Politics in the USA

Political system:
The political is made up of three parts: the Legislative Branch, the Executive
Branch and the Judicial Branch.

Legislative Branch:
 Consists of Congress, which is divided into two chambers: the House of
Representatives and the Senate
 Both chambers have equal power
 Both are elected directly by the citizens of the USA
 Both chambers must agree before a bill become law. This can cause
difficulties if one political party hast he majority in the House of
Representatives, and the other hast he majority in the Senate
House of Representatives Senate
435 Members 100 Members
Each Member represents a Each State elects two Members
congressional district about 600,000
people
Elected for 2 years Elected for 6 years

The Power of Congress:

 To make laws
 To impose and collect taxes, and control federal spending
 To control trade with other countries and within the States
 To print money and regulate its value
 To declare war and make peace agreements
 To maintain, arm and discipline the armed forces
 To promote science
 To oversee and check the activities oft he Executive Branch
Executive Branch
 Consists oft he President and the Vice President and an organisation of
four million people, including one million military staff
 In order to be elected president, candidates must have been born in
the USA, be at least 35 years old and have lived in the US for at least 14
years
 Until the election of Barack Obama in 2008, all presidents were white
males
 A president serves a 4-year term of office and cannot serve more than
two terms
 He and the Vice President are elected by the Electoral College, and
are the only political figures to be elected nationally
 They do not have to be members of the political party that holds the
majority in Congress

The role of the President:

 Head of State, Head of Government, Commander-in-Chief oft he
military and Chief Diplomat
 Suggesting new laws to Congress
 Signing or vetoing laws passed by Congress. A veto can be over
tuned by a two-thirds majority in Congress
 Appointing members of the Cabinet, of federal agencies and other
federal employees and diplomats. These appointments have to be
agreed by Senate
 Managing national affairs and the federal government
 Pardoning criminals
 Influencing foreign policy
 Having control over military strategy and matters of national security

Judicial Branch:
 USA has two types of courts: the federal courts and the courts of each
state.
 Two systems are separate from each other, except for certain cases
 The American Constitution
The system of government is based on its Constitution. Britain`s
American colonies had gained independence in 1776, and in the years
that followed it became later clear that the central government
needed more power if the country was to become and remain united.
The Constitution was formulated in 1787 and ratified in 1788. It is still
considered to be one of the great political documents oft he Western
world today.

Most important points of the Constitution:

 The government must have the agreement of its citizens for the
decisions it makes on their behalf
 The citizens have an active say in how they are governed
 The citizens have the power to elect the people who govern
them. Politicians therefore have to answer to the people who
elected them, and are responsible for representing their needs
 The importance of the separation of powers, which is why the US
government has its three individual branches
 The system of check and balance. Each of the three branches
has some powers over the others, so that no one branch can
become too strong
 Federalism
 Flexibility

The Bill of Rights:

The first ten amendments tot he Constitution were added in 1791 and are
known as the Bill of Rights. They set down certain civil rights that every citizen
should have, including:
 Freedom of speech, the press and religion
 The right to hold meetings as long as they are peaceful
 The right to lobby the government to bring about changes
 The right to have and use weapons for protection
  The right to a fair trial, and freedom from cruel and unusual punishment

Religion in the USA

Religious beginnings:
Many of the early settlers in what was to become the USA and left for religious
reasons. They were being persecuted for their beliefs and wanted to live in a
place where they would be free to practise their religion in the way they
wanted to. Many of their beliefs and principles formed the foundation of the
present-day USA.

The Puritans:
 1620: A group that came to be known as the Pilgrim Fathers were
Protestants dissenters who had broken with the Church of England. They
first moved to the Netherlands, but later decided to start a new colony
in North America where they could worship in their own way and
maintain their cultural identity. Their ship was called Mayflower, and
their settlement was the Plymouth Colony.
 The original colonists survived in the new, unfamiliar territory with help
from local Native Americans, who showed them how to grow and
gather food.
 The Puritans wanted their church to be simply and pure, without
hierarchies
 First settled in Massachusetts, and then spread throughout the new
colonies. They were intolerant of anyone who did not share their
religious beliefs, even to the extent of punishing those who did not
conform
 The first Amendment of the Bill of Rights states that Congress must not
make any laws to establish a particular religion or prevent a particular
religion from being practised
The Puritan legacy:
  The concept of the Protestant work ethic i.e. that hard work and self-
discipline lead to success, plays an important role in the American
business world
 Believed that they were special in God´s eyes, and that God had
blessed their new country. They therefore felt they had a moral right to
defend their beliefs and way of life.
 Believed strongly in a fair and equal society, and refused to tolerate
anyone who did not share their views

Religion in the USA today

Different religions:
 America is a strongly religious country, with the majority identifying as
Christian
 Half of these are Protestants, a quarter are Catholics, the other belong
to Protestant sects such as the Mormons or Jehovah`s Witnesses. There
are also several black churches.
 Some southern states of the USA make up the so-called Bible Belt, many
evangelical Protestants live there, who base their lives closely on the
teachings of the Bible. The Term is associated with very conservative
attitudes
 Other faiths represented in the USA are Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and
Hindu
Muslims in the USA
 Estimated six to seven million Muslims in the USA
o Most of them well integrated
 There has been a sharp increase in anti-Islam feeling, which started
in the wake of the terrorist attacks on New York City in September
2001, and have been further fuelled by the increase in attacks by
Islamic extremists since then

The international role of the US

 Until the beginning of the 20th century: isolationism
 Intervention in WW1 followed by another period of isolationism
  WW2 interventionism starts (Truman Doctrine)
 The Vietnam War
o Traumatic period of self-doubt
 9/11: the US as the global policeman
 Invasion of Afghanistan & Iraq War
 New: Trump “America first”

The American Dream: Key words

Individualism:
 Self-reliance an responsibility for one´s own fate,
 Scepticism about any kind of government
 Great degree of personal freedom
 If you work hard, you prosper- If you fail, it´s your own fault

Manifest Destiny:
 It´s Americas mission to democratize the world
 Nation of future
 Justification for territorial expansion and imperialism
 Global role as global mediator in political conflicts

Frontier:
 Movement of civilization, settlement
 When the frontier reached the Pacific in 1890 the Americans needed
new frontiers
o Science, class, literature

Melting Pot:
 All nations are melted in to a new race of men
o Negative, loss of culture and identity
o Positive metaphor: salad bowl

Multiculturalism
 There are minority groups and majority groups in society
  Equal rights for everyone
 Assimilation or pluralism
„On the one hand the concept of multiculturalism has achieved more
rights for minority groups, on the other hand it has furthered cultural
fragmentation.“

The Puritans
 A social and religious movement within the 16th and 17th century
 English Protestantism
 People with an extremely narrow-minded and conservative outlook

Uncle Sam
 Nickname fort he American government
 First employed during the war against England 1812
 Bearded man dressed in stars and stripes in order to recruit volunteers

Ellis Island
 Located at Upper New York Bay close to Manhattan
 Headquarters oft he US immigration authority from 1892-1954

Independence Day (Fourth of July)

 Declaration of Independence was passed by Congress and was
adopted by all thirteen colonies
 Popular spectacle with fireworks and parades
 True meaning is lost in hype

New Canaan
 Referred tot he land west oft he river Jordan that later became
Palestine
 Fleeing to America from religious persecution

The stars and stripes (Old Glory) American flag

 First signed in 1777
 Stars and stripes represent the founding states
  Colours had a symbolic meaning: white stood for purity, red for
endurance and bravery and blue for justice

The dream of going “from rags to riches”

 The concept was fuelled by the huge increase in American´s economic
power from the mid-19th century onwards:
o Manufacturing greatly increased due to the discovery of the
country´s natural resources in the combination with plentiful
cheap labour in the form of immigrants
o The Age of invention
o Manufacturing processes were made easier and more efficient
through electricity and mass production
o The development of the railways
Immigration in the USA
The land of opportunity has always attracted immigrants from around the
world. As a result, the population of the USA is made up of a wide variety of
different races. The majority of the people came- and still come today- in the
hope of making a better life for themselves in America. However, this ethnic
mix also includes the Native Americans, who had already settled trough North
America when the first European settlers came along, and people from
America who were brought against their will to work as slaves.
Date Main countries of origin
1600-1790 England, Scotland, Ireland, the Netherland, Germany
1790-1849 Ireland, Germany, Italy, Britain, France, Russia, China,
Mexico, South America
1850-1930 Germany, Britain, Ireland, French, Canada, Italy,
Scandinavia, Poland, Eastern Europe
1930-present The Philippines, Europe, Canada, Mexico, Korea, Hungary,
Japan, Cuba, Vietnam, Latin America

