“Borderlands are physically present wherever two or more cultures edge each other; where people of different races occupy the same territory, where under, lower, middle and upper classes touch, where the space between two individuals shrinks with intimacy.” Anzaldua
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. "
Martin Luther King Jr.US black civil rights leader & clergyman (1929 - 1968)
FATHER BRESSANI CATHOLIC HIGH SCOOL: A SCHOOL FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDIES AND ADVANCED PLACEMENT CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Post #7: Digital Media - The single story
Students are asked to post their reactions, comments, questions, opinions on "The Single Story." How does the theme (main message) of this discussion influence your understanding & views of the Jewish and German cultures?
When I watched the Ted Talks, it made me realize there is more then one single story. When she said a young boy came up to her and said its too bad all nigerian men beat their wives, it made me realize it is the same thing as saying "All Germans are Nazis an want to exterminate the Jews."
I reflected upon my classmates and wondered "what if I had a single story in my head about all their cultures?" Would they be negative? Would I not have any friends in this class? What about me? would my friends accept me and my culture because I'm not Italian?
I think it influences my understanding about the Jewish and German cultures by making em think behind the box. Did a Jewish man do something to Hitler to make him so hatered? Was there maybe a mental disability with him and thats what made him want to kill them all? Maybe the Jews provoked something within a diferent Jew to cause the struggle. Are they not tellling us the Germans side of the story because they want people to feel sorry for the Jews?
I really enjoyed watching the Ted Talk video and the message that was being portrayed during the course of the clip. The woman talks about how people have a single story in their mind about different cultures, sexualities, etc but they may not be the full story. It basically means that not all stereotypes are true and in reality, most of them aren’t. Before watching the video, I too had a single story in my mind about Nigerians and even Africans in general. I always thought of them as those starving, poor, helpless people you see on television who are so unaware of what’s going on around them. It turns out that not all people in Africa are like that; in fact most Africans are not. Some people such as the woman speaking grew up doing the same things I grew up doing and that we are not so different after all.
The “single story” concept can be used when talking about the Germans and the Jews during the Holocaust. When we look back and see the horrible things the Nazis did to the Jews we automatically think all Germans were wicked cold-hearted people. The truth that no one seems to realize is that some Germans (like Bruno’s Grandmother in John Boyne’s “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas”) were completely against Hitler and his political views and some even helped Jews hide and escape from the concentration camps.
The speaker ends off by saying “When we reject the single story, we regain a kind of paradise.” I think this was a very powerful way to end her speech because in doing so, she made us viewers look forward to learning more about different cultures by broadening our horizons and not only sticking to the single story.
The Ted Talk influenced my understanding of the Jewish and German cultures because it caused me to begin thinking about how Nazi propaganda made the Holocaust possible. Hitler and the Nazi party came to power on a platform to rebuild Germany into a strong and prosperous nation. However they needed a scapegoat whom they could blame for the nation’s previous failure. They chose the Jewish people. From the very beginning of the Nazi regime, the Jews were slowly dehumanized and stereotyped by the Nazi government. It started off with being forced to wear The Star of David, and then it progressed to not being allowed to work. This was followed by being forced into the ghettoes and culminated with death at the concentration camps. At each stage of dehumanization the Nazi government was able to use its notoriously effective propaganda machine. They painted a picture in German’s minds that Jews were greedy, secretive and deceptive. They portrayed them as thieves stealing money from Aryans or as spies selling military secrets to the Allies. The German people were bombarded by a single story. It did not take long for them to fall for this propaganda. Many of them had known Jewish people all their life yet the Nazi propaganda was so effective that they believed they had been deceived by their so called “friends”. This stereotyping and creation of a single story was detrimental to the Jews, as people believed that the Jews were anti-German and thus put up much less resistance when they were taken away. If the single story had not existed, the situation would have been much different. The German people would have seen that the Jews were not all greedy or sneaky but rather kind and generous people. Unfortunately, the Nazi’s had so much control over the media that it was never possible to educate the masses about the other side of the Jewish people. Had this been possible, the history books would tell a very different story; not one of mistrust but of unity. Having both sides of the story would have prevented unspeakable atrocities and led to a much safer Germany.
We are all guilty of "the single story" or judging a person just based off of what we know about their culture. This Ted Talks video has shed a lot of light on me today. Chimamanda talks about our perception of people based on their background has a lot to do with repetition and exposure throughout the media. We have watched endless clips of poverty on television telling us to donate money and save a child's life. So, now when we think of Africa- which is a continent- or India, we see them as the poorest of the poor. But, this is not the case for a lot of places. This does not mean that there isn't a lot of poverty in these places, just that it isn't everywhere.
This video has changed my perception of the German society as a whole during the holocaust. Not all German's were bad during this time, we just don't hear of the good ones because we are always so fixated on the bad. When we think of Germans during the holocaust, we "single story" them and pinpoint them entirely as the villains. But what about the Germans that wanted to stop the killings? What about Bruno's grandmother? These people have all been written off as bad because we seemed to refuse the idea that there could have been good Germans at this time. Let's try to not "single story" people any more. Let's try to get to know a person for who they are based on their personality, not off of what we THINK we know of their culture.
Chimamanda Adichie is a captivating speaker, although she is captivating through her eloquence, her intelligence and her ability to use real-life connections to prove a very valid point. This genre was quite unlike “Night and Fog” which captivated in a much different, and considerably less pleasant, manner. Ms. Adichie proves to us the often debilitating presence and unintended consequences of what she so perfectly describes as the “single story”. This morning in class Kyle, Thomas and I had an interesting conversation, just bouncing around any random ideas and kind of losing the topic. Nevertheless, it was made clear to me that this idea, this danger of the single story, is extremely applicable to many scenarios in our world, past, present and future; especially the Holocaust. To the extent my knowledge reaches, even after looking at various types of media, I still find the topic of the Holocaust incomprehensible, not because of the unspeakable crimes committed, but because the story of the Holocaust, in its entirety, is incomplete. There are too many possible endings of too many possible stories to consider, that might not even be considered, whether it be from a German standpoint, a Jewish standpoint, a Roman Catholic, a physically disabled, an Italian, an American, a student or a son of a Commandant. I am glad to say, however, that this Ted Talk has changed me, has done just what it was meant to do, destroy the single story; at least in my mind. That is not to say that the single story, the commonly accepted story, for any topic does not already exist in my mind, but it is not the only story, nor will it ever be. Yes, there is the single story and there will always be that “single story”, even though no people or place on earth truly has one; yet by acknowledging the fact that there is more than one dimension to a certain religion or culture, and countless dimensions to the people within them is already a step in the right direction. When you know there is a double, triple, quadruple story, you cannot be prejudiced towards that people, or base them wholly on insufficient stereotypes. Even better, you can never look at another person with a predetermined prejudiced opinion or bind them into the mold of a stereotype; you are unable to physically think that way. If you do deny it—because it is just that, denial—you will only be cheating yourself, whether to sate guilt or jealousy or revenge. The extreme case of this is the Holocaust. The fact that in the past, the Jewish people were made the scapegoat, the inferior while the German, were made the superior. Why is this? I think a part of Ms. Adichie presentation clearly explains this. “It is impossible to talk about the single story without talking about power. There is a word...that I think about…and it is ‘nkali.’ It’s a noun that loosely translates to ‘to be greater than another.’ …stories too are defined by the principle of nkali: How they are told, who tells them, when they’re told, how many stories are told, are really dependent on power.” I cannot agree more; this comment immediately made me draw a parallel to the Holocaust because every single factor she mentioned, her whole point in that quote, directly correlated and correlates to the Holocaust, as well as our opinion of it today. The Germans gave themselves power and the power in numbers, they made themselves in the image of perfection, and they gave themselves the strength to not only tell the story but be the only story heard. Obviously they told the story to their benefit, in their opinion, at their discretion and in their numbers. Consider also “when [it was] told”, the time of economic failure in Germany, of desperation and imbalance. Consider also how the story is told now, the Jewish made the helpless victims, the Germans the heartless. That is not to say that these stereotypes “are untrue but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story” and that is unacceptable, because “stories matter. Many stories matter.”
We cannot allow the single story to become the only story for it strips dignity, respect and humanity away from those it tries to classify, to group together in an attempt to make said group easily controlled and degraded. Is that why some Germans could live with their actions; for they were only bombarded by the propagandas single story. Rather than obliterating the single story, they were, ultimately, obliterated by it. It is our duty; it is our right and privilege to speak up and to speak out. It is our obligation to humanize, to respect, to unite, to care, to understand, to interact, to empower and to love one another. By understanding that no true single story exists, and by spreading that message we create a little piece of paradise in our classroom, our school, our homes, a piece that can never be destroyed.
