Hotel Rwanda Reflection 2

Based on the knowledge and perspective you have in a certain subject, the interpretation may vary. This fact is always true even when the same material is being analyzed. This was what happened to me this time when I was watching the movie ‘Hotel Rwanda’. When I first watched this movie (when I was a freshman), I focused more on racism and inhumanity rather than the relationship between families or the culture of Rwanda. Therefore, I think that the intention of the movie was to give a message about the importance of life and how inhuman it is to treat people differently according to their skin color. Moreover, the movie was giving a lesson of how the genocide was unfortunate and miserable that must never happen again in the universe. In fact, people might easily forget the historical facts since it is past events and usually think that present is much more important compared to the past. Therefore, another intention of this movie is to prevent this kind of idea, since past is also important (this is why we are actually learning history in high schools), and so the director is reminding the tragic genocide by making a movie. However, this time I paid a close attention to how the media affects the people’s reactions to events and the role of media in our daily life. Therefore, I came to think less about the real purpose of the movie, ‘the immorality of discrimination and the cruelty/brutality in humans’ inner mind’. Nevertheless, I think it is not so important to obtain the main purpose of the movie; I personally think that we should think critically and get several of ideas from the movie. I believe that this is the reason why movies are so appealing to people all around the world.

Hotel Rwanda Reflection

Rwandan Genocide was the mass extermination of two different ethnic groups ‘Hutu’ and ‘Tutsi’ in 1994. It was the largest massacre during the Rwandan Civil War which was mostly carried by the terrorist Hutu militia group, for 100days from April 6 to mid-July. Unfortunately, thousands of moderate Hutus and at least 500,000 Tutsis died during this genocide. The death of the Rwandan president Juvenal Habyarimana led to this desperate genocide when his plane was shot down above the Kogalo airport on the 6th of April in 1994. Historically, Rwanda was ruled over by Belgium which broke out the confliction between Hutus and Tutsis due to the Belgians’ discriminatory treatment toward the Rwandans. In fact, the Belgians considered the Tutsis as superior to the Hutus according to their appearances; Tutsis were usually taller than the Hutus, have more bright skin color and smaller nose. Therefore, the Tutsis took better jobs and received better educations where as the Hutus did not. This was the other reason why the Hutus committed the genocide since they had always been treated badly. (All information from global security.org- newspaper article by BBC News)
In this movie, many different types of media have been used; newspapers, televisions, and radios. The most remarkable part of the movie was when a reporter said that whoever sees the news might concern or feel sympathetic to the innocent people, but will never decide to help them out and take action immediately. The people who saw the news would still stick on their daily life and soon will forget or even ignore about outside-world events. Therefore, I think the media is good enough to tell the event and information globally; however, they never convince or move people to actually analyze or criticize the event. For an example, on April 16, the New York Times reported ‘the shooting and hacking to death of some 1000 men, women and children in a church where they sought refuge.’ This tells the readers that some 1000 men, women and children died but never urges that they need help. Moreover, it is not accurate enough to completely believe. This is not because the media tells a lie. Usually, the media only shows the broad image of the event but never explains in detail or shows the unknown events. For example, the news might tell that a massacre is going on in Rwanda, but will not include the fact about the poor orphans and the dead bodies on the road. I think the role of the media is limited; what actually matters is how an individual interprets the media.
After I watched this movie, I was shocked by the Hutus’ inhuman and cruel behavior. They killed the innocent people both Tutsis and moderate Hutus disregarding the fact that they were same race. However, I truly think that this kind of miserable event should never occur again. Therefore, we should always remind ourselves that we claimed all human-beings are equal and killing others is immoral. I believe racism is unjust and discriminative, because race is not something that you can choose to be born in. It’s rather predestined by God. For every problem, there is a solution, even racism could be solved. To make a society with equal rights for everyone, we all need to get along with each other putting aside our differences.

Remember

Christina Georgina Rossetti

Remember

Remember me when I am gone away,
Gone far away into the silent land;
When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more day by day
You tell me of our future that you plann'd:
Only remember me; you understand
It will be late to counsel then or pray.
Yet if you should forget me for a while
And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile
Than that you should remember and be sad.

I think there will be diverse ways to interpret this poem, Remember. What I thought was that the voice, Christina, unfortunately broke up with her lover because she predicted that she would depart her life soon. Therefore, before the death approaches, she is looking back to the times that she spent with her lover. The reason why I thought the voice would die soon was because she said ‘Remember me when I am gone away, Gone far away into the silent land.’ I think the ‘silent land’ in this poem symbolized heaven. Another reason why I inferred the women would die soon was because she said, ‘it will be late to counsel or pray.’ This part saddened me so much since the word ‘late’ meant a lot to me. I personally do not like the word ‘late’; it take the stretch out of me and I automatically become hopeless and desperate. If something is ‘late’, then it becomes difficult to do anything even if you want to; it means you already lost the chance. Afterwards, she asked him to remember her after she left but not to grieve. Moreover, she wanted him to smile rather than being sad. I think she wanted him to keep all the memories and precious times that they spent together. She counted the vestige of the thoughts that she once had was also memorable and beautiful moments. Personally, I felt sympathetic towards the miserable and unfortunate couple. If I were to be in a similar situation, I don’t think I can handle the pressure. However, even though they cannot stay together and love each other forever, I believe that the guy will remember the old days and have a time to reflect on the lovely times that they had once cherished.

Love's Philosophy

Percy Bysshe Shelley

Love's Philosophy

The fountains mingle with the river
And the rivers with the ocean,
The winds of heaven mix for ever
With a sweet emotion;
Nothing in the world is single,
All things by a law divine
In one another's being mingle—
Why not I with thine?

See the mountains kiss high heaven,
And the waves clasp one another;
No sister-flower would be forgiven
If it disdain'd its brother;
And the sunlight clasps the earth,
And the moonbeams kiss the sea—
What are all these kissings worth,
If thou kiss not me?

I was attracted by the title Love’s Philosophy. Here, the term “philosophy” does not, however, mean simply a particular set of ideas, reasoning, or theories. What exactly would philosophy of love be and how could love be defined philosophically? It seems extremely difficult and ambiguous to come up with a definition of such a philosophy, especially that of love. Personally, I cannot even think of one. However, Shelly’s philosophy seems quite different from other philosophies.
When I first skimmed the poem I found that the ends of the lines rhyme. Also with careful word choices, the poet delivers the beauty of language through the poem. While I was reading the poem, I liked the part where Shelly states, ‘Nothing in the world is single, all things by a law divine in one another’s being mingle.’ This part gave me an idea of how the society goes by and how the people interact with each other. In fact, the world is full of love and life is an endless chain of meeting and parting. Basically, both life and love are beautiful in my perspective, even if there would be some misery and sadness going by.
Therefore, I found this poem beautiful, sweet, warm, and hopeful. The poet seems to imply that nothing in the world is single but rather everything is mingled. At this part, I could feel the unity and harmony of universe. Moreover, it was interesting that the poet described how the mountains are kissing the high heaven and the waves are clasping one another. However, it is also interesting how, at the end of this poem, the narrator says that even if the sunlight clasps the earth and the moonbeams kiss the sea, if you refuse to kiss ‘me’ (the narrator), then all those are worthless. This part made me feel the emotions of how her love is great and boundless.
Overall, I could sympathize with this poem well since every stanza was agreeable, pleasing, and touching all at the same time. I am looking forward to being able to feel this kind of deep, mature, and pure feeling.