antropology off the Shelf: Anthropologists on Writing. Edited by Alisse Waters ion and Maria D.Vesperi – 2009 Blackwell Publishing.

Zinn,Howard. (2010). A people’s History of united States. 1492 Present

                                               

                                                                                                                        Author,

                                                                                                            Santiara Afifatun Nisa

                                                                                                                        PBI-D / IV