The Ted Talk that we watched today in class was very thought provoking and interesting. Listening to the speaker discuss the issues involved with “single stories” really made me consider how her message applies to both German and Jewish cultures. The woman had mentioned that single stories usually come from people with power, and this is exactly true about the Holocaust. The Nazis had so much power over Germans that, through propaganda, they were able to convince everyone (or at least the majority of people) of their “single story” about the Jewish people. The single story that the Nazis told was that Jews were responsible for all of Germany’s failures and problems (they used the Jews as scapegoats) and unfortunately, this story replaced anything and everything else that Germans actually knew to be true about Jewish people.
Another way in which the message of the single story applies to the Holocaust is in regards to how we view Germans now. It is unfair to assume that all Germans were/are terrible, uncompassionate, and unjust people. As we saw through the grandmother in “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas”, not all Germans agreed with Hitler. Some of them did realize the truth about what was going on and did not think it was right at all. Therefore, it is wrong to assume that all Germans are evil people because this is stereotyping, and, to quote the speaker in the Ted Talk, “the problem with stereotypes is not that they are wrong, but rather that they are incomplete.”
Watching the Ted Talk video was important to me. Even though I know that stereotypes are not the entire story, I have fallen victim to alot of them. Mainly how Africa is poor and no one is happy and they all listen to and dance to native and tribal music. This is because of the media. The media wants us to think that every single person in Africa is sad, desperate and under educated. This is because the media wants us to give money to them so they can give that money to Africans. If we see that not everyone in Africa is helpless, we will feel less pressure to give. In a way this is good, but it just contributes to the stereotypes that already exist.
I liked how the speaker in the Ted Talk mentioned that stereotypes come from people with power. This is so true with the Nazi’s and the Germans. First of all, we all think that every single German supported Hitler. This isn’t true and we need to get this single story out of our heads. Also, Hitler constantly used his power over the media in Germany (and other countries that he controlled) to send out terrible messages about the Jewish culture. He used everything in his power to get his message across to his people. Since everyone thought he was a great ruler, they believed it out of ignorance. Hitler started stereotypes of the Jewish culture. Now, years after, we still have stereotypes. Some people use them as jokes, but stereotyping is what was behind WW2 and the holocaust. Who knows, Hitler’s idea may have started as a joke.
The single story is dangerous; it invades our lives and is killing us, literally and non-literally. The only way to change this is to forget about that single story we have all grown to know. We must realize there are different versions and sides to one story, let alone one whole ethnic group or religion or culture. The theme of this discussion influenced my understanding and views of the Jewish and German cultures because it taught me how “impressionable and vulnerable we are”. How we can solely, but a hundred percent believe, in only one story, and make that single story, that one stereotype, the base and truth of all. All Germans hated Jews and idolized Hitler; they either literally killed the Jews or stood comfortably and okay with the fact that these Jews were dying in the concentration camps. All Jews hated Germans and were helpless and powerless in the events of the Holocaust; they were the sole victims. These two statements have surrounded and bombarded the German and Jewish cultures ever since the end of the Holocaust but they belong only to one story. And this is what I have learned from listening to this discussion and reading specific books and watching documentaries in class. This is how my understanding and views of the Jewish and German cultures was influenced. One never talks about how there were Germans who did not agree with Hitler’s plan and how it was not just the Jewish people that were discriminated against, but these are other stories, other worlds, which did exist. We show people as one thing and that is what they become, that is what becomes authentic to who those people are, but the reality is the single story is simply that, a single story. And that single story is just as representative of a specific person or culture or religion as any other single story; the irony being that no single story is really representative of anything or anyone.
The Ted Talk that was shown to us today in English class was a very inspiring speech given to an audience from a Nigerian woman. Her words came directly from her life story, as she talked about her culture. Many people think that Nigeria is poor country, and many children are sick and starving. She went to give an example from when she had come to a university in the US, and how her roommate felt terribly sorry for her. She wondered why she had felt so bad, but later grew to realize that if she was brought up in the US, she would agree with what American's thought of Africa. The media portrays a bad example for countries and societies. It makes things look worse or better then they are. This relates to Jewish vs German culture. I'm not disagreeing or stating false accusations as to the Holocaust being fake because I know it is 110% true. But not all Germans hated Jews, and not all Jews hated Germans. Take Schindler's list for example. It was about a commandant that saved hundreds of Jew's from execution by hiding them in his factory, which risked his own life. Not all German's can't be hated because many German's YEARS ago made bad decisions. Everyone has a mind of their own. I bet you wouldn't like to be known for being in the mob if you're Italian, or serial killers because you're from the Middle East. Every individual is unique and we make our own choices. In all, the speaker made an excellent point stating that, "When we regret a single story, we gain paradise."
“Stories have been used to dispossess and malign. Stories can also be used to empower and humanize Stories can break the dignity of people, but can also repair that broken dignity.” After watching the TED talk video, Chimamanda Adichie: The danger of a single story, one the quotes that stayed in my mind was the one stated above. This quote stayed in my mind because I feel as though it truly and perfectly defines what stories are. In relation the Holocaust, the “single-story” that most people are told is that ALL the Germans were bad horrible people who hated and killed the Jews. This single-story broke the German’s reputation and created a very bad image of all Germans. As for the Jews, the “single-story” made them out to be helpless, and extremely hated toward ALL German people because of what had been done to them. I am not saying that these single-stories are not true in some cases but it is VERY wrong for people to base their opinion of the German and Jewish people solely on this one, single, story. This TED talk video has changed my opinion/perspective on both the German and Jewish culture by allowing me to reflect and understand that there is more than one story to tell. For instance, I have now realized that not ALL German people were out to demolish the Jewish culture; there were Germans who helped protect the Jewish people. I have also realized that the Jewish people do not/ did not hate ALL the German people because like stated before, there were Germans who had nothing to do with the harsh treatment of the Jews. “When we reject the single story, when we realize that there is never a single story about any place, we gain a sense of paradise” Chimamanda Adichie ended with this thought and it truly did provoke my mind, I realized she is exactly right. If we stop judging, people solely on what we have heard about their “type” of people or about where they are from, then we open ourselves up to a world more of possibilities. These possibilities include creating deeper understandings of them as people and possibly creating many different relationships. This in essence IS paradise.
“The Danger of a Single Story” from Chimamanda Adichie on TED Talk presented a captivating and brutally true message. Stereotyping it is like reading the first page of a book and then making assumptions and critiquing it based on nothing more than that initial page. But even more important, or harmful, is believing the single story, not bothering to read the rest of the book! This is how I see the Holocaust – initiated with a single story, but never attempted to look beyond that. As people, we have an instinct to judge others right away, and that isn’t the worst part; where that judgment turns into a single story is when we don’t bother to learn more about our neighbours so that the single story is broadened into a dimensional perspective.
During the Holocaust, the German government put a false label on all Jewish people, instigating a single story. This happened not entirely due to the Government, but also the lack of investigation on behalf of the rest of the world. If people had taken a moment to critically look at this false labelling perhaps the situation would have been turned around, maybe people would have been able to see the truth instead of simply believing everything that they heard. Here we have one extreme: the inaccurate single story of the Jewish people during World War II. But in present day, our perspective on the Holocaust is also a single story, in my opinion. From the first time I was taught about the Holocaust, in grade six by what I remember, I’ve never once read a book, watched a movie or been told a story from the German perspective. Not from a 9 year old German boy, but from the entirety of Germans at that time. While the Jewish people were labelled, accused and perceived wrongly back many years ago, it is the Germans whom we never hear from today. I don’t mean to imply that hearing the catastrophe of the Holocaust by means of a German soldier would make what happened any less immoral, but shouldn’t we hear that side of the story for the sake of fair judgement? Personally, I would be very interested to hear about and know every intention of the Nazis, to be informed as to why they had such an urge to murder millions. I don’t have to like, or agree with the answers, but knowing them would give me a rounder image of this entire devastation. Like any situation, knowing both sides of the story gives one a fair opportunity to generate an opinion. Furthermore, if more attention was put onto the German side of this story, it could result in less stereotyping today. Because many people only learn about the Jewish side of the Holocaust, the Nazis are only associated with being German and running concentration camps. We don’t know the entire perspective from the German side and thus we cannot differentiate Germans from the Second World War with Germans now, allowing the single story – of them being terrible people – to live on. Looking at any person, subject, theme or place through only one lens is both dangerous and inaccurate; Ms. Adichie undoubtedly demonstrated this well through her TED Talk presentation.
