C Above C Above High C, Research Paper Example

The Political Aspects of Authority as Mirrored in C above C above high C

The idea of the society being segregated into several sections and considerations of interest has long been an existing issue; one that the challenges the mind and its capacity to explain how segregation started and whether or not such aspect of development does create a mandate on how modern living ought to be recognized. In the story C above C above high C Ishmael Reed, the playwright of the narrative, tries to create a scenario that he thinks would be able to provide a distinct understanding as to what social segregation is about and how racial discrimination resulted from such point of division. In the process of helping his readers see the value of such explanation, he also takes in a distinct turn on trying to engage his readers with the political authorities identified in the story and have them realized the role of politics in the continuing existence of social discrimination and how much control it has over the different aspects of dealings that the society deals with at present.

The story written by Reed basically creates a definite picture that helps his readers see the real situations that were happening in the late 1980’s in America (Martin, 1998). He carefully places his readers in the middle of the American desire for development and social improvement. In this case, he takes on a particularly familiar picture in history and painted it in the minds of his audience as if convincing them to look through the situation and understand how social constructs in the past [during the mentioned era] continues to thrive today; amidst all the condition of development that have been attained by the modern society.

In his story, he clearly identifies some of the basic problems the progressive American society was facing; one of which includes the condition of development that the society aims to incur especially though the hope of establishing a common and balanced source of education for the public. Among the basic needs of the people [which are basically identified as food, shelter and clothing], education became an additional element that has created a more  defined understanding as to how individuals were expected to embrace the point of advancement offered by the modern aspect of living that was still being shaped then. The goal of making education attainable for all, however, has become an elusive dream for the black Americans in the community (Martin, 1998). To draw the attention of the audience into the actuality of the picture, Reed makes a distinct reference to Armstrong as the American representation [most often than not noted as Uncle Tom] of a society that has a distinct authority over matters as he questions how Eisenhower, then president, reacted to the event when black children were barred from being integrated in local public schools in recognition of a law that has recently been passed on by the Supreme Court.

Political pursuits were one of the primary elements that drove politicians then to make decisions. Their desire to be recognized and accepted well in the community is one particular element that pushes them to make decisions as to whether or not to pursue a particular goal they have already set right in front of them (Mvuyekure, 2000). Back then, this is what is considered as the most constructive way of governance. In recognition to this idea, Eisenhower was then described in the story by Reed as a man who does give distinct importance to how he is recognized by the community. The white Americans, being the dominant race in the American society, played a great role on how he decided on matters and how he perceived the different issues in the community during his time. The white Americans were the ones who had a say on how the society ought to be governed; being the ones in the community who supposedly controlled the situation, Eisenhower became most careful in listening to their demands and becoming more distinctively connected to how their wants are being served (Mvuyekure, 2000). The black Americans on the other hand were basically owned by the white families as slaves. Even though they were considered as part of the progressing American society, they were set aside when it comes to receiving government provisions, which includes education.

Eisenhower, the representation of the many presidents in America, was defined by Armstrong as somewhat a bigot; an individual living in the hypocrisy of his philosophies. He mentioned how the American perspective of a progressive community detested the idealism of Hitler of creating an Arian society through annihilating the ‘unwanted’ races and groups in the community was a mere hypocritical move that was seemingly happening right under the noses of the American governors (Mikics, 1991). While the American authorities see the obvious path that Hitler was taking then, they serve themselves blind from the realities of social chaos and massive discrimination that was happening among their people. The torture that Hitler invoked was direct and obvious; however, the torture imposed by that of the administrators of the American community is one that tortures the soul; the inner being of the individuals to whom the point of discrimination is dedicated to (Mikics, 1991). What connects such condition of social elimination with the current standing of the nation in relation to political pursuits is that of the idea behind social construct and balance that basically identifies well with the condition of improvement that the community needs to embrace.

Setting aside the welfare of those considered as less important has become an evident source of social decay in the American society through the years. Politicians, having the power that they were given, were less convinced that they need to seek possible resolutions to the real problems of discrimination happening within their midst, among their own people. Politicians, represented by Eisenhower in the story, had the power and authority over their subjects. They have the capacity to decide for the people in order to shape the community into what they hope to make out of it for the betterment of the living systems existing in the society.

However, as the story shows, Reed criticizes the political construct of the supposedly democratic system of governance in America. It is supposed to be a solid system that promotes social respect; an idealism based on the thinking that suggests the standing of the government as a matter that is ‘governed by people for the people’. However, it could not be denied that when it comes to such point of governance, Eisenhower [in the story], as did other primary leaders in America, failed to recognize such capacity to rule, Instead, they let their administrations be run by particularly selfish motives of following what the majority wants or accepts to be moral and distinctively controls the condition of living of the people they are supposed to govern over.

Clearly, the plot created by Ishmael Reed, entails to make a connection between the societies then and the societies now and how the issues they have dealt with in the past continues to be passed on as points of social chaos at present. This is where the condition of social progress ought to be measured accordingly. While people in the society have become more extensive especially in the way they need to see through the situations happening around them, the American society has become more aware of the fact that the American soil is populated by both white and non-white races (Joyce, 1994). Relatively, the condition of recognition received by such fact, currently shapes the assumption of social development that the country embraces at present as the nation takes on a definite insistence on how reflective governance is about. Apart from merely embracing development, the country also takes on distinct sense of recognizing what social balance is about and how it should be understood as a distinct source of competence that the country could fully embrace; one that identifies well with the assumption of good social growth that is far from the condition of discriminating people because of color and race.

Works Cited

Mvuyekure, PD.(2000).  The Critical Reception of Ishmael Reed. Modern Fiction Studies.

Mikics, D.  (1991), Ethnicity and Underground Revisionism in Ishmael Reed. Block Publications.

Joyce, Joyce A. (1994).  “Falling Through the Minefield of Black Feminist Criticism: Ishmael Reed, A Case in Point,”Warriors, Conjurers and Priests: Defining African-centered Literary Criticism. Chicago: Third World Press.

Martin, Reginald. (1998). Ishmael Reed and the New Black Aesthetic Critics. New York: St. Martin’s Press.