Reasons for immigration:

1st Group:
  Members of religious groups that had broken away from the
mainstream churches in their home country came to escape religious
persecution
 Colonies were settled to grow tobacco, immigrants were needed for
this work
 Land was cheap and economic conditions were better than at home
2nd Group:
 The Great Famine in Ireland drove the Irish to leave their home country
 Political instability in other parts of Europe
 In 1849, gold was found in California, which started the gold rush
 Finding work in the US, people came to join members of their family
already living there
3rd Group:
 Escape poverty in Europe
 Jews emigrated to escape the pogroms in Eastern Europe
 Economic boom that America underwent in the second half of the 19th
century encouraged many people to come and try their luck in the
land of opportunity
4th Group:
 Most immigrants at this time came to escape war and oppression on
their home countries
 Jobs were plentiful after the end of the Second World War, when many
women who had worked as part of the wartime effort went back to
being housewives
 From 1948, displaced people, especially from Europe, were allowed to
emigrate to the States
 People fleeing from Communist countries were able to move to
America
 America´s Cornerstone Documents

The Mayflower Contact:

When? 21.November 1620
Who? Forty-one male adults on board signed it and set up the government in
Plymouth Colony
What? The first political agreement for self-government in America, first idea
of democracy
Why? Pilgrims were about to settle in an area outside the jurisdiction of their
patent

The Declaration of Independence

When? 11.June 1776, 4. July 1776
Who? The thirteen American colonies, congress, Thomas Jefferson
What? Freedom from British rule, equality for every man (not slaves), right of
resistance

The Bill of Rights

When? 15.December 1791
Who? Majority of the states
What? Basic rights fort he people and a permanent addition to the
constitution
Why? Americans wanted to complete the document and to make a clear
statement

The American Dream

 Success (in material values), through hard work and ambition and self-
reliance
 From rags to riches
 Liberty, freedom in speech, religion etc.
 Individualism
 Equality
 American exceptionalism
  Every individual has unlimited opportunities

Individualism as significant element of the American Dream

 The individual as the „author of his own life“ with full potential to
construct it as he will.“ (Benjamin Franklin)
 The Declaration of Independence focus on the rights and the potential
of the individual
 The capacity of the individual to use his reason
o Enlightment Philosophy
No matter how humble the beginnings: Everyone is able to triumph through
hard work and talent

The American Dream for James Truslow Adams (American historian that
published a voluminous study in 1931)
„It´s not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely“ it means more
importantly:
 Life should be better, richer and fuller for every man
 Opportunity for each according to his ability/achievement
 Establishment of social order in which everyone shall be able to attain
tot he fullest stature of which they are capable
 Everyone is to be recognised by other for what they are, regardless of
the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position

Future of the American Dream

„We must all world together, no longer to build bigger, but to build better“
 Spiritual and intellectual life must be higher than elsewhere
 Those on top have got to devote themselves to „Great Society“
 Those below have got to strive to rise culturally
Not o: Selfishness, physical comfort, cheap amusement, and cheap people

The American Dream

1. American exceptionalism:
America as the chosen land of:
  Manifest destiny
 Continuing progress (constantly overcoming frontiers)
 Infinite possibilities for everyone
2. Liberty and equality
3. Individualism
The individual as the „author of his own life“, the belief that talent, hard
work and ambition lead to success (material and social advancement)

American Dreams <> American Nightmares

Is the American Dream dead or alive?

Dream:
 The belief in opportunity for all, equality and freedom and
exceptionalism still exists
 People are optimistic
 People believe in self-reliance/responsibility
 People do not expect the state to help them
 There are always heroes/ icon / individual / idols that seem to prove
that the AD is still alive
o Gates, Schwarzenegger, etc.
 The rich find it easy to become richer
 There are still people who firmly believe in the AD although they have
failed or seen other fail

Nightmare:
 There are social, economic and ecological problems that cannot be
denied
 Gap between the rich and the poor is growing
 Idea of individualism is so deeply rooted that:
o Profound changes towards a welfare state are impossible
o Welfare programs are criticized
o People who fail end up blaming themselves
  „society of lonely individuals“
 even hard work is no guarantee fort he fulfilment
 no equality, a lot of racism
 Once you are at the bottom of the social ladder it´s nearly impossible
to climb up (no education=no job)

Impact of the Vietnam War

 Entered the conflict as the world´s superpower following its decisive
victory over the Axis power in WW2
 Left Vietnam with shocking high casualties, only war U.S. ever lost
 Far reaching consequences and impact on most aspects of American
life:
1. The Right to Vote at 18
2. War Powers Act (restricted the presidents’ power to send troops)
3. U.S. shifted to an all-volunteer force
4. Damage the Economy
5. Mistrust the Government

Iraq War 2003-2011

 Third gulf war
o Began 2003 with invasion of Iraq by the U.S. (joined UK)
o Overthrew the government of Saddam Hussein
o 151.000 to 600.000 Iraqis were killed
Reasons:
 Iraq may possess weapons of mass destruction
 9/11
 Democracy
 Oil
Situation in Iraq: abolished Hussein regime, instilled democracy but troops are
still in Iraq
Consequences:
Economical consequences, high death tolls, destruction of Iraqi culture, more
unemployment
 Short Story about the American Dream

Two Kinds, Amy Tan

The short story is about a young girl and her mother that emigrated from
China to have a better life in America. The mother is convinced by the fact
that her daughter is a prodigy (Wunderkind). The mother wants the American
Dream come true for her daughter because she couldn’t fulfil her dreams.
The daughter is forced trying different things to proof her mother that she is a
prodigy. The daughter tries different things but she can´t find the one thing
she is a prodigy in so she starts to doubt in herself and the relationship
between her and her mother get’s complicated.

Characterization Daughter
 Jing Mei, Protagonist
 Chinese girl, grew up in America
 Lives together with her mother in San Francisco
 At first very sympathetic towards her mother and supports the idea of
being a prodigy
 Wants the best for her mother, does everything she wants
 Trusts in her mother, believes her
 There are also negative feelings she shares with the idea of being a
prodigy:
o Dissatisfied with herself because she doesn´t find the one thing
she´s a prodigy in, has doubts in herself, she thinks that she is
nothing
 After disappointing her mother again her feelings change: angry and
full of hate when she thinks about the tests
 Jing Mei becomes a powerful person and discovers a new side in
herself which she indicates as the prodigy side
 Gets rebellious
Characterization Mrs. Whoo:
 Wants to make the American Dream come true for her daughter
 Hopeful
 Ambitious
 Strict, bossy, pushy
 Strong
 Stubborn, determined
 Aggressive
 Unrealistic
 Interfering
 Indifferent to her daughter´s inclinations
 Treats her daughter like an object

History of Slavery

Triangular Trade:
 England to Africa: ships from England carrying goods (clothes, guns,
iron products, ammunition) traded those for slaves, gold and spices
 Africa to America: ships filled with slaves sailed towards American
colonies
 America to England: processed goods were shipped back to England

Civil War:
 Selection rebellion against the USA
 Abraham Lincoln won the presidential election
o His goal was to abolish slavery
Effects: beginning of a united nation, free of slavery, beginning of
industrialization

Gettysburg Address:
 Speech held by Lincoln on November 19th 1863 during the final battle in
Gettysburg
  Is about America, which under God shall have a new birth of freedom
for everyone

Timeline Civil Rights Movement

1808: Import of Slaves becomes illegal
1820-1831: Protest in favour of blacks al over the country
1863: Abraham Lincoln “freeing” all slaves in rebellious areas
1865: Official abolishment of slavery
1866: Founding of the Ku Klux Klan
1868: black people are citizens of the US
1870: Banning racial discrimination in elections was included in the
constitution
1896: Jim Crow Law: Separate but equal, basic of segregation
1909: Founding of NAACP
1923-1925: Ku Klux Klan set states into a State of emergency
1954: Abolishment of segregation in public schools, beginning of justice for
blacks
1955: Emmet Till kidnapped and killed, Rosa Parks is arrested, Montgomery bus
boycott led by Martin Luther King
1956: Montgomery buses become desegregated
1957: Founding of SCLC by Martin Luther King, Little Rock Nine black students
are protected by troops
1960-1961: Black non-violent protests and racist escalation
1963: Sympathy for the Civil Rights Movement, March on Washington “I have
Dream”, many murders and attacks on blacks
1964: Civil Right Act signed by President Johnson, prohibits discrimination
1965: Malcolm X is shot, Voting Right Act (makes it easier for black people to
vote)
1966: Founding of Black Panthers
1967: Interracial marriage becomes legal
1968: Martin Luther King is shot by a racist, Civil Right Act outlaw discrimination
in sale, rental and financial matters
October 16, 1968
 The U.S. athlete Tommie Smith won the 200 meter race in a world-
record time
 Australian athlete Peter Norman second and the U.S.´s John Carlos in
third place
 After the race was completed, the three went to collect their medals at
the podium
 The two U.S. athletes received their medals shoeless, but wearing black
socks, to represent black poverty
 Smith wore a black scarf to represent black pride
 Carlos had is tracksuit unzipped to show solidarity
 Both athletes wore one black glove and raised the fist to symbolize the
Black Power movement