Having watched the Ted Talks Episode with the class today, I entirely agree with Chimamanda Adichie. She told a series of stories, from her life, reflecting the idea why stereotypes are a bad thing. Not always because they are inaccurate, but because they paint an incomplete picture. The presentation reflects on the fact that, as is the case with many people, a person will hear a certain story, often repeated in different ways, until it becomes the only way they can see what the story is about. We, as a culture, need to realise that such stories, such as all Muslim men being wife beaters, or that all black people live on the corner of Jane and Finch selling drugs, is an unfair way of framing a culture. I would like, for a moment now, to reflect on one of my personal experiences. Last year, I went to London for March break. While there, I learned a lot about English culture, but the most important thing I learned was that almost everything I thought about the British was wrong. they do drink tea, but not obsessively, never did any of them once say ‘’Guv’nah”, and their teeth were not horribly crooked. All that I found was a culture, much like ours. The people were nice, but not all of them, they dressed in clothes just like anybody from Canada, and all I could think about was how much the English were like us. I found out how badly I had interpreted their culture, and I also found out how dangerous it was to see a people as one thing only. An understanding such as this can be applied to the Jews and Germans during the holocaust in very many ways. We only see two, static images in our mind of how the holocaust went down: the Jews, hiding fearfully for fear of getting caught, and killed. Helpless. Staying underground. And then the Germans. Evil, twisted Nazis wanting to hunt down everybody who is different, holding a deep loathing for the Jews. But, really, how often was an image like this true? After doing some research, I can say with some certainty that, in many places, Jews were not forced to hide in secret rooms for years. Many could live in plain sight, doing their jobs every day and coming home to a well off household. The Germans, too, deserve more credit. Many of them did not, in fact, feel any animosity towards Jews. It was mainly those in power who spread the propaganda and started the death camps. So, in the end, I feel this episode of Ted Talks makes an excellent point about how we must push beyond the one idea, and see for ourselves from a number of points of view what people are like.
To me, the TedTalk we saw today was extremely captivating. I found myself hooked on every word she said because not only was she easy to follow, but also her ideas were of interest, and relatable. From the many activities we’ve done in class, I would say I already have a firm grasp on the idea of eliminating a single story, and this speech further strengthened it. However, there was one main concept that was brought to new light from witnessing the TedTalk. Hearing the speaker’s stories about her upper-middle class life in Nigeria, I couldn’t help but think how little I knew about African countries besides the poverty; I hate to admit it but I found it hard to imagine people in Africa living like we do in Canada. This is not because I made myself a believer in the single story (because I am well-aware of the dangers of that), but because I have never been exposed to such a thought. This scenario of ignorance can be applied to any cultural group—including Jewish and German. From hearing the most common stories of the Holocaust, it is almost normal to feel hatred towards to the Germans and to feel sorry for the Jews; but this is based only on the stories that are told to us. It is very rare to hear an account of a Jewish person rebelling against the Nazis or a German person defending the Jews—those stories are out there, but unfortunately are much less common than the ones we hear in school. This is why I am happy our Holocaust unit has been interconnected with the theme of racial stereotyping and the “single story”. This TedTalk has shed new light on my understanding of others. I now really want to make an effort to not pre-judge people based on what I have heard.
“Power is the ability not to just to tell the story of another person, but to make it the definitive story of that person.” And that is what Hitler did, using propaganda and his willing accomplices to put together a solid stereotype that most importantly seemed believable of the Jewish people. As Chimamanda Adichie said in the TEDTalk “If you show people only one way over and over again that is what they become”, that is what Hitler achieved, he created only one perspective for himself to perceive the Jewish culture. “How vulnerable and impressionable we are as children in the face of a story” this line relates to how in the book, Bruno was quick to succumb to the story that the people on the other side of the fence were not human, just because his father said so. As children we look up to our elders and sometimes aspire to be just like them; most of the time we end up spouting their sayings when we get older because it has been embedded in our mind. We then become convinced that their perspective is the only true one. The single story is not really that different form the expression, “judging a book by its cover”, since that is what one is doing when they stereotype other cultures based on their appearance or what stories they have heard about them. I think that people should not jump to conclusions when approaching new situations and new people, and should take the time to learn about the culture and take part in new experiences, because you never know if you will end up enjoying it. I thoroughly took pleasure in listening to her inspiring speech. It has really enlightened me to get rid of the stereotypes that I have heard and that I may have.
The Ted Talk that featured and African girl growing up in Nigeria truly spoke to me. Her ideas were very true and clear. She had an amazing and honourable take on what stereotypes really are. Through her words, she described what people think of one specific culture. They think of one negative story, it is only human nature. But she strives to teach everyone to overlook the one story, and search for more as well. The presentation also gave me a better understanding of the Holocaust. When I think about it, there is a very logical reason why the war began. And why Hitler wanted to murder the Jews in horrific ways. He only did this because he believed in one story. Perhaps he thought that the Jews would one day become powerful and become a threat to him. Or maybe he took action against them because of their religion, or the way they run their economy, or their looks. Bottom line is, it could have been anything, but he had only one story in his head about the Jews. He stapled a stereotype to each and every one of the Jews. This is totally an unfair way to treat people. How would you like it if some foreigner thought that you belong in a gang, simply because you are black? Or if they thought that you are a mean rich kid because you are white. Hitler wanted all the Jews he found to die, and die painfully. If he took time to learn about other stories or other ways of the Jews, maybe the Holocaust would of never came to be. The moral of this discussion is, there is a lot of negativity to be prevented after learning about different cultures and other ways of life. As well, it is important not to develop a single story of one kind and/ or stereotype another nationality.
I thought that this woman portrayed her message extremely well. I think the way the media portrays cultures is what impacts people the most. When Ms. Adiche talked about how she was influenced from an early age by books on other cultures, it reveals how much children can be influenced by media. This reminds me of the Boy in the Striped Pajamas, because Bruno was influenced by his father, and how he followed what his father was telling him. He was influenced by the Nazi culture, and although he had a vague view of it, it made an impression. I think this impression was shown when Bruno saluted his father as a way of saying goodbye.
I think the single story is a real danger that no one really bothers to think about. I think that the single story creates the stereotypes,. The single story focuses on the negative aspects of a few individuals of a culture. Those individuals seem to always be the ones in the media. I think this is because our society finds the stereotypes intriguing. We find the individuals that do bring bad light on their culture interesting, or entertaining. I think this relates to the German culture, because the Nazis were the ones to bring bad light on their culture. They were the ones who created the single story for the Germans. Not all Germans were Nazis, or believed in the Nazi regime. Yet, because the Nazis held the most power, they could silence their opposition.
The Ted Talks that we watched proved a point in everyone’s mind. To every story there is more than one side. The speaker, Chimamanda Adichie, used real examples to prove her point. I think that it made everyone realize that unknowingly, they do the same thing. Listening to only the single story is like only looking on one side of the fence. Looking at one side of the fence, we see only what that side tells us. For example, in the book The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, we see both sides of the fence. Previous to this book, I knew almost nothing about the German side of the war. I only knew the single story. Because I was ignorant to what may have happened on the other side, I believed that the Jewish were the only true sufferers. But the book, along with the Ted Talks, broke my way of thinking. It showed me that people were hurt everywhere. Also, the piece of media supported the fact that not everyone is the same as the rest. Like not every German hated the Jews. During the discussion, she said that stereotypes aren’t wrong, but they are not complete. For every rumour a person hears, they shouldn’t believe it because it’s not necessarily wrong, but it’s not the whole truth. During the Holocaust, people belived the rumours that Jewish people were bad. They believed it without knowing the whole truth. After the Holocaust people believed that the Germans were bad and only the Jewish people had suffered. That also isn’t truth. Knowing both sides to one story can dramatically change how you view a situation.
"When we reject a single story we redeem paradise," a statement from Chimamanda Adichie from a Ted Talks presentation is a very powerful yet meaningful quote that proves just that, that people have single stories in their minds and labels on people due to these single sided stories that can be dangerous, if we eradicate them we can achieve paradise or freedom. Well, what does that mean? People and I am included hear stories and stereotypes about every type of race and culture which are mostly negative, incomplete and influenced by the person telling it or from whom they heard it from, and we tend to 'buy' into or start to believe these repeated stereotypes. Buying into these stereotypes we create labels and nasty images about certain people and rip away their own person identity calling a single unique person another mobster, gangster, drug dealer, cheapskate, or poor person (etc) according to the race, culture and single sided story about them. We categorize people by the negative stories we hear from others but in reality we don't know the culture or country itself, or base one true story and base it on all the other people of that decent. At the time of the Holocaust the Jewish people were imprisoned for no logical reason but by a stereotype created by Nazi leaders, in particular Hitler, that all Jews were a threat to the human race, and that the perfect race should have blue eyes, blond hair and is tall. In reality how can someone base one culture as a threat to the human race when everyone is different and has their own personality, like saying you can never trust a an African-American with your appliances because they will steal it and run away, for example. People bought into this stereotype and started to become Nazi followers due to this negative, influenced and untrue stereotype that created labels and fences between the two cultures. This therefore created World War II, and deaths of millions of Jewish prisoners and soldiers fighting against this cruelty and stereotype. We as the students that learn about the Holocaust, World War II and genocides cannot state that all Germans were evil, Nazi followers, and killers, because we know everyone has their own individual mind set with their own opinions, some Germans may have been Nazi followers while others weren't but we cannot base one certain group of people and apply it to everyone of that culture. In the book in 'The Boy in the Striped Pajamas' we know that Bruno's grandmother though German disagreed with her son's representation (Bruno's father) and Nazi belief proving that not all Germans were evil Nazi followers and that they should all be punished for their actions, this is a stereotype and causes fences between the German culture and other cultures to be built. Without stereotypes or a single-sided story we do not build hatred towards others due to these twisted, negative, stereotypes and single- sided stories and we learn to view people of a certain decent as individuals, we do not label people. When we don't negatively judge people without personally getting to know them, we learn to interact with one another, accept our differences and create borderlands, if single-stories were not created, World War II probably would not have occurred! When we take away these single sided stories from our minds we create peace and paradise from which Chimamanda Adichie firmly states.
