Knowledge is obtained through sensations and reflections, specifically the accompaniment of various thoughts and various sensations with a perception of delight, as stated by John Locke’s paper, An Essay concerning Human Understanding (Book II), which is displayed through Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, where the monster learns through experiences and how to make decisions, such as murdering Victor’s loved ones, based on the perception of delight, with the absence of any preconceived ideas and innate principles.
The Process of Gaining an Education
Rousseau believed that one’s education should be built through, “nature, men or other things.” When one thinks of an education, they would immediately think teachers or books, which is the traditional way of learning. Though teachers and books help strengthen a person’s knowledge, Rousseau states that one’s journey should start with nature. In Rousseau’s Emile, he argues that freedom is key and nature should be the first teacher since it brings no influence from any other’s thoughts, instead it enhances one’s way of thinking and reasoning on their own. After nature, then formal educators and books can take part. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, it supports Rousseau’s process of gaining an education. In order to understand this theory, we will first look at how Rousseau raised Emile and how nature, men and experience took a role. Then, we will focus on the monster’s journey in the wilderness where he had to rely on nature to help him find food, shelter and clothing for himself, teaching him the basics of life. After, we will then see how observing humans taught the creature how to speak, read and write and how it impacted his view on the world and humans. This will all prove Rousseau’s idea of how to achieve an education.
Intro Exercise #1
School is supposed to be a place where students go to become educated and ultimately achieve their career interests. The question is, does it really fulfill its purpose? The answer is maybe, or maybe not. But one thing is for sure; going to school is definitely not the only way to become educated. There are many other methods to becoming educated besides the traditional institutional schooling, and all it takes to achieve it is ones own desire and motivation to learn. Perhaps, the best way to learn is by teaching yourself, because in this way, you are able to focus more on things that matter to you and study things that are relevant to your interests, without being confined to the limitations of forced institutional methods. In Secrets of a Buccaneer Scholar, Jame’s Marcus Bach’s vision of a “Buccanner Scholar, is embodied by the historical figure Malcolm X in The Autobiography of Malcolm X. Malcolm X’s own desire to learn ultimately resulted in his achievement of becoming an educated person. Malcolm X did not need to go to school to become educated, his strong motivation and persistence attributed to his success, all while being confined within prison walls. This supports the dissenting notion that attending school is not necessarily the only way to become educated like society traditionally perceives it to be.
Introduction 2
The monster in Frankenstein expresses an intensive desire to become a man throughout the novel, although he has been rejected due to his hideous appearance by the human society multiple times. However, his passionate desire drives him to explore further into the human world without fail and educates himself to be an intellectual individual. By understanding Rousseau’s Treatise on Education, where he emphasizes his pupil should learn only what truly interested him, we can better understand why the monster in Frankenstein can be able to quickly adapt to the human culture. According to Rousseau, no one including his father can force his pupil to learn the topic he hates because he will learn nothing from it. The monster gains a wealth of knowledge about human being because he is truly fascinated by the human world. In order to illustrate that the desire for knowledge and the passion in the subject play a significant role in the success in education, we will first look at how the monster is expelled from the village but still want to be one of them—human. Then, we will discuss about how he learns the human language and human relationship through continuous observation of mankind. He tries to close to them with a kind heart but get rejected again due to his monstrous appearance. At last, we will talk about how the monster realizes his place in the society after he learns all about human value and the conduct of mankind. Knowledge gives him loneness and strong desire for companionship, which makes him closer to human. Nevertheless, the monster learns to speak, read, write all by himself, with full passion to learn everything about human being. The monster is so successful in attaining his education because he is truly interested in his subject and his voluntary action to learn allows him to develop internal maturity that makes him become closer to a man.
Introduction
The theory of nature vs. nurture is illustrated in the texts Learning to Read by Malcolm X and Immanuel Kant’s What is Enlightenment? These two literary texts portray the theory of nature vs. nuture. Kant argues that one must have courage to make use of their own understanding, whereas Malcolm believes the ability to read plays a significant role in life. Malcolm states in his writing that reading had changed forever the course of his life. Kant argues that enlightenment is the human being’s emergence from his self-incurred minority.