Jim Crow Laws 1890-1960

 Separate entrances into public buildings, separate restrooms and
drinking fountains
 Had to sit in the back of trains and buses
 Separate schools, were not allowed to play in the same sport teams
 White nurses were not allowed to attend to black, male patients

Interracial Marriage
 White elite class feared that black would make inroads in the white
world by marrying and having children
 Interracial marriage was outlawed in many states

Lynching black men when they were accused of raping white women were a
normal thing
 Lynching of Thomas Shipp and Abraham Smith, strange fruit
Strange Fruit, poem: 1937 Abel Meeropol; song: 1939 Billie Holiday
Southern trees bear strange fruit
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root
 Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze
Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees
Pastoral scene of the gallant south
The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth
Scent of magnolias, sweet and fresh
Then the sudden smell of burning flesh
Here is fruit for the crows to pluck
For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck
For the sun to rot, for the trees to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

Scottsboro Trials 1931

 Nine African American teenagers were accused of raping two
white women on a train
 Only received poor legal representation
 First verdict: all were sentenced to death except one 12 year old
boy, even though there were medical proofs that they had not
committed the crime
 Last verdict: they had all go to prison but some of them were
paroled after some years

Civil War: 1861-1865

 Was the result of long-standing controversy over slavery
 A group of Southern States formed the Confederate States (11 slaves
States) and broke away from the rest
 In the North Slavery was not necessary for the economy, they wanted
to abolish slavery but the South was depending on it
 13th Amendment should have been the end of black slavery but the
situation hardly changed
 1930s: situation changes when increasingly more black people don´t
want to accept their inferior status
Civil Rights Movement: 1950-1960 (particularly South)
 Goal was to end racial segregation and discrimination against African
Americans
o Equal access to public transportation, schools and economic
opportunities
 Characterized by campaigns of civil resistance
 Nonviolent protests and civil disobedience caused crisis
 Boycotts, demonstrations and marches
 Icons: Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks
 In 1964: President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act
o Banned discrimination based on colour, religion, sex or national
origin in employment practices and public accommodation and
nullified state and local laws that discriminated against others

Malcolm X: real name Malcolm Little

 Wanted to get rid of the name the white slave master gave to his
ancestors
 Lived from 1925-1965
 He was an African-American Muslim minister and human rights activist,
fought for black rights
 One of the greatest and influential African-Americans
 Had a hard childhood, father died early, mother in a mental hospital
 With twenty he went to prison, there he became a member of Nation
of Islam
 After his parole he became one of the most influential leaders, was the
public face
 He left this organization and got killed from three members on February
21, 1965

Martin Luther King: 1929-1968

 He was an American Baptist minister and activist
 Leader and spokesperson in Civil Rights Movement
  Used tactics of nonviolence and civil disobedience based on his
Christian beliefs inspired by Ghandi
 Became early a civil rights activist
 Led the Montgomery bus boycott and founded the Southern Christian
Leadership
 Helped to organize nonviolent protests like the one in Birmingham and
the March on Washington
 1964 he received the Nobel Peace Prize for combating racial equality
through nonviolent resistance
 1968 he was assassinated by James Earl Ray in Memphis, James Earl
Rey was sentenced to 99 years in prison
Martin Luther King`s Dream:
America as a great nation of brotherhood

“One Day this nation will rise up”

“(..) to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony
of brotherhood”
Freedom and justice, human beings judged by the content of their character

Ku Klux Klan: first Klan 1860s, second 1951

Positions: white supremacy, white nationalism, anti-immigration, they use
terrorism (physical assault, murder) to frighten African Americans
 Their costumes (robes, masks, hats) were designed to be terrifying and
to hide their identities

Emmet Till: 14-year old African-American boy

 In 1955 he visited his relatives in Mississippi
 There he is said to whistled after a white women in a grocery store
 The husband of the women and his half-brother abducted the boy, he
beat, mutilated and shot him in the head
  In September 1955 the two men were acquitted by an all-white jury of
Till´s kidnapping and murder
 After his death he became an icon of the Civil Rights Movement

African-Americans today:
 More African-Americans are members of national and local
governments, some oh whom have held high office
 Barack Obama was America´s first African-American President, serving
two terms in office from 2008-2016
 There are far more black celebrities today in the field of sport, film and
music
 More young African-Americans complete high school and college or
university and have better chances of getting a good job. However,
the high school dropout rate among this ethnic group school is still high
 Many black people still deprived areas, where unemployment is high
and, especially for young people, it is easy to become involved in
criminal activities such as drug dealing or gang membership
 In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which hit the south-eastern states
of the USA in August 2005, the question of discrimination once more
came to the forefront of public discussion. The disastrous lack of
organisation of evacuation and relief affected areas led some people
claim that this was, in part, due to the fact that a large percentage of
those affected were black living in poor areas. They felt that relief
would have arrived more quickly for a predominantly white area.
Half of black wage earners belong to Unemployment 10,8% (white 5,2%)
middle class
82% of black over 25 have high Blacks are earning less than whites
school education and have less resources
60% say that things are getting better Big gap between whites and blacks
in education, employment and
wealth
Mixed friendships and Black children are more likely to be
 neighbourhoods born into poverty and to remain
there
New York, LA, Chicago have had 25% of African Americans live in
Black mayors poverty
2009 Barack Obama Standard of living lags behind
Blacks are dominating many sports Discrimination still exists
 Muhammad Ali, Michael  Police violence
Jordan
Problems with Trump:
 Generalization of black people; says they all live in poverty and crime
zones, have no education
 Depiction of a hopeless violent black America doesn´t match reality
 Some are worried his policies will negatively impact the black
community access to quality public schools, job opportunities and
affordable health care
 Seems like he wants to eradicate all of the gains made by black
o Attacks on the NFL players
Black Lives Matter:
In recent years, there have been several cases of black people, often young
unarmed people, being killed by white law enforcers. Frequently, these
officers did not face any kind of punishment, but were able to argue that
they had acted in self-defence because they believed they were about to
be attacked. It seemed that, despite the progress made by the Civil Rights
Movement, some things had not changed.
 The Black Lives Matter movement was started as a hash tag on social
media
 It came into being following the acquittal of George Zimmerman, a
member of the local community watch scheme, who shot the African-
American teenager Trayvon Martin dead. Zimmerman claimed that
Martin had been acting suspiciously, because he was walking alone in
a neighbourhood in which there had been a lot of robberies
  The aim of the organisation is to rise awareness about police brutality
against people of colour
 It also supports other groups that suffer discrimination, such as black
LGBTQ people, disabled people and women
 The organisation has faced criticism for focusing on only black people,
the hash tag “all lives matter” was started as response
 However, supporters argue that the movement is not about suggesting
other groups are less important. Instead, it is raising awareness about a
problem that African-American community faces more than any other
 In 2017, many football players staged a silent protest in support of Black
Lives Matter by kneeling instead of standing during the national
anthem, which is played at the beginning of the games. This gesture
was strongly criticised by many, including President Trump.
 The movement has now spread to other countries, such as the UK,
Canada and Australia, where the campaign focuses on the way
Aborigines are mistreated by the police and government

The war on terrorism

9/11 and the aftermath
On September 11 2001, Islamic extremists carried out four more ore less
simultaneous suicide attacks. They hijacked four domestic flights; two of the
planes were flown into the World Trade Centre in New York City, one onto the
Pentagon and one crashed in the Pennsylvania countryside. Most of the
dead were either civilians or members of the emergency services.
 The reactions in the USA immediately after the attacks were of shock
that the country was not invulnerable to terrorist attacks on their own
soil, gratitude and support for members of the emergency services and
the general public who risked their lives to save others, and a surge in
displays of patriotism
 The popularity ratings for President Bush rose dramatically
 Most of the world expressed sympathy and support for the USA in the
wake of this disaster
  Several conspiracy theories arose, including claims that the US
government had known about the attacks beforehand but did nothing
to stop them, or that it had even played a role in planning the attacks
in order to have an excuse to take military action in Middle East
US response:
President Bush declared a war on terrorism that was to take place on an
international scale.
 Homeland Security and the US Patriot Act were introduced to prepare
for, detect and prevent acts of terrorism
 Military action was taken: 2001-2002 in Afghanistan
 2003-2011: occupation of Iraq