The Ted Talk: “The Single Story” really relates well to the situation of the Holocaust. We as students are presented with a single story of the Holocaust and we really do not know the entire Holocaust story. The “winners” are the ones who write the history. Which I certainly think is true. We hear about the Holocaust from the point of view of the “Allies.” We must always think of the other possibilities and not only what we are being told. We need to think outside the box and to not limit our brains. Being biased and ignorant are horrible. The speaker talks about how she is faced with so many different stereotypes and “single stories.” The German’s were told not to interact with the Jewish people, so they did not. No real reason, other than they knew if they did there would be trouble. They were forced into listening to the single story. We should not fall into the same trap. Knowledge is power and there is so much to learn, so we should never look in a narrow way. And with that we will see everything with a brand new light.
A single story of a culture can damage the way people of other societies view them. This is what Nigerian-raised woman Chimamanda Adichie was trying to prove in her speech, via TED talk. She explained the meaning of understanding and realizing that there is more than just one single story. There are many stories, each shared and comprehended differently than the next. As perspectives change, so do the mental representations of various cultures. The Jewish and German culture are both linked to one single story, either positive or negative. On one side, the Jewish people of the Holocaust were innocent, scared, and helpless, while the Germans were inhumane, evil, and disgraceful. But are these accusations all correct? Society bases their thoughts on what they choose to listen too, and not necessarily what is true. We should not judge people based on hearing only one side of the story, and this is the main message that Adichie wanted to get across. Stereotypes exist all over the world, and the way that these stereotypes formed was through the perception of single stories. We cannot label people, supported by only a viewpoint that may be completely false and irrelevant. I fully understand what this lady is trying to say, and she definitely did an amazing job of sharing her story with an audience. We are able to relate to her examples, since everyone is guilty of believing one single story from time to time. People just need to understand that although it is done, we still have no right only believing one story, and we should be a little less gullible and a little more open-minded.
“The Single Story” can have a very large impact on a culture or individual. By looking through the lens of one perspective of something you have not seen the full and true story. There are always two sides to a story and it is vital we have open eyes and ears to both. If you choose to base your opinion or facts on one side of the story your information isn’t entirely right. As a result of only using the single story it generates stereotypes. A stereotype may hold some truth but it is unfair judgement. That being said, stereotypes are created on cultures all over the world. This can hold burdens on people because of stereotypes and media. For example, just because you are Asian doesn’t mean you have to be supremely smart. It is important you be yourself and work to your potential rather than strive to be something you’re not. Main point, stereotypes shouldn’t direct a person’s personality and life in general. In addition, the single story influences my view on the Jewish and German cultures in a few ways. The Holocaust has made such a large impact on the history of the two cultures and has created very strong stereotypes. It is clear that the single story most are told at a young age that the German culture are all nazis and were terrible people. Since we are exposed to this idea when we are eight or nine years old we believe with this single story and carry on to believe it. Truthfully, not all German’s hated the Jewish, for example in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Bruno’s grandmother was German and was completely against the actions of Hitler’s regime. Also, not all Jewish hated the German’s. There was no hatred between the two and really never was. The German’s swarmed the Jewish people without thought about what they were really doing. They were blackmailed by Adolf Hitler and didn’t have much choice but to do as he ordered. So before we make assumptions and create standards for people based on the singe story of their culture think twice, because there always is another side to the coin.
By now, I'm pretty sure that our class understands that you cannot look at one single aspect or characteristic of a person and judge them accordingly. The main message of the TEDtalk was to give us a better understanding of "single stories" and that we should avoid being so narrow minded. I thought that Chimamanda Adichie gave a wonderful speech on this topic. I can easily relate to her because she gives examples that come up in everyday life. I can understand her aggravation when she had to deal with stereotypes because I had faced similar situations. Some encounters have made me mad because of people's ignorance while others made me just want to plainly roll my eyes. I found it quite interesting that even though Chimamanda had to deal with such situations, she also stereotyped others. This didn't completely surprise me but startled me. I knew that everyone was capable of making "single stories" but again using the narrow binoculars, I could not see an African young girl pitying others or believing that they are poor (when she herself was also counted as poor in my eyes). Going to her comment on how stories are made by people with power, I wholeheartedly agree with her. How many times have we seen commercials of children in Africa starving and in need of sponsors? People in Africa don't do this we create these footage ourselves. We use the power of media and technology to create a story that Africa is a very poor country. The purpose behind this may not be an evil one but it still created a "single story". This discussion has made me change my views on the Germans and the Jewish because they were exposed to the power of creating "single stories". If everyone in our government believed that something was wrong, we would probably be guided into believing that as well. The government are the ones that have the most power in our society. The German government had an even tighter hold on their country; therefore they can easily manipulate their people into having the same views as them. A child growing up in this environment would not doubt an adult's word if they had said that Jewish people were beneath them. In simpler terms, it would be similar to my parents telling a younger me to not pick up insects because they are disgusting creatures. Not all Germans were horrible and cruel and not all Jewish people are completely innocent. There are many different people and we should not group them together and label them. These labels would not suit all of the people that we have grouped together because they are alike in one perspective. Again, this brings us back to the message that stands above all; rumours are but rumours and instead of becoming judgemental people, we should broaden our horizon to what we see and what we should believe.
This is real border crossing Kayla - great stuff! "When I watched the Ted Talks, it made me realize there is more then one single story. When she said a young boy came up to her and said its too bad all nigerian men beat their wives, it made me realize it is the same thing as saying "All Germans are Nazis an want to exterminate the Jews."
I reflected upon my classmates and wondered "what if I had a single story in my head about all their cultures?" Would they be negative? Would I not have any friends in this class? What about me? would my friends accept me and my culture because I'm not Italian?"
I see the pieces of the puzzle coming together - terrific! Read this and watch the puzzle come together: "Hearing the speaker’s stories about her upper-middle class life in Nigeria, I couldn’t help but think how little I knew about African countries besides the poverty; I hate to admit it but I found it hard to imagine people in Africa living like we do in Canada. This is not because I made myself a believer in the single story (because I am well-aware of the dangers of that), but because I have never been exposed to such a thought. This scenario of ignorance can be applied to any cultural group—including Jewish and German. From hearing the most common stories of the Holocaust, it is almost normal to feel hatred towards to the Germans and to feel sorry for the Jews; but this is based only on the stories that are told to us. Excellent comment Samantha.
I think the Hollywood motion picture will help solidify our views on the Jewish and German cultures as far as Holocaust literature is concerned.
My response to Post #7 written by Kyle begins with my concurrence with every point made through his reflective notions. I believe that Kyle and I had a similar idea in mind in that we both directed out attention to the way that the holocaust is perceived in modern time – how the German point of view is rarely exposed. Although there is no valid justification pertaining to the cause, events and consequences of the holocaust, Kyle rightfully highlights that we are leading a single story by casting a shadow over the German viewpoint and only enlightening the hardships of Jewish people. Truthfully, the ones who write about our history do have power over what readers experience as they explore the past, there is always a little bit of a bias through every author; the key as learners and readers is to explore all of the different aspects of a topic and to be cognisant of every story. Effectively, Kyle raises a great quote commonly associated with Sir Francis Bacon, “Knowledge is power.” Dozens of suitable interpretations can be made towards these words, but in this context they convey the freedom of mind that comes with being informed. If a person does not attain the adequate knowledge to have a well rounded perspective on any given subject, they are in essence trapped under that lack of knowledge; imposingly, having the complete story allows one to become empowered with a fair opinion and perspective. Throughout his writing, I’ve found these few to be the most important of Kyle’s forth brought opinions.
In my response to Post #7 written by Sarah, I’d like to expand on her ideas pertaining to media influencing children at an early age. Primarily, Sarah is absolutely correct in pointing out that this speaker showed us all how any form of media can have an impact on people, no matter what age. Not only are we greatly inclined to view media as something that older children are generally exposed to, but moreover many of us would think that a well intended book may have any negative consequences on its reader. With both of these common assumptions proven wrong, it exemplifies that media has an even stronger grasp on all our lives that we are even aware of, and too many times we subconsciously pick up on a single story about various topics. The difference between Ms. Adiche realizing the harm of the media she was exposed to, and letting it shape her mind one dimensionally was by means of her reading other books of different genres and authors. By grasping more of what literature has to offer, her single story turned into a broadened point of view. This point was well made on Sarah’s behalf and has an immense significance to the origination of many single story perspectives.
When I watched the Ted Talks, it made me realize there is more then one single story. When she said a young boy came up to her and said its too bad all nigerian men beat their wives, it made me realize it is the same thing as saying "All Germans are Nazis an want to exterminate the Jews."
ReplyDeleteI reflected upon my classmates and wondered "what if I had a single story in my head about all their cultures?" Would they be negative? Would I not have any friends in this class? What about me? would my friends accept me and my culture because I'm not Italian?
I think it influences my understanding about the Jewish and German cultures by making em think behind the box. Did a Jewish man do something to Hitler to make him so hatered? Was there maybe a mental disability with him and thats what made him want to kill them all? Maybe the Jews provoked something within a diferent Jew to cause the struggle. Are they not tellling us the Germans side of the story because they want people to feel sorry for the Jews?
I really enjoyed watching the Ted Talk video and the message that was being portrayed during the course of the clip. The woman talks about how people have a single story in their mind about different cultures, sexualities, etc but they may not be the full story. It basically means that not all stereotypes are true and in reality, most of them aren’t. Before watching the video, I too had a single story in my mind about Nigerians and even Africans in general. I always thought of them as those starving, poor, helpless people you see on television who are so unaware of what’s going on around them. It turns out that not all people in Africa are like that; in fact most Africans are not. Some people such as the woman speaking grew up doing the same things I grew up doing and that we are not so different after all.
ReplyDeleteThe “single story” concept can be used when talking about the Germans and the Jews during the Holocaust. When we look back and see the horrible things the Nazis did to the Jews we automatically think all Germans were wicked cold-hearted people. The truth that no one seems to realize is that some Germans (like Bruno’s Grandmother in John Boyne’s “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas”) were completely against Hitler and his political views and some even helped Jews hide and escape from the concentration camps.
The speaker ends off by saying “When we reject the single story, we regain a kind of paradise.” I think this was a very powerful way to end her speech because in doing so, she made us viewers look forward to learning more about different cultures by broadening our horizons and not only sticking to the single story.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe Ted Talk influenced my understanding of the Jewish and German cultures because it caused me to begin thinking about how Nazi propaganda made the Holocaust possible. Hitler and the Nazi party came to power on a platform to rebuild Germany into a strong and prosperous nation. However they needed a scapegoat whom they could blame for the nation’s previous failure. They chose the Jewish people. From the very beginning of the Nazi regime, the Jews were slowly dehumanized and stereotyped by the Nazi government. It started off with being forced to wear The Star of David, and then it progressed to not being allowed to work. This was followed by being forced into the ghettoes and culminated with death at the concentration camps.
ReplyDeleteAt each stage of dehumanization the Nazi government was able to use its notoriously effective propaganda machine. They painted a picture in German’s minds that Jews were greedy, secretive and deceptive. They portrayed them as thieves stealing money from Aryans or as spies selling military secrets to the Allies. The German people were bombarded by a single story. It did not take long for them to fall for this propaganda. Many of them had known Jewish people all their life yet the Nazi propaganda was so effective that they believed they had been deceived by their so called “friends”.
This stereotyping and creation of a single story was detrimental to the Jews, as people believed that the Jews were anti-German and thus put up much less resistance when they were taken away. If the single story had not existed, the situation would have been much different. The German people would have seen that the Jews were not all greedy or sneaky but rather kind and generous people. Unfortunately, the Nazi’s had so much control over the media that it was never possible to educate the masses about the other side of the Jewish people. Had this been possible, the history books would tell a very different story; not one of mistrust but of unity. Having both sides of the story would have prevented unspeakable atrocities and led to a much safer Germany.
We are all guilty of "the single story" or judging a person just based off of what we know about their culture. This Ted Talks video has shed a lot of light on me today. Chimamanda talks about our perception of people based on their background has a lot to do with repetition and exposure throughout the media. We have watched endless clips of poverty on television telling us to donate money and save a child's life. So, now when we think of Africa- which is a continent- or India, we see them as the poorest of the poor. But, this is not the case for a lot of places. This does not mean that there isn't a lot of poverty in these places, just that it isn't everywhere.
ReplyDeleteThis video has changed my perception of the German society as a whole during the holocaust. Not all German's were bad during this time, we just don't hear of the good ones because we are always so fixated on the bad. When we think of Germans during the holocaust, we "single story" them and pinpoint them entirely as the villains. But what about the Germans that wanted to stop the killings? What about Bruno's grandmother? These people have all been written off as bad because we seemed to refuse the idea that there could have been good Germans at this time. Let's try to not "single story" people any more. Let's try to get to know a person for who they are based on their personality, not off of what we THINK we know of their culture.
Chimamanda Adichie is a captivating speaker, although she is captivating through her eloquence, her intelligence and her ability to use real-life connections to prove a very valid point. This genre was quite unlike “Night and Fog” which captivated in a much different, and considerably less pleasant, manner. Ms. Adichie proves to us the often debilitating presence and unintended consequences of what she so perfectly describes as the “single story”. This morning in class Kyle, Thomas and I had an interesting conversation, just bouncing around any random ideas and kind of losing the topic. Nevertheless, it was made clear to me that this idea, this danger of the single story, is extremely applicable to many scenarios in our world, past, present and future; especially the Holocaust.
ReplyDeleteTo the extent my knowledge reaches, even after looking at various types of media, I still find the topic of the Holocaust incomprehensible, not because of the unspeakable crimes committed, but because the story of the Holocaust, in its entirety, is incomplete. There are too many possible endings of too many possible stories to consider, that might not even be considered, whether it be from a German standpoint, a Jewish standpoint, a Roman Catholic, a physically disabled, an Italian, an American, a student or a son of a Commandant. I am glad to say, however, that this Ted Talk has changed me, has done just what it was meant to do, destroy the single story; at least in my mind. That is not to say that the single story, the commonly accepted story, for any topic does not already exist in my mind, but it is not the only story, nor will it ever be. Yes, there is the single story and there will always be that “single story”, even though no people or place on earth truly has one; yet by acknowledging the fact that there is more than one dimension to a certain religion or culture, and countless dimensions to the people within them is already a step in the right direction. When you know there is a double, triple, quadruple story, you cannot be prejudiced towards that people, or base them wholly on insufficient stereotypes. Even better, you can never look at another person with a predetermined prejudiced opinion or bind them into the mold of a stereotype; you are unable to physically think that way. If you do deny it—because it is just that, denial—you will only be cheating yourself, whether to sate guilt or jealousy or revenge. The extreme case of this is the Holocaust. The fact that in the past, the Jewish people were made the scapegoat, the inferior while the German, were made the superior. Why is this? I think a part of Ms. Adichie presentation clearly explains this. “It is impossible to talk about the single story without talking about power. There is a word...that I think about…and it is ‘nkali.’ It’s a noun that loosely translates to ‘to be greater than another.’ …stories too are defined by the principle of nkali: How they are told, who tells them, when they’re told, how many stories are told, are really dependent on power.” I cannot agree more; this comment immediately made me draw a parallel to the Holocaust because every single factor she mentioned, her whole point in that quote, directly correlated and correlates to the Holocaust, as well as our opinion of it today. The Germans gave themselves power and the power in numbers, they made themselves in the image of perfection, and they gave themselves the strength to not only tell the story but be the only story heard. Obviously they told the story to their benefit, in their opinion, at their discretion and in their numbers. Consider also “when [it was] told”, the time of economic failure in Germany, of desperation and imbalance. Consider also how the story is told now, the Jewish made the helpless victims, the Germans the heartless. That is not to say that these stereotypes “are untrue but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story” and that is unacceptable, because “stories matter. Many stories matter.”
We cannot allow the single story to become the only story for it strips dignity, respect and humanity away from those it tries to classify, to group together in an attempt to make said group easily controlled and degraded. Is that why some Germans could live with their actions; for they were only bombarded by the propagandas single story. Rather than obliterating the single story, they were, ultimately, obliterated by it. It is our duty; it is our right and privilege to speak up and to speak out. It is our obligation to humanize, to respect, to unite, to care, to understand, to interact, to empower and to love one another. By understanding that no true single story exists, and by spreading that message we create a little piece of paradise in our classroom, our school, our homes, a piece that can never be destroyed.
ReplyDeleteThe Ted Talk that we watched today in class was very thought provoking and interesting. Listening to the speaker discuss the issues involved with “single stories” really made me consider how her message applies to both German and Jewish cultures. The woman had mentioned that single stories usually come from people with power, and this is exactly true about the Holocaust. The Nazis had so much power over Germans that, through propaganda, they were able to convince everyone (or at least the majority of people) of their “single story” about the Jewish people. The single story that the Nazis told was that Jews were responsible for all of Germany’s failures and problems (they used the Jews as scapegoats) and unfortunately, this story replaced anything and everything else that Germans actually knew to be true about Jewish people.