America in the 1930s

Role of women, Southern Belles:

What exactly is a Southern Belle?
 Belle means beautiful and derives from the French
 Wealthy upper class white women (very few black)
 Wives or daughters of plantation owners
 Well educated in reading, writing, music, art and French
o Purpose of the education was to prepare them for a profitable
marriage
 After marriage they were considered the husband´s property and no
longer the father´s
Life of a Southern Belle:
 Had to live after strict rules, were expected to be virtuous and obedient
 Proper manners, etiquette and religion were a must have
 White girls had to be protected
 When their husbands went to war they had to “man” the house
 Daily duties: cooking, cleaning, sewing, gardening, caring for children
The Great Depression
 Began in the US and lasted from 1929 to 1939
 No jobs, starvation and many homeless
 Trigger was the crash of the stock market 1929
 Causes for that: overproduction of goods, drought, stock speculation
and consumer thirst

To kill a Mockingbird

Role of women
 Set in the 1930s in the Southern United States
 People begin to question their roles in society
 All of the women are expected to do the same thing
 Only way to be successful and respected is to be feminine
Scout Finch is a boyish girl in a time where it was not socially acceptable to
dress and act like a boy as a girl

The author Harper Lee

 Was born on 5th April 1926 in Alabama and died on 19th February 2016
 Her father was a lawyer and editor
 In 1960 she published the novel
 Was turned into a film and won three Oscars

Reception:
 Not everybody likes the negative view on US society and the negative
language
 Novel was considered to contain racist elements

Topics:
 Racism; prejudice; xenophobia; (in)tolerance
 Social issues in the 1930s
 Sheltered childhood
  Being confronted with things too hard to understand
 Innocence & guilt; good & evil; the ability to differ
 Seeing life from different perspectives; understanding people
 Growing up
 Hypocrisy
 Courage
 Small town community
 Moral standards; importance of moral education
Setting:
 Fictional small town Maycomb
 Old town, boring, small town:
 Everybody knows each other; close relationship between the citizens;
rumours & events are quickly moved around
 Hostile, racial prejudiced, unfriendly community

Narrative perspective
 Personal narrator: Scout (First person narration)
 two different versions represented in book: adult and child Scout
(childish perspective) sometimes ironically commenting on her childish
greenness
 Scout does not understand the full implication of things happening
around her yet, but the reader does
 Scout is unprejudiced
 Throughout the story, Scout matures due to being confronted with
things like racism, inequality
 Characters

Atticus Finch
 Scout and Jem’s father (single parent-widowed)
 Treats his children as adults by helping them reach their own
conclusions, yet understands that children make mistakes
 answers his children’s questions as honestly as he can
 Teaches his children many important lessons throughout the novel
 highly respected personality in the community
 Maycomb attorney (member of the state legislature) who is assigned to
represent Tom Robinson by Judge John Taylor (knows he will lose case
but puts in a lot of effort anyway)
 Man of integrity (Rechtschaffenheit), high moral standards and values
 Polite and respectful, politically correct, virtuous, generous, tolerant,
selfless
 intelligent and extremely well-educated
  open-minded and not racist or prejudiced
 Modest (likes to walk)
 Generous character (paid for his brother’s medical training)
 Never whipped his children (renounces (entsagen) violence)
 Stands firm for his convictions, risking his standing in the community and
his personal safety, does not care about public opinion
 Represents the good in the novel and the voice of conscience
Jean Louise Finch (Scout)
- 6-9 years old
- Her mother died when she was two but she “never felt her absence” (6)
- Childhood of “contentment” (8)
- Tomboy (gets in lots of fights, the way she dresses p. 90 (wears overalls))
- Always tries to prove herself equal to her (male) playmates
- Young, inexperienced, innocent and childlike (in contrast to the
hypocritical whites in her community ) (therefore not “politically correct”)
- Objective observer because she cannot fully grasp what is going on
- Curious child  asks a lot of questions, often struggling with answers she
cannot understand natural feeling of what is right or wrong
- Scout learns that though humanity has a great capacity for evil, it also has
a great capacity for good, and that the evil can often be mitigated if one
approaches others with an outlook of sympathy and understanding
- Extremely intelligent and smart (can already ready before she starts
school)
- Hates school (bored), shows disdain (Geringschätzung) towards teachers
- Looks up to Atticus
- Admires her brother
- Learns various moral lessons from Atticus
- Undergoes massive psychological changes during the course of the book
(from innocence to reality)
- Represents a new generation (which will hopefully grow up without
arrogance and racial prejudice)
Jeremy Finch (Jem)
 4 years older than Scout
 Occasionally overcome with grief (mother)
 Looks after his younger sister, caring brother
 Intelligent, sensitive, brave (definition changes with experience: from
touching the Radley’s house to Scout confronting a mob and standing
up for what is right)
 Idealistic
 Idolises Atticus
 Misses his mother
 Injured by Bob Ewell, resulting in a permanent deformation (left arm
shorter than right and somewhat askew)
 Undergoes the most significant change (grows up the most) starting out
as an innocent and adventurous child, he’s soon faced with the
brutality of a society full of racism and bias (wakes up “to the hard facts
of life”)
 Understands things (like the court case) better than Scout and is thus
personally affected by Tom’s trial and the injustice that comes with it
while Scout doesn’t get it (strong sense of justice)
 Represents the tough process of growing up and getting mature
(“Coming of Age”)
 tolerant (non-racist), feminine/ladylike, confident (counters Miss
Stephanie's Boo-stories with a joke about Stephanie), respectful (treats
even kids with respect), sympatric
Calpurnia
 African American
 The Finchs’ housekeeper
 Almost like a mother to Scout and Jem (mother-substitute)
 Educated (she can read and write)
 Part of the family
  The children’s bridge between black & white community - takes them
to African-American church
 Raises children up
 Stubborn, strict, wise, loyal, hardworking, respectful, moral, caring
 Punishes Scout, Likes Jem more
Arthur Radley (Boo)
 Mysterious neighbour who always stays in his house
 People are afraid of him - → prejudices & rumours (eats cats, stabbed
his father, haunts kids at night)
 Social recluse (Einsiedler)
 As a child he was mistreated by his cruel father
 Kind, goodhearted, gentle & obliging, protective (he rescues Scout &
Jem when they get attacked by Bob Ewell), shy
 The children try to coax (schmeicheln) him outside on multiple
occasions (incited(angestiftet) by Dill)
 Ends up killing Bob Ewell to protect Scout and Jem
 Leaves gifts in a tree because he does not know how to express his
affection  tries to establish an indirect friendship
 Seems to be in need of love & attention that he was had never been
given by his family
 In the end it turns out how wrong the children were in basing their
judgment on hearsay, and that beneath the surface there is a different
truth, symbolizes one of the mockingbirds in the novel- giving pleasure
and never hurting others, an innocent person injured by the evil of
mankind

Tom Robinson
 African American
 Has a wife & three children; works for Mr. Link Deas
 Accused of raping Maycomb resident Mayella Ewell (innocent)
 Powerless &submissive (black)
  Realistic: knows he is fighting a lost cause and will pay with his life so
attempts to escape and is shot 17 times
 Kind, compassionate(feels sorry for Mayella trying to take care of
siblings without help)
 Helpful (helps Mayella without expecting any payment)
 One of the novel’s mockingbirds: Innocent individual that is damaged
by society
Bob Ewell
 Ewell patriarch
 Widower with eight children
 Drunkard (Säufer)
 Badly educated; can hardly read & write
 Abusive (Mayella Ewell)
 Lowest of the low, Unemployed
 Lives under very poor & unhygienic conditions
 Despised by the whole of Maycomb
 Lies in court in an attempt to raise his family’s stature - heartless, cold,
calculating
 Feels deceived (hintergangen) by Atticus who proved Bob wrong in
court & believed in Tom’s innocence
 Has no sense of rightness
 Tries to kill Scout and Jem to get revenge on Atticus and is killed by Boo
- aggressive, ruthless (unbarmherzig)
 represents the dark side of the South: ignorance, poverty, squalor, and
hate-filled racial prejudice
Aunt Alexandra
 Atticus’ sister
 Lives with them during the trial
 Wants to make Scout more ‘lady-like’
 Committed to tradition
 Scout does not want to become like her
 Perfect Southern lady
  Strong-willed lady
 In the end, she accepts Scout the way she is
Mayella Ewell
 19 years old
 No education
 Bob Ewell’s daughter
 Has to care for her seven younger siblings - takes the role of a mother
despite her young age
 Does all the house-work in the Ewell place
 Has no friends
 Is lonely, unhappy
 Accuses Tom of raping her
 Surprised / shocked by Atticus being friendly towards her  not used to
being treated well

Atticus’ relationship to his children

- An exceptional relationship
- Has been an only parent since his wife died
- The children get frustrated/ embarrassed by the things he will not do (play
football or teach them to shoot their air guns)
- They love and respect their father
- He aspects his children to be well behaved
- He loves them very much
- Atticus listens and reserves judgment
- Scouts father has an important role in her life; she trusts him & loves him
Social classes in Maycomb

• E.g. the Finches & their neighbors

White
Middle • Rather wealthy (have a big, neat house, a car); well-educated
Class

• E.g. the Cunninghams

Farming
communi • Badly hit by the stock market crash
ty

• E.g. the Ewells

"White • Live in poor, unhygienic conditions; are hardly educated
Trash"

• Automatically seen as the lowest social class

Blacks

The mockingbird motif

- Mockingbird: Small bird that mocks (spottet/ nachmacht) other birds’
songs  harmless bird
- Represents innocence  killing a mockingbird destroys its innocence
- “It’s a sin to kill a mockingbird”  killing Tom Robinson was not only unjust &
immoral, but also sinful (religious aspect  God created all men equally?)

Tom Robinson as the novel’s Boo Radley as the novel’s

mockingbird: mockingbird:

- Harmless because of his physical - Harmless because of his psychical

disability (an injured arm)
- Kind (always helps Mayella),
good character
- Exposed to people’s prejudices
disability (inability to handle
people)
- Kind (helps Jem & Scout, gives
them little presents)
- Exposed to people’s prejudices
 because of his skin colour
(nobody believes him in court) 
his skin colour is his actual
“disability”
- Accused of a crime he cannot
have committed; all proof is
against his accusers
- Goes to prison
- Is killed because he wants to
escape from prison
because of his absence (people
make up spooky stories about
him)
- Accused of all outstanding crimes
in Maycomb; there is no proof
- Sits in his home like in prison
- Has to kill Bob Ewell because he
attacks Jem & Scout

Lessons Scout learns throughout the story

Education received from her family:
 Calpurnia taught her how to write & read before she started school
Manners:
 Aunt Alexandra wants to change her from a Tomboy to a “Southern
Belle”
 Confronted with the question what it means to be a girl / a woman / a
lady
Gender roles
 Scout realizes what being female in the South means (in the 1930s) She
identifies more with Atticus and her older brother Jem (male characters)
than with any other character in der novel  tomboy
 Her primary female model are Calpurnia and Miss Maudie, both strong-
willed, independent and protective
 The female characters who comment the most on Scout's lack of
willingness to adhere to a more feminine role are also those who promote
the most racist and classist points of view (Wikipedia), i.e. Mrs. Dubose and
Aunt Alexandra (who also has some good characteristics)
Lessons contradicting the current social & political situation:
 Atticus teaches her to be tolerant & fair
 Atticus teaches her to believe in humanity
 Miss Maudie teaches her that nobody has to do something just
because everybody does it  Scout learns to live her own life without
letting herself be determined by society’s rules
 Dolphus Raymond teaches her that sometimes you have to give
people what they want just to keep them quiet

Story of initiation / Coming of age story

 Fictional story
 Dealing with the protagonist’s process of maturing
 Usually, the protagonist is a child / adolescent undergoing an experience
which marks an important stage in its development
 Elements:
o Confrontation with guilt / atonement
o Discovery of evil
o Notion of a shocking experience
o Gaining insight
o Loss of original innocence (often compared to the biblical Fall)
o Juxtaposition of loss & profit
o Sociologic aspect of initiation  the protagonist becomes a full
member of an existing society
o Self-discovery & self-realization

Innocence Experience Maturity

Coming of age (from innocence to experience)

 Jem and Scout become confronted with the reality and they grow up
throughout the novel and learn important lessons about life. Most of these
lessons are taught to them by their father Atticus (moral education):
 In the beginning, they see Boo Radley as an evil monster. In the end, they
learn to respect him as a human being
 Stereotypes and prejudice much alive in Maycomb the novel is a plea for
tolerance and understanding
 Jem and Scout receive a lesson in maturity and courage also confronted
with the coexistence of good and evil learn that the good does not
always win

Coming of age – form innocence to experience:

 The novel shows how children learn important lessons about life
 Confronted with reality, nearing the end of their innocent childhood
o Begin to view members of their community in a new light: at the
beginning they think that Boo is an evil monster, in the end, they
learn to respect him as a human being and discard their prejudice
 Scout understand the meaning of the phrase “It’s a sin to kill a
mockingbird”: good and innocent people must be protected
 stereotypes and prejudice are still alive in Maycomb: Aunt Alexandra and
her missionary circle show, calls poor people “trash” because of their low
social status
 Jem and Scout receive a lesson in maturity and courage, also confronted
with the coexistence of good and evil, nature of injustice: case could not
be won has also to do with the era the events take place in

Prejudice
 Maycomb gossips about the Radley family because they are different.
Particularly Arthur is a victim of prejudice. He is used as a scapegoat
(people blame him whenever something bad happens in Maycomb).
 The children in Scout’s class think that families in Maycomb are
predictable: the Ewells are uncivilized and rude, the Cunninghams do not
take anything they cannot pay back etc. All this might be based on
experience, the families might have earned their reputation, but it is still
 prejudice to assume that every member of a certain family will act in a
certain way.
 The children are suspicious of Miss Caroline because she is from Winston
County- a part of Alabama that joined the Northern States in the Civil War
against the South.
 Most importantly, there is a lot of racial prejudice (=racism) in Maycomb,
the most striking example being Tom Robinson, who is accused of having
raped a white woman. Although nothing has been proven, a lot of people
believe in his guilt.
 The book shows effects of prejudices and in Maycomb, people are
treated different based on their race & social status
 Boo is seen as a "monster", many rumours because he hides in his house;
actually he is a good person
 Dill, Jem, Scout play game about Boo stabbing his father → didn't
witnessed it, just heard it
 Alexandra wants Atticus to stop talking about his attitude toward racists in
front of Calpurnia, thinks she's not trustworthy
 Atticus presents revealing facts about Tom Robinson’s innocence, but no
one gives attention to indisputability of innocence

Politics in Britain

Political system
 Parliamentary democracy, Parliament has supreme authority in all
political manners
 New laws, political issues are discussed

Scottish independence
For independence Against independence
Citizens of Scotland should be Scotland would have to leave the
allowed to make their own decisions Schengen Area and introduce
about the future of their country
Scotland could make its own
defence and foreign affairs policies
Emphasis on Scottish culture and
traditions
controls along the border
Scotland would not be allowed to
stay in the EU

British society

Effects of an ageing population

 More pressure on the health system
 More need for care facilities
 A growing number of people are giving up their work
 More elderly people living below poverty line

Families
 The number of people getting married has fallen
 More people have a civil wedding than a religious one
 In 2005, civil partnerships were legalised
 In 2014, the Same Sex Couples Act was passed
 The number of adults who do not have children is on the increase

What are the British like?