ReplyDeleteAnother way in which the message of the single story applies to the Holocaust is in regards to how we view Germans now. It is unfair to assume that all Germans were/are terrible, uncompassionate, and unjust people. As we saw through the grandmother in “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas”, not all Germans agreed with Hitler. Some of them did realize the truth about what was going on and did not think it was right at all. Therefore, it is wrong to assume that all Germans are evil people because this is stereotyping, and, to quote the speaker in the Ted Talk, “the problem with stereotypes is not that they are wrong, but rather that they are incomplete.”
Watching the Ted Talk video was important to me. Even though I know that stereotypes are not the entire story, I have fallen victim to alot of them. Mainly how Africa is poor and no one is happy and they all listen to and dance to native and tribal music. This is because of the media. The media wants us to think that every single person in Africa is sad, desperate and under educated. This is because the media wants us to give money to them so they can give that money to Africans. If we see that not everyone in Africa is helpless, we will feel less pressure to give. In a way this is good, but it just contributes to the stereotypes that already exist.
ReplyDeleteI liked how the speaker in the Ted Talk mentioned that stereotypes come from people with power. This is so true with the Nazi’s and the Germans. First of all, we all think that every single German supported Hitler. This isn’t true and we need to get this single story out of our heads. Also, Hitler constantly used his power over the media in Germany (and other countries that he controlled) to send out terrible messages about the Jewish culture. He used everything in his power to get his message across to his people. Since everyone thought he was a great ruler, they believed it out of ignorance. Hitler started stereotypes of the Jewish culture. Now, years after, we still have stereotypes. Some people use them as jokes, but stereotyping is what was behind WW2 and the holocaust. Who knows, Hitler’s idea may have started as a joke.
The single story is dangerous; it invades our lives and is killing us, literally and non-literally. The only way to change this is to forget about that single story we have all grown to know. We must realize there are different versions and sides to one story, let alone one whole ethnic group or religion or culture. The theme of this discussion influenced my understanding and views of the Jewish and German cultures because it taught me how “impressionable and vulnerable we are”. How we can solely, but a hundred percent believe, in only one story, and make that single story, that one stereotype, the base and truth of all. All Germans hated Jews and idolized Hitler; they either literally killed the Jews or stood comfortably and okay with the fact that these Jews were dying in the concentration camps. All Jews hated Germans and were helpless and powerless in the events of the Holocaust; they were the sole victims. These two statements have surrounded and bombarded the German and Jewish cultures ever since the end of the Holocaust but they belong only to one story. And this is what I have learned from listening to this discussion and reading specific books and watching documentaries in class. This is how my understanding and views of the Jewish and German cultures was influenced. One never talks about how there were Germans who did not agree with Hitler’s plan and how it was not just the Jewish people that were discriminated against, but these are other stories, other worlds, which did exist. We show people as one thing and that is what they become, that is what becomes authentic to who those people are, but the reality is the single story is simply that, a single story. And that single story is just as representative of a specific person or culture or religion as any other single story; the irony being that no single story is really representative of anything or anyone.
ReplyDeleteThe Ted Talk that was shown to us today in English class was a very inspiring speech given to an audience from a Nigerian woman. Her words came directly from her life story, as she talked about her culture. Many people think that Nigeria is poor country, and many children are sick and starving. She went to give an example from when she had come to a university in the US, and how her roommate felt terribly sorry for her. She wondered why she had felt so bad, but later grew to realize that if she was brought up in the US, she would agree with what American's thought of Africa. The media portrays a bad example for countries and societies. It makes things look worse or better then they are.
ReplyDeleteThis relates to Jewish vs German culture. I'm not disagreeing or stating false accusations as to the Holocaust being fake because I know it is 110% true. But not all Germans hated Jews, and not all Jews hated Germans. Take Schindler's list for example. It was about a commandant that saved hundreds of Jew's from execution by hiding them in his factory, which risked his own life. Not all German's can't be hated because many German's YEARS ago made bad decisions. Everyone has a mind of their own. I bet you wouldn't like to be known for being in the mob if you're Italian, or serial killers because you're from the Middle East. Every individual is unique and we make our own choices.
In all, the speaker made an excellent point stating that, "When we regret a single story, we gain paradise."
“Stories have been used to dispossess and malign. Stories can also be used to empower and humanize Stories can break the dignity of people, but can also repair that broken dignity.” After watching the TED talk video, Chimamanda Adichie: The danger of a single story, one the quotes that stayed in my mind was the one stated above. This quote stayed in my mind because I feel as though it truly and perfectly defines what stories are. In relation the Holocaust, the “single-story” that most people are told is that ALL the Germans were bad horrible people who hated and killed the Jews. This single-story broke the German’s reputation and created a very bad image of all Germans. As for the Jews, the “single-story” made them out to be helpless, and extremely hated toward ALL German people because of what had been done to them. I am not saying that these single-stories are not true in some cases but it is VERY wrong for people to base their opinion of the German and Jewish people solely on this one, single, story. This TED talk video has changed my opinion/perspective on both the German and Jewish culture by allowing me to reflect and understand that there is more than one story to tell. For instance, I have now realized that not ALL German people were out to demolish the Jewish culture; there were Germans who helped protect the Jewish people. I have also realized that the Jewish people do not/ did not hate ALL the German people because like stated before, there were Germans who had nothing to do with the harsh treatment of the Jews.
ReplyDelete“When we reject the single story, when we realize that there is never a single story about any place, we gain a sense of paradise” Chimamanda Adichie ended with this thought and it truly did provoke my mind, I realized she is exactly right. If we stop judging, people solely on what we have heard about their “type” of people or about where they are from, then we open ourselves up to a world more of possibilities. These possibilities include creating deeper understandings of them as people and possibly creating many different relationships. This in essence IS paradise.
“The Danger of a Single Story” from Chimamanda Adichie on TED Talk presented a captivating and brutally true message. Stereotyping it is like reading the first page of a book and then making assumptions and critiquing it based on nothing more than that initial page. But even more important, or harmful, is believing the single story, not bothering to read the rest of the book! This is how I see the Holocaust – initiated with a single story, but never attempted to look beyond that. As people, we have an instinct to judge others right away, and that isn’t the worst part; where that judgment turns into a single story is when we don’t bother to learn more about our neighbours so that the single story is broadened into a dimensional perspective.
ReplyDeleteDuring the Holocaust, the German government put a false label on all Jewish people, instigating a single story. This happened not entirely due to the Government, but also the lack of investigation on behalf of the rest of the world. If people had taken a moment to critically look at this false labelling perhaps the situation would have been turned around, maybe people would have been able to see the truth instead of simply believing everything that they heard. Here we have one extreme: the inaccurate single story of the Jewish people during World War II. But in present day, our perspective on the Holocaust is also a single story, in my opinion. From the first time I was taught about the Holocaust, in grade six by what I remember, I’ve never once read a book, watched a movie or been told a story from the German perspective. Not from a 9 year old German boy, but from the entirety of Germans at that time. While the Jewish people were labelled, accused and perceived wrongly back many years ago, it is the Germans whom we never hear from today. I don’t mean to imply that hearing the catastrophe of the Holocaust by means of a German soldier would make what happened any less immoral, but shouldn’t we hear that side of the story for the sake of fair judgement? Personally, I would be very interested to hear about and know every intention of the Nazis, to be informed as to why they had such an urge to murder millions. I don’t have to like, or agree with the answers, but knowing them would give me a rounder image of this entire devastation. Like any situation, knowing both sides of the story gives one a fair opportunity to generate an opinion. Furthermore, if more attention was put onto the German side of this story, it could result in less stereotyping today. Because many people only learn about the Jewish side of the Holocaust, the Nazis are only associated with being German and running concentration camps. We don’t know the entire perspective from the German side and thus we cannot differentiate Germans from the Second World War with Germans now, allowing the single story – of them being terrible people – to live on. Looking at any person, subject, theme or place through only one lens is both dangerous and inaccurate; Ms. Adichie undoubtedly demonstrated this well through her TED Talk presentation.
Having watched the Ted Talks Episode with the class today, I entirely agree with Chimamanda Adichie. She told a series of stories, from her life, reflecting the idea why stereotypes are a bad thing. Not always because they are inaccurate, but because they paint an incomplete picture.
ReplyDeleteThe presentation reflects on the fact that, as is the case with many people, a person will hear a certain story, often repeated in different ways, until it becomes the only way they can see what the story is about. We, as a culture, need to realise that such stories, such as all Muslim men being wife beaters, or that all black people live on the corner of Jane and Finch selling drugs, is an unfair way of framing a culture.
I would like, for a moment now, to reflect on one of my personal experiences. Last year, I went to London for March break. While there, I learned a lot about English culture, but the most important thing I learned was that almost everything I thought about the British was wrong. they do drink tea, but not obsessively, never did any of them once say ‘’Guv’nah”, and their teeth were not horribly crooked. All that I found was a culture, much like ours. The people were nice, but not all of them, they dressed in clothes just like anybody from Canada, and all I could think about was how much the English were like us. I found out how badly I had interpreted their culture, and I also found out how dangerous it was to see a people as one thing only.
An understanding such as this can be applied to the Jews and Germans during the holocaust in very many ways. We only see two, static images in our mind of how the holocaust went down: the Jews, hiding fearfully for fear of getting caught, and killed. Helpless. Staying underground. And then the Germans. Evil, twisted Nazis wanting to hunt down everybody who is different, holding a deep loathing for the Jews.
But, really, how often was an image like this true? After doing some research, I can say with some certainty that, in many places, Jews were not forced to hide in secret rooms for years. Many could live in plain sight, doing their jobs every day and coming home to a well off household. The Germans, too, deserve more credit. Many of them did not, in fact, feel any animosity towards Jews. It was mainly those in power who spread the propaganda and started the death camps.
So, in the end, I feel this episode of Ted Talks makes an excellent point about how we must push beyond the one idea, and see for ourselves from a number of points of view what people are like.
To me, the TedTalk we saw today was extremely captivating. I found myself hooked on every word she said because not only was she easy to follow, but also her ideas were of interest, and relatable. From the many activities we’ve done in class, I would say I already have a firm grasp on the idea of eliminating a single story, and this speech further strengthened it. However, there was one main concept that was brought to new light from witnessing the TedTalk. Hearing the speaker’s stories about her upper-middle class life in Nigeria, I couldn’t help but think how little I knew about African countries besides the poverty; I hate to admit it but I found it hard to imagine people in Africa living like we do in Canada. This is not because I made myself a believer in the single story (because I am well-aware of the dangers of that), but because I have never been exposed to such a thought.
ReplyDeleteThis scenario of ignorance can be applied to any cultural group—including Jewish and German. From hearing the most common stories of the Holocaust, it is almost normal to feel hatred towards to the Germans and to feel sorry for the Jews; but this is based only on the stories that are told to us. It is very rare to hear an account of a Jewish person rebelling against the Nazis or a German person defending the Jews—those stories are out there, but unfortunately are much less common than the ones we hear in school. This is why I am happy our Holocaust unit has been interconnected with the theme of racial stereotyping and the “single story”. This TedTalk has shed new light on my understanding of others. I now really want to make an effort to not pre-judge people based on what I have heard.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete“Power is the ability not to just to tell the story of another person, but to make it the definitive story of that person.” And that is what Hitler did, using propaganda and his willing accomplices to put together a solid stereotype that most importantly seemed believable of the Jewish people. As Chimamanda Adichie said in the TEDTalk “If you show people only one way over and over again that is what they become”, that is what Hitler achieved, he created only one perspective for himself to perceive the Jewish culture.
ReplyDelete“How vulnerable and impressionable we are as children in the face of a story” this line relates to how in the book, Bruno was quick to succumb to the story that the people on the other side of the fence were not human, just because his father said so. As children we look up to our elders and sometimes aspire to be just like them; most of the time we end up spouting their sayings when we get older because it has been embedded in our mind. We then become convinced that their perspective is the only true one.
The single story is not really that different form the expression, “judging a book by its cover”, since that is what one is doing when they stereotype other cultures based on their appearance or what stories they have heard about them. I think that people should not jump to conclusions when approaching new situations and new people, and should take the time to learn about the culture and take part in new experiences, because you never know if you will end up enjoying it.
I thoroughly took pleasure in listening to her inspiring speech. It has really enlightened me to get rid of the stereotypes that I have heard and that I may have.
The Ted Talk that featured and African girl growing up in Nigeria truly spoke to me. Her ideas were very true and clear. She had an amazing and honourable take on what stereotypes really are. Through her words, she described what people think of one specific culture. They think of one negative story, it is only human nature. But she strives to teach everyone to overlook the one story, and search for more as well. The presentation also gave me a better understanding of the Holocaust. When I think about it, there is a very logical reason why the war began. And why Hitler wanted to murder the Jews in horrific ways. He only did this because he believed in one story. Perhaps he thought that the Jews would one day become powerful and become a threat to him. Or maybe he took action against them because of their religion, or the way they run their economy, or their looks. Bottom line is, it could have been anything, but he had only one story in his head about the Jews. He stapled a stereotype to each and every one of the Jews. This is totally an unfair way to treat people. How would you like it if some foreigner thought that you belong in a gang, simply because you are black? Or if they thought that you are a mean rich kid because you are white. Hitler wanted all the Jews he found to die, and die painfully. If he took time to learn about other stories or other ways of the Jews, maybe the Holocaust would of never came to be. The moral of this discussion is, there is a lot of negativity to be prevented after learning about different cultures and other ways of life. As well, it is important not to develop a single story of one kind and/ or stereotype another nationality.
ReplyDeleteI thought that this woman portrayed her message extremely well. I think the way the media portrays cultures is what impacts people the most. When Ms. Adiche talked about how she was influenced from an early age by books on other cultures, it reveals how much children can be influenced by media. This reminds me of the Boy in the Striped Pajamas, because Bruno was influenced by his father, and how he followed what his father was telling him. He was influenced by the Nazi culture, and although he had a vague view of it, it made an impression. I think this impression was shown when Bruno saluted his father as a way of saying goodbye.
ReplyDeleteI think the single story is a real danger that no one really bothers to think about. I think that the single story creates the stereotypes,. The single story focuses on the negative aspects of a few individuals of a culture. Those individuals seem to always be the ones in the media. I think this is because our society finds the stereotypes intriguing. We find the individuals that do bring bad light on their culture interesting, or entertaining. I think this relates to the German culture, because the Nazis were the ones to bring bad light on their culture. They were the ones who created the single story for the Germans. Not all Germans were Nazis, or believed in the Nazi regime. Yet, because the Nazis held the most power, they could silence their opposition.
The Ted Talks that we watched proved a point in everyone’s mind. To every story there is more than one side. The speaker, Chimamanda Adichie, used real examples to prove her point. I think that it made everyone realize that unknowingly, they do the same thing. Listening to only the single story is like only looking on one side of the fence. Looking at one side of the fence, we see only what that side tells us. For example, in the book The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, we see both sides of the fence. Previous to this book, I knew almost nothing about the German side of the war. I only knew the single story. Because I was ignorant to what may have happened on the other side, I believed that the Jewish were the only true sufferers. But the book, along with the Ted Talks, broke my way of thinking. It showed me that people were hurt everywhere. Also, the piece of media supported the fact that not everyone is the same as the rest. Like not every German hated the Jews. During the discussion, she said that stereotypes aren’t wrong, but they are not complete. For every rumour a person hears, they shouldn’t believe it because it’s not necessarily wrong, but it’s not the whole truth. During the Holocaust, people belived the rumours that Jewish people were bad. They believed it without knowing the whole truth. After the Holocaust people believed that the Germans were bad and only the Jewish people had suffered. That also isn’t truth. Knowing both sides to one story can dramatically change how you view a situation.
ReplyDelete"When we reject a single story we redeem paradise," a statement from Chimamanda Adichie from a Ted Talks presentation is a very powerful yet meaningful quote that proves just that, that people have single stories in their minds and labels on people due to these single sided stories that can be dangerous, if we eradicate them we can achieve paradise or freedom. Well, what does that mean? People and I am included hear stories and stereotypes about every type of race and culture which are mostly negative, incomplete and influenced by the person telling it or from whom they heard it from, and we tend to 'buy' into or start to believe these repeated stereotypes. Buying into these stereotypes we create labels and nasty images about certain people and rip away their own person identity calling a single unique person another mobster, gangster, drug dealer, cheapskate, or poor person (etc) according to the race, culture and single sided story about them. We categorize people by the negative stories we hear from others but in reality we don't know the culture or country itself, or base one true story and base it on all the other people of that decent. At the time of the Holocaust the Jewish people were imprisoned for no logical reason but by a stereotype created by Nazi leaders, in particular Hitler, that all Jews were a threat to the human race, and that the perfect race should have blue eyes, blond hair and is tall. In reality how can someone base one culture as a threat to the human race when everyone is different and has their own personality, like saying you can never trust a an African-American with your appliances because they will steal it and run away, for example. People bought into this stereotype and started to become Nazi followers due to this negative, influenced and untrue stereotype that created labels and fences between the two cultures. This therefore created World War II, and deaths of millions of Jewish prisoners and soldiers fighting against this cruelty and stereotype. We as the students that learn about the Holocaust, World War II and genocides cannot state that all Germans were evil, Nazi followers, and killers, because we know everyone has their own individual mind set with their own opinions, some Germans may have been Nazi followers while others weren't but we cannot base one certain group of people and apply it to everyone of that culture. In the book in 'The Boy in the Striped Pajamas' we know that Bruno's grandmother though German disagreed with her son's representation (Bruno's father) and Nazi belief proving that not all Germans were evil Nazi followers and that they should all be punished for their actions, this is a stereotype and causes fences between the German culture and other cultures to be built. Without stereotypes or a single-sided story we do not build hatred towards others due to these twisted, negative, stereotypes and single- sided stories and we learn to view people of a certain decent as individuals, we do not label people. When we don't negatively judge people without personally getting to know them, we learn to interact with one another, accept our differences and create borderlands, if single-stories were not created, World War II probably would not have occurred! When we take away these single sided stories from our minds we create peace and paradise from which Chimamanda Adichie firmly states.