Stereotypes like:
 Always polite, Drink al lot of tea
 Always talk about the weather
 Love their royal family
 Always apologise, even if something is not their fault
 Strong sense of fairness and justice
 Love animals
 “island mentality”
 strong pub culture, like going out getting drunk
Britain as a class society
 Clearly defined gradations of class
o Upper, upper-middle, middle, lower-middle and working class
Defined by: income, occupation, birth, education, housing, lifestyle, and
language
 It´s nearly impossible to change/escape the class you´re born into
o Social mobility is very difficult, inequality

Immigration to Britain
Foreigner come to Britain
 to work, to study
 to seek asylum
 to join members of their family who already live there
Immigrants from former colonies:
 In the 1950s and 1960s, there was an need for workers in the UK, and
foreigners, especially from former colonies (Caribbean, India, Pakistan),
were encouraged to come to fill the gap
 Citizens of Commonwealth countries are given a residence permit to
live in the UK
 This group suffered during economic downturn of the early 1970s
The main ethnic groups in Britain today are:
1. White
2. Indian
3. Black African
4. Black Caribbean
5. Pakistani

Problems facing migrants in Britain

 Integration can be difficult, especially if the migrants do not speak
English
  Many of them have low-paid, unskilled jobs and live in inner city areas
with poor housing
 They may have to face discrimination, some people believe that
migrants have only come to Britain to take advantage of the social
security system and free healthcare
 There has been an increase in anti-Islam sentiment in recent years. This
is due the increasing number of terrorist attacks
o Deeper suspicion of Muslims
 There are not many members of ethnic minorities in politics, the police
force, the army and similar fields
 Children of migrants are more likely to need social help in education

Positive:
 Asian food become part of it
 Curry houses employing more people than industries
 My Son the Fanatic
Lifestyle Philosophy Of Life

Ali  Ali ́s behavior has changed  traditional / strict view of life -

("living in this country")
 very religious, hold on old
traditions
 to his father: "You are too
implicated in Western civilization."
 - disgust and censure (to
Parvez Lifestyle) - isolated from
friends
 - Western World is
empty
 - "mental strength"
Parvez  "We have to fit in!"
 eats pork, drinks alcohol, does not
pray (loss of his identity/traditions)
 totally disinterested in the Koran or
in any Islamic beliefs
 - no beard
 - believes in
education - friend of
prostitutes
 - hits his son
culture orientated
 - religious
 - not
adaptable
 - fundamentalist / radical
 -
"reward is given in paradise"
 has assimilated into Western
society - open minded
 attitude to Islam is also affected by
negative experiences as a
child
 ("...all young boys had been
taught the Koran and, to stop
Parvez from falling asleep while
studying, the maulvi had attached
a piece of string to the ceiling and
tied it to Parvez ́s hair, so if his
head fell forward, he would
instantly jerk awake")
 freedom (enlightend source)
 -
loves England (well paid work)
 - lives for the moment spirit (fun
orientated)

The British Empire

The rise of the British Empire:

Spanish Armada was defeated in 1588; British power at sea grew and
increased steadily
Rapid technological advances in 19th century (telegraph, railroads,
steamships)
 Lasted from the late 16th to the mid 20th century
o Largest ever in the world, at its height comprised over 20%
 “the sun never sets on the British Empire”
The first Empire
 West Indies (Jamaica, Bahamas, Bermuda), India, North America,
Canada, Gibraltar
The break-up of the Empire
 Australia, New Zealand and Canada demanded the right to govern
themselves
 Rebellions in India (Great Sepoy Mutiny in 1857, passive resistance
under Mahatma Ghandi from 1920)
 Growing nationalism and demands for independence
 WW1 & WW2 lead to a decline in Britain´s prestige, lessened the
political impact, were more interested in rebuilding their own country
By the end of 1960s most had become independent

The British Commonwealth

 Organisation of former colonies
 Maintaining economic ties
Foundation:
 1931: Commonwealth of Nations was established as an association of
all dominions, which were now declared equal in all matters. These
states had the right to reject any laws passes by British government and
to pass legislation on domestic affairs
The Commonwealth today:
 There are 52 members
 Head of government meet regularly
 Commonwealth citizens get some privileges that are not available to all
foreigners. These include the right to vote or to participate in certain
immigration programmes.

Brexit
One of the most controversial issues in Britain in recent times, and one that
divided the country deeply. This question is not new. From the 1990s onwards,
there has been a growing number of “Eurosceptic” among politicians: they
believed that membership mainly brought disadvantages for Britain and that
there were not enough benefits to balance this out. In 1993 UKIP was
founded.
Arguments for Brexit:
 Leaving the EU will allow Britain to control immigration and reduce the
number of immigrants entering the country: EU citizens will no longer
have an automatic right to move there
 Britain would have more freedom to make important trade deals with
countries such as India or China: doing most of its trade within Europe is
limiting
 Britain is forced to pass a lot of laws that have been made in Europe:
the courts should get their sovereignty back and only deal with laws
that are concerned with British interests
 Jobs will not really be affected: Britain can easily develop a strong job
market after Brexit
 Britain does not need the EU to be influential on the world stage
 International banks will not leave London and take their headquarters
elsewhere. They will stay and take advantage of low tax rates
 British Parliament must become sovereign again, and it cannot do so
with close ties to the EU

Arguments against Brexit:

 Leaving the EU will not solve immigration problems. Instead, it will bring
them closer because border controls with Europe that are now in
France will be moved to England
 Nearly half of Britain`s exports go to the EU, so leaving the free trade
zone would have a negative effect
 There are not many laws that are determined by the European
Commission. In addition to this, British citizens will suffer if Britain no
longer has to comply with certain laws, such as human rights
  Around 3 million jobs are linked to the EU: these jobs will have an
uncertain future, because businesses will be less likely to invest
 British interests are best protected as part of the EU
 Banks will leave the UK because there are greater advantages of
trading within the EU
 It is important for countries to work closely together in today´s
globalised world

South Africa

Historical and Political Facts

1652: A Dutch Seaman was the first European to set foot on the South African
mainland to establish a permanent station
1779: First frontier war between African and Dutch
1912: African National Congress is founded as a multi-racial national
organization
1948: The National Party wins the election (whites only) and initiates its policy
of apartheid
1969: African Students´ Organisation is founded by Steve Biko; beginning of
Black Consciousness Movement
1976: Start of the Soweto uprising; 575 pupils killed
1994: ANC wins the first non-racial election; Nelson Mandela becomes State
President

Important Acts
Population Registration Act 1950
Each inhabitant of South Africa is classified and registered in accordance
with the racial characteristics; social and political rights, education
opportunities and economic status were determined by group

Group Areas Act 1950

Different Acts assigned racial groups to different residential and business
sections; white people live in the most developed areas; forced moving,
white minority owned most of the country

Bantu Authorities Act 1951

Give authority to traditional tribe leaders within their tribal homelands,
established tribal, and regional territorial authorities

Bantu Education Act 1953

Enforcing racially separated educational facilities; second class

Separate Amenities Act 1953

Provides separate public facilities that didn´t have to be equal

Promotion of Bantu self-government Act 1956

Allowed for the transformation of traditional tribes into independent states;
self determination

Native Act (Pass Law)

Black people had to carry documents the whole time
o Contained information about their employment permit, tax and
racial classification
Not carrying around was punishable

Abolition of Pass Act

Replaced old passes; new one had a photo and fingerprints; without the pass
black people were able to spend 72 in an urban area

Suppression of Communist Act

Government was legally able to persecute communist and imprison them or
ban them for five years
Banning orders
Everybody that was considered a communist was issued a banning order;
they couldn´t attend any public gathering

Nelson Mandela 1918-2013

 South African activist and former president (1994)
 Helped to bring an end to apartheid with the method of non-violent
resistance but later he used also violence
 Imprisoned for almost 30 years
 Helped to organize protests against discriminatory policies
 Opened first black law firm
 On December 5, 1956 Mandela and 155 other activists were arrested and
went on trial for treason
 1961: co-founded the new armed wing of ANC; the MK; violence must be
used because everything else failed

Steve Biko 1946-1977

 South African antiapartheid activist; forefront of Black Consciousness
movement
 He was frustrated that antiapartheid groups were dominated by white
liberals, rather than by blacks
 Became leading person of “South African Student´s Organisation”
 Ideology: end Apartheid with universal suffrage & socialist economy
 Was put under banning order in 1973 and was arrested in 1977
o Was severely beaten up and died from his injuries; Martyr

Black Consciousness
Accept the truth that the black man has become a shadow, a slave and has
no personality, is completely defeated and drowning in his own misery
 First step is to make the black man come to himself, to infuse him with
pride and dignity and pump life back into him; reawakening of the
sleeping masses

Soweto uprising 16 June 1976

 Series of demonstrations and protests led by black school children
 Began to protest in the streets in response to the introduction of Afrikaans
(language of the oppressor) as the medium of instruction
 20.000 took part
 Were met with fierce police brutality
 The number of protestors killed is officially 176 but estimates up to 700
have been made

What is Apartheid?
 Friendship, love, education, thinking and every other facet of a life is
carved and shaped within the context of separate development
 Group of foreigners decide on the lives of the majority
 Has been tied up with white supremacy, capitalists exploitation and
deliberate oppression
Reasons for Apartheid:
 Logic behind white domination is to prepare the black men for the
subservient role
 Produce a black men who is only in form and lost his manhood
 Different class of education

Boycotts and Sanctions against South Africa to end Apartheid

End of Apartheid 1990
 Came no an end after many protests, riots, sanctions and terror acts
 Government decided that ANC is no longer forbidden and freed Nelson
Mandela after 28 years from detention
 System of Apartheid was reduced slowly so that there was a free election
for all in 1994

Xenophobia in South Africa

 Foreigners are accused of spreading diseases, stealing jobs and wasting
basic government services
 Historical background; minority ruled over majority
 Huge influx of migrants
Xenophobic violence against refugees and conditions for them:
  Mobs, plunder, burn their jobs and homes
 Daily discrimination
 Groups protesting against immigrants, blaming them for crime, stealing
jobs and wives

Fear of Crime
 One of the highest crime rate
 Missing resources and corrupt police lead to an unsafe life and a high
fear of crime

Mother to Mother Sindiwe Magona

Background:
The Amy Biehl case:
Amy Elizabeth Biehl (April 26, 1967 – August 25, 1993) was a white American
graduate of Stanford University and an Anti-Apartheid activist in South Africa
who was murdered by black Cape Town residents while a black mob shouted
anti-white slurs. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission released the four
men convicted of her murder. As she drove a friend home to the township of
Guguletu, outside Cape Town, on August 25, 1993, a black mob pulled her
from the car and stabbed and stoned her to death.[2][3] The attack on the
car driven by her was one of many incidents of general lawlessness on the
NY1 road that afternoon.