ReplyDeleteThe Ted Talk: “The Single Story” really relates well to the situation of the Holocaust. We as students are presented with a single story of the Holocaust and we really do not know the entire Holocaust story. The “winners” are the ones who write the history. Which I certainly think is true. We hear about the Holocaust from the point of view of the “Allies.” We must always think of the other possibilities and not only what we are being told. We need to think outside the box and to not limit our brains. Being biased and ignorant are horrible. The speaker talks about how she is faced with so many different stereotypes and “single stories.” The German’s were told not to interact with the Jewish people, so they did not. No real reason, other than they knew if they did there would be trouble. They were forced into listening to the single story. We should not fall into the same trap. Knowledge is power and there is so much to learn, so we should never look in a narrow way. And with that we will see everything with a brand new light.
ReplyDeleteA single story of a culture can damage the way people of other societies view them. This is what Nigerian-raised woman Chimamanda Adichie was trying to prove in her speech, via TED talk. She explained the meaning of understanding and realizing that there is more than just one single story. There are many stories, each shared and comprehended differently than the next. As perspectives change, so do the mental representations of various cultures. The Jewish and German culture are both linked to one single story, either positive or negative. On one side, the Jewish people of the Holocaust were innocent, scared, and helpless, while the Germans were inhumane, evil, and disgraceful. But are these accusations all correct? Society bases their thoughts on what they choose to listen too, and not necessarily what is true. We should not judge people based on hearing only one side of the story, and this is the main message that Adichie wanted to get across. Stereotypes exist all over the world, and the way that these stereotypes formed was through the perception of single stories. We cannot label people, supported by only a viewpoint that may be completely false and irrelevant. I fully understand what this lady is trying to say, and she definitely did an amazing job of sharing her story with an audience. We are able to relate to her examples, since everyone is guilty of believing one single story from time to time. People just need to understand that although it is done, we still have no right only believing one story, and we should be a little less gullible and a little more open-minded.
ReplyDelete“The Single Story” can have a very large impact on a culture or individual. By looking through the lens of one perspective of something you have not seen the full and true story. There are always two sides to a story and it is vital we have open eyes and ears to both. If you choose to base your opinion or facts on one side of the story your information isn’t entirely right. As a result of only using the single story it generates stereotypes. A stereotype may hold some truth but it is unfair judgement. That being said, stereotypes are created on cultures all over the world. This can hold burdens on people because of stereotypes and media. For example, just because you are Asian doesn’t mean you have to be supremely smart. It is important you be yourself and work to your potential rather than strive to be something you’re not. Main point, stereotypes shouldn’t direct a person’s personality and life in general. In addition, the single story influences my view on the Jewish and German cultures in a few ways. The Holocaust has made such a large impact on the history of the two cultures and has created very strong stereotypes. It is clear that the single story most are told at a young age that the German culture are all nazis and were terrible people. Since we are exposed to this idea when we are eight or nine years old we believe with this single story and carry on to believe it. Truthfully, not all German’s hated the Jewish, for example in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Bruno’s grandmother was German and was completely against the actions of Hitler’s regime. Also, not all Jewish hated the German’s. There was no hatred between the two and really never was. The German’s swarmed the Jewish people without thought about what they were really doing. They were blackmailed by Adolf Hitler and didn’t have much choice but to do as he ordered. So before we make assumptions and create standards for people based on the singe story of their culture think twice, because there always is another side to the coin.
ReplyDeleteBy now, I'm pretty sure that our class understands that you cannot look at one single aspect or characteristic of a person and judge them accordingly. The main message of the TEDtalk was to give us a better understanding of "single stories" and that we should avoid being so narrow minded.
ReplyDeleteI thought that Chimamanda Adichie gave a wonderful speech on this topic. I can easily relate to her because she gives examples that come up in everyday life.
I can understand her aggravation when she had to deal with stereotypes because I had faced similar situations. Some encounters have made me mad because of people's ignorance while others made me just want to plainly roll my eyes.
I found it quite interesting that even though Chimamanda had to deal with such situations, she also stereotyped others. This didn't completely surprise me but startled me. I knew that everyone was capable of making "single stories" but again using the narrow binoculars, I could not see an African young girl pitying others or believing that they are poor (when she herself was also counted as poor in my eyes).
Going to her comment on how stories are made by people with power, I wholeheartedly agree with her. How many times have we seen commercials of children in Africa starving and in need of sponsors? People in Africa don't do this we create these footage ourselves. We use the power of media and technology to create a story that Africa is a very poor country. The purpose behind this may not be an evil one but it still created a "single story".
This discussion has made me change my views on the Germans and the Jewish because they were exposed to the power of creating "single stories". If everyone in our government believed that something was wrong, we would probably be guided into believing that as well. The government are the ones that have the most power in our society.
The German government had an even tighter hold on their country; therefore they can easily manipulate their people into having the same views as them.
A child growing up in this environment would not doubt an adult's word if they had said that Jewish people were beneath them. In simpler terms, it would be similar to my parents telling a younger me to not pick up insects because they are disgusting creatures.
Not all Germans were horrible and cruel and not all Jewish people are completely innocent. There are many different people and we should not group them together and label them. These labels would not suit all of the people that we have grouped together because they are alike in one perspective.
Again, this brings us back to the message that stands above all; rumours are but rumours and instead of becoming judgemental people, we should broaden our horizon to what we see and what we should believe.
This is real border crossing Kayla - great stuff! "When I watched the Ted Talks, it made me realize there is more then one single story. When she said a young boy came up to her and said its too bad all nigerian men beat their wives, it made me realize it is the same thing as saying "All Germans are Nazis an want to exterminate the Jews."
ReplyDeleteI reflected upon my classmates and wondered "what if I had a single story in my head about all their cultures?" Would they be negative? Would I not have any friends in this class? What about me? would my friends accept me and my culture because I'm not Italian?"
I see the pieces of the puzzle coming together - terrific! Read this and watch the puzzle come together: "Hearing the speaker’s stories about her upper-middle class life in Nigeria, I couldn’t help but think how little I knew about African countries besides the poverty; I hate to admit it but I found it hard to imagine people in Africa living like we do in Canada. This is not because I made myself a believer in the single story (because I am well-aware of the dangers of that), but because I have never been exposed to such a thought.
This scenario of ignorance can be applied to any cultural group—including Jewish and German. From hearing the most common stories of the Holocaust, it is almost normal to feel hatred towards to the Germans and to feel sorry for the Jews; but this is based only on the stories that are told to us. Excellent comment Samantha.
I think the Hollywood motion picture will help solidify our views on the Jewish and German cultures as far as Holocaust literature is concerned.
My response to Post #7 written by Kyle begins with my concurrence with every point made through his reflective notions. I believe that Kyle and I had a similar idea in mind in that we both directed out attention to the way that the holocaust is perceived in modern time – how the German point of view is rarely exposed. Although there is no valid justification pertaining to the cause, events and consequences of the holocaust, Kyle rightfully highlights that we are leading a single story by casting a shadow over the German viewpoint and only enlightening the hardships of Jewish people. Truthfully, the ones who write about our history do have power over what readers experience as they explore the past, there is always a little bit of a bias through every author; the key as learners and readers is to explore all of the different aspects of a topic and to be cognisant of every story. Effectively, Kyle raises a great quote commonly associated with Sir Francis Bacon, “Knowledge is power.” Dozens of suitable interpretations can be made towards these words, but in this context they convey the freedom of mind that comes with being informed. If a person does not attain the adequate knowledge to have a well rounded perspective on any given subject, they are in essence trapped under that lack of knowledge; imposingly, having the complete story allows one to become empowered with a fair opinion and perspective. Throughout his writing, I’ve found these few to be the most important of Kyle’s forth brought opinions.
ReplyDeleteIn my response to Post #7 written by Sarah, I’d like to expand on her ideas pertaining to media influencing children at an early age. Primarily, Sarah is absolutely correct in pointing out that this speaker showed us all how any form of media can have an impact on people, no matter what age. Not only are we greatly inclined to view media as something that older children are generally exposed to, but moreover many of us would think that a well intended book may have any negative consequences on its reader. With both of these common assumptions proven wrong, it exemplifies that media has an even stronger grasp on all our lives that we are even aware of, and too many times we subconsciously pick up on a single story about various topics. The difference between Ms. Adiche realizing the harm of the media she was exposed to, and letting it shape her mind one dimensionally was by means of her reading other books of different genres and authors. By grasping more of what literature has to offer, her single story turned into a broadened point of view. This point was well made on Sarah’s behalf and has an immense significance to the origination of many single story perspectives.