Characters:
Mandisa:
 Is in a fictitious conversation with the victim’s mother
 First person narrator and protagonist
 Has three children (Mxolisi, Lunga, Siziwe)
 Torn between feeling sorry for the murdered student and her family and
compassion for her own son Mxolisi
  Asks for forgiveness but also blames Amy
 Seems to care a great deal about her children
 Held a grunge against Mxolisi for making her life so miserable and
complicated but then feels guilty and favours him in the family
 Actually blames herself for what happened
Mandisa’s development
Pre-pregnancy:
 Mandisa is in her puberty and meets her first boyfriend China
 She does not get along with her mother because her mother worries
about her becoming pregnant, has to live up to her mother`s
expectations
 Decisions are made by her mother
 Dreams of a future with China and good education
 Meets many mature friends
Time at her grandmother’s house:
 Lives in Guguletu with her grandmother
 She finds out that she is pregnant
 She wants to be accepted by her mother and does not want to bring
shame on her family, she suffers emotionally because her mother
considers her a disgrace
 Her mother takes her back when she finds out that she is pregnant
 Her hopes and expectations are lost because of her pregnancy
Back home/Mxolisi’s birth:
 Hopes that China comes back and she can go back to school
 Mandisa starts to make her own decisions
Life as China’s wife:
 Mandisa and Mxolisi are living with China and his family
 China disappears
 She loses her hope to go back to school
 Decides to move out and rent her own house
 Manages to support her children by working for a white women
Mxolisi:
 Mandisa’s first-born son brought up by a single mother; unwanted
 Is deeply wounded through early childhood experiences
 Misses his father China; lack of paternal role model
 Wants to drop out of school although he is an excellent student
 Is traumatized by the death of two friends
 Did not speak for two years since the accident
 Has experienced many losses in his young life without being mature
enough to understand the circumstances
 Seems to be a sensitive and helpful person, unable to show the love to
his mother
 Embittered and full of anger against social environment
 Saved a young girl from being raped; is able to tell right from wrong
 He is involved killing Amy, although he denies that he actually
murdered her; carries a knife with him
 Well-respected by his friends; unable to relate to his stepsister and
stepbrother
 His future is already determined because of the conditions in the
township
 Curious and clever, impulsive, thoughtless and angry, secretive
Themes and Interpretation
Racism:
In the novel “Mother to Mother”, the social effects of and political struggle
against apartheid influence everybody’s behaviour. Hatred and ignorance
lead to the destruction of individuals. Mandisa’s grandfather tells her stories
about the invasion of South Africa by white settlers from the Netherlands. The
forced removal of Mandisa’s whole community from Blouvlei to Guguletu in
the 1960’s, the fact that there are not enough housing and schooling facilities
for the people in the new township and the loss of the family’s source of
income are just three more bricks in the wall.
Violence:
In her conversation with Amy’s mother, Mandisa claims that her son fell victim
to the political climate he was born into. In this way, individual guilt is
explained in terms of collective retaliation and deferred responsibilities.
Initially, Mandisa sympathized with the younger generation and its tendency
towards radical action. Gradually Mandisa realizes that the stoning of cars
was just a first step, followed by violence against people: attacking blacks
who collaborated with the authorities and beliefs such as “whites are dogs”
slowly but surely make the country ungovernable.
Role of women:
White women:
 Do not work around the house
 Have their black servants; keep them under surveillance
 Freedom: gym, shopping, lunch with friends, playing bridge
 Taking the children to school
Black women:
Mothers in general:
 Work around the house
 Work half day to be at home when children return from school
 Responsible for the children´s education
 Head in the House
Girls:
 More restriction than boys; girls work more in the household
 Stay whole, complete, untouched until marriage
 After having a baby most girls do not return to school
Wives:
 Obedient & hard working
Distinctions today:
Lack of money: working full time in white women´s house
Situation for girls: insecure; many rapes

Life in townships:
 Miserable circumstances, where no one cares for black lives
 Crimes are usual
 No education
 The situation get better after Apartheid collapsed but still is far from
being decent
 Science and ethics
Genetic engineering:
 Genes make us what we are; features or traits we inherit from our
ancestors (colour of eyes or hair)
 Scientists have discovered that is possible to change genes in order to
modify an organism´s DNA; controlled manipulation
 1994 first GM food is sold
Animal Cloning: first successfully cloned animal is Dolly the Sheep
For Cloning Against Cloning
All the clones are genetically If a clone is affected by a diseases or
identical so they will have the changes in the environment, all of
required characteristics, e.g. cows the other will be, too
that produce a lot of milk can be
cloned to make a dairy farm more
productive
It may be possible so save species Cloning leads to less variation, and
from extinction, or even bring an limits the opportunities for creating
extinct species back to life new varieties in the future; can lead
to extinction

Therapeutic cloning:
 Cloning designed as therapy for a disease
 Does not involve the creation of a perfectly copied human being
Benefits:
 Cells removed can give rise to all cells in the body
 Can potentially treat diseases in any body
 Reduce the wait times for organ transplants
 Perfect genetic match for the patient
Problems:
 Can require hundreds of attempts before success is attained
 Fear that scientists move beyond therapeutic cloning to creation of
human beings
Plants can be genetically modified
1. to be resistant to pesticides
2. so that they will not be eaten up by animals
3. to be more resistant to certain environmental conditions
4. to make them more nutritious
5. so that they yield more within a smaller space
6. to last longer before going bad
Advantages Disadvantages
The land is used more efficiently The genes could mutate in ways that
are not good for the plants or for us
The yield of the individual plant is GM crops do not produce seeds, so
greater the farmer has to buy new ones
Farming with certain GM crops is less The effect on birds and insects that
damaging to the land; no need for eat the plants can be negative
pesticides
The quality of the food can be Through eating crops that have been
improved made resistant to antibiotics, we can
also become resistant; more
vulnerable to certain diseases
The food can be made healthier We do not know what the long-term
effects
They do not go bad so quickly Famers have to be depend on large
companies to get the seeds

Benefits:
 Stem cells can be used to produce body tissues & organs
 Healthier children (screening out certain genes during pregnancy)
 GM plants will help to fight the effects of droughts and to feed the
world´s growing population
 GM plants can help to fight diseases and to reduce pesticides
 Creating personalized medicines to treat individual people
Cons:
  Killing fertilized embryos to gain stem cells; ethically controversial
 Obsession with perfection should not be furthered fuelled by implying
that the lives of people with genetic defects are less worth living
 Companies are not interested in consumers safety or in preserving the
environment

Electronic media/Modern media

Advantages:
 Optimize our daily lives easy access to information & entertainment
 Enhance our social communication
 Save resources (Paper)
Disadvantages:
 Keep people from using their brain power
 Makes people´s lives boring, keep them from coping with challenges
 Isolation
 Manipulation of consumers/voters
 Digital footprint is potentially dangerous
 Loss of privacy, human interaction, jobs
The availability of information:
Pros Cons
The web contains information on Websites also exists on subjects that
every subject many people do not want to see e.g.
Neo-Nazi sites
Users can keep up-to-date with world Growing danger of fake-news. We
affairs instantly, as it happens should not believe everything we see
or read online
The internet has become a library There is no guarantee that all of the
that is accessible to everyone information is accurate
 Online dictionaries and  It´s important to check more
encyclopaedias than one source
You can find answers for all kinds of Online videos can encourage
problems and can save time and people to attempt e.g. repairs
 money
People search for advice on medical
problems. They look for information
about symptoms they´re suffering
from
they´re not qualified for. They can
end up hurting themselves
It can be dangerous to work out a
diagnosis for a medical problem for
yourself instead of going to a doctor

Artificial intelligence
Pros:
 Can do jobs we don´t want do to or are too dangerous
 Optimize daily routines
 Robots can be used as carers for the sick and old and in military
operations
 Can function as surgeons
 Robots can be used to explore human-hostile places and in industry to
make products cheaper
Cons:
 Robots make us dependent
 Robots can degenerate and get out of control
 Decrease of human intelligence
 Robots destroy jobs
 The Elizabethan Age
 Named after Queen Elizabeth I, born in 1533, crowned in 1558, died
1603 (reign of 45 years)

Politics and Economics

 England emerged as a world power
 - international trade
 Rise of capitalism, strongest naval force (defeat of the Spanish Armada
in1588)
 - internal problems: constant clash between Catholics and
Protestants
 firm establishment of a Protestant Church with Elizabeth as head of
Church of England

Culture
 Golden Age: freedom of spirit; imagination; opened new worlds of history /
poetry / stimulated English culture
 Era was dominated by contrast; life for ordinary people could be hard;
economic growth = better conditions for many
Negative aspects:
 Harsh criminal laws 

 Whipping and hanging for minor offenses 

 Illiteracy 

 Short life-expectancy 

 No rights for woman 

Positive aspects:
• Public provision for the poor; possible because of economic growth

• Few beggars

Elizabethan World Picture

- Vertical chain, hierarchically ordered; place in the chain determined by
relative proportion spirit & matter
 The more spirit the higher the place in the chain

Elizabethan Theatre
• Were situated outside the city

• Staged performances every day

• Were attended by people from all social ranks
 No rooftop, like an “O”; the wooden “O”

Othello
Othello -
 Protagonist and hero
 Christian Moor and general of the armies of Venice
 Eloquent and physically powerful figure, respected by all those around
him
o his skill as a soldier and leader is nevertheless valuable and
necessary to the state
 Othello is also able to captivate his peers with his speech
 Easy prey to insecurities because of his age, his life as a soldier, and his
race
 Possesses a “free and open nature,” which his ensign Iago uses to twist
his love for his wife, Desdemona, into a powerful and destructive
jealousy
 Outsider

Easy victim for Iago because:

 He allows Iago to make him lose his temper and balance and to act in
an unconsidered way

Desdemona -
 Daughter of the Venetian senator Brabantio
 Secretly married before the play begins
 Determined and self-possessed
 Equally capable of defending her marriage, jesting bawdily with Iago,
and responding with dignity to Othello’s incomprehensible jealousy
 takes credit for her own murder
 Easy victim for Iago because:
 She is not decided enough, blind to Iago´s evil intentions and doesn´t
take him seriously

Relationship between Othello and Desdemona:

 Very in love
o Othello loves Desdemona more than she loves him
 Close and emotional
 Both don´t think about anything bad to happen
 Meet on eye level
 Hope for a good future

Iago
 Othello’s ensign (a job also known as an ancient or standard-bearer)
 villain of the play
 two-faced personality
 twenty-eight years old
 has been passed over for promotion to lieutenant
 Iago’s motivations are never very clearly expressed and seem to
originate in an obsessive, almost aesthetic delight in manipulation and
destruction
o Includes every detail in his plan

Scheme of revenge and destruction:

Plan A:
 Take revenge on the „lusty Moor“, „wife for wife“
o Sleep with Desdemona
Plan B:
 Manipulate and use Roderigo
 Manipulate, degrade and destroy Cassio (out of jealousy)
 Win Othello´s trust and to use his generosity
  Destroy Othello`s happiness by ruining his relationship with Desdemona
(out of jealousy)

Michael Cassio
 Othello’s lieutenant
 young and inexperienced soldier, whose high position is much resented
by Iago
 Truly devoted to Othello
 Cassio is extremely ashamed after being implicated in a drunken brawl
on Cyprus and losing his place as lieutenant
 Iago uses Cassio’s youth, good looks, and friendship with Desdemona
to play on Othello’s insecurities about Desdemona’s fidelity
Easy victim for Iago because:
 Too gallant, too trusting and inexperienced

Attitude towards women:

Iago
Condescending and Disrespectful:
talks bad about women, especially
his wife, considers them to be inferior
creatures
Thinks old-fashioned: stereotypical for
the time
Jealous when Cassio kisses Emilia:
wants to take revenge even he
behaves bad towards women
Cassio
Respectful, courteous, gallant,
charming towards women
Thinks modern about women
Good manners towards women;
kisses Emilia as a welcome

Racist Admires Othello

Insider, dishonest, false, hypocritical Honest, sincere, loyal
Wordily, crude, profane, vulgar, Of good breeding, good manners,
common sophisticated, civilized, educated
 Full of hatred and contempt,
manipulative
Reputation is not important
Uses his language in a calculative
way
Good-natured, full of trust, reliable
and loyal
Places a high value on his reputation

Reputation : Beliefs that somebody has for one person

Used in many ways:
 Iago: to play with other people
 Cassio: to express oneself , an „immortal“ part, values reputation
greatly
Iago hast two views on reputation:
 On the one hand he takes advantage of his reputation; on the other
hand he says to other that reputation is not important
 Uses his reputation to mislead everybody and to fulfil his goal

Emilia
 Iago’s wife and Desdemona’s attendant
 cynical, worldly woman
 deeply attached to her mistress and distrustful of her husband
 seems to be the only one that sees what’s is going on
 modern women
 loyal to her mistress
o Though she steals Desdemona's handkerchief for Iago, she
doesn't know else anything about Iago's plot
o when she learns of his plot, she reveals Iago's duplicity, and he
kills her for it

HISTORICAL CONTEXT
 Catholics battled to re-conquer Spain from the Islamic Arabs and
Berbers, or Moors,
 o had successfully occupied it since the 900s
 struggle inspired intense prejudice and suspicion
PREJUDICE
 In the very first scene, Roderigo and Iago disparage Othello
o calling him "Barbary horse" and "thick lips“
o describe Othello as an animal or beast
 use racist language to try to define Othello as an outsider to white
Venetian society, being less human, less deserving of respect
 Othello himself seems to have internalized this prejudice
o he describes himself in racial terms
o when he believes that he has lost his honour and manhood
through Desdemona's supposed unfaithfulness, he quickly
becomes the kind of un-rational animal or monster that the white
Venetians accuse him of being
 characters in the play also exhibit misogyny, or hatred of women,
primarily focused on women's honesty or dishonesty about their
sexuality
 Othello's age is also a reason for insulting him
 prejudice works as a kind of strategy to identify outsiders and insiders
and to place yourself within the dominant group

APPEARANCE VS. REALITY

 mislead other characters, particularly Roderigo and Othello, by
encouraging them to misinterpret what they see
 Iago manipulates Othello so that Othello sees the appearance that
Iago wants him to see, rather than the reality
JEALOUSY
 Iago refers to jealousy as the "green-eyed monster.“
o jealousy is closely associated with the theme of appearance and
reality
 Othello's jealousy impedes his ability to distinguish between reality and
appearance
 o Othello's obvious honour and intelligence makes these attacks
ridiculous
o when Othello is overcome by jealousy, he does become beast-
like j
WOMANHOOD AND SEXUALITY
 Two contrasting images of womanhood dominate Othello: the virtuous
and loyal woman (Desdemona) and the whore (Bianca)
o different ways of describing women don't actually apply to real
women
o they are male fantasies imposed on women, ideals that men
want woman to fulfil, and roles that women play for men
 There is no way for a man to tell the difference between a truly virtuous
wife and one who is just playing the role of virtuous wife while actually
acting as a whore and being unfaithful.
 Remained in subordinate role
o Lives controlled by patriarchy, ruled men
 Men saw women as possessions, inferior to men
 Argumentative women were threat for social order; often punished
 Emilia, complicates the simple contract between the Madonna and
the whore
o she wants to please her husband—and does so by stealing
Desdemona's handkerchief
o is not wholly loyal
o tells Desdemona she believes many women, including she
herself, would cheat on their husbands under certain
circumstances
o proves her own, independent virtue by defending Desdemona's
virtue and revealing her husband's crimes in the process
 While womanhood in Othello is, therefore, often defined by men in
terms of pure virtue or voracious and deceptive sexuality, the play
ultimately shows that real women are far more complex