Thesis Exercise #2
Experience plays a vital role in how one learns. When one learns through experience rather than through standardized educational system, one gains more knowledge by doing rather than just reading. Based on Rousseau’s philosophy, one must reject the idea of schooling and have an alternative natural way of learning. Gaining knowledge can be obtained through many aspects. In The Secrets of a Buccaneer Scholar, James Marcus Bach accentuates that schooling isn’t mandatory for one to be gain more knowledge, be educated, and that knowledge can come from other resources. Self-education allows one to learn on their own pace and use that knowledge for practical use. Even teaching one basic information about reality helps gain experience and knowledge. In the movie To Sir with Love, the professor shunned away from school lessons and rather taught the students through his experience and knowledge that would help them better feel of reality.
Writing, Freedom and Manhood
In both The Autobiography of Malcolm X, by Malcolm X and A Lesson Before Dying, by Ernest Gaines, they both talk about the relationship between writing, freedom and manhood. Both pieces of writing are about a man that has been jailed.
In Malcolm X’s autobiography, the relationship between writing, freedom and manhood is portrayed. With Malcolm X being in jail, his physical freedom has been taken away. However, he chooses to better himself by educating himself more by learning more words and learning how to read and write better. Manhood includes being dominant, and better than others, being the best you could be. Although Malcolm X physical freedom might’ve been taken away, he still has his freedom to better himself.
“Not long ago, an English writer telephoned me from London, asking questions. One was, “What’s your alma mater?” I told him, “Books.” You will never catch me with a free fifteen minutes in which I’m not studying something I feel might be able to help the black man.” (Malcolm X)
Malcolm X didn’t become the educated man he was because he went to some high, prestigious school, but rather because he taught himself. Because of Malcolm X’s freedom to do better himself and become more educated, he uses writing to make him a more intelligent, better man.
In Ernest Gaines’ A Lesson Before Dying, the same relationships are portrayed. What is different from Malcolm X’s autobiography is that the character that is jailed, Jefferson, is a black man that has been unjustly accused of committing a murder, which he says he didn’t do. Being in jail now, he really doesn’t have any freedom. Being a slave and being in jail, a man is really deprived of their manhood. While in Jail, Grant, a plantation teacher, comes to try and help Jefferson. During the first couple of visits, Jefferson is hard to get to. Finally, Grant is able to get Jefferson to talk when he brings up what he would want his last meal to be.
“I want me a whole gallona ice cream.” (Gaines)
Grant ends up giving Jefferson a notebook to write down the difference between men and hogs. When Grant visits Jefferson the next time, Jefferson has filled nearly the whole note book. Jefferson freedom to write allowed him to speak his mind and explain why he is a real man, like white males, and not anything less because he is black.
Moral Perfection
When reading Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin,
and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, I struggle to be able to draw up a comparison between the two. Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography is about “Attaining Moral Perfection”.
“I wished to live without committing any fault at any time; I would conquer all that either natural inclination, custom, or company might lead me into. As I knew, or thought I knew, what was right and wrong, I did not see why I might not always do the one and avoid the other.” (Franklin)
To Benjamin Franklin, he already knows right from wrong, what is right and what is wrong; he has obtained moral perfection. To Benjamin Franklin, he does not know why one who choose to do something wrong.
When trying to compare Tom Sawyer, I guess I would say that he is the opposite of Benjamin Franklin, but he is in the process of obtaining moral perfection. Tom Sawyer isn’t the most well behaved boy, and he doesn’t necessarily know right from wrong. But since he is only a child and not an adult, I guess one could say that he isn’t supposed to know everything. When it comes to acting morally appropriate, Tom Sawyer is there.
‘”Rebecca Thatcher” [Tom glanced at her face—it was white with terror]—”did you tear—no, look me in the face” [her hands rose in appeal]—”did you tear this book?”
A thought shot like lightning through Tom’s brain. He sprang to his feet and shouted—”I done it!”‘ (Twain 20)
Tom knew that even though he wasn’t the one that tore the book, he didn’t want to see Rebecca get in trouble.
I guess the comparison between the two writings is that more obtains “Moral Perfection” later on in life. It isn’t something you attain when you are born, but rather something you obtain through various experiences.
Bettering One’s Self for Themselves
The purpose of life to to live it to its fullest potential. One should always try to better themselves not for the sake of other people, but rather for themselves. In both To Sir With Love and Malcolm X’s autobiography, this is supported.
In To Sir With Love, before Sir became the students’ teacher, they were all crazy kids that nobody had control over. These students were ruthless, and just going to school so they could graduate already. To them, their future didn’t necessarily include a real profession. When Sir arrived, at first he let them “push him around”. He wasn’t a very authoritative figure and din’t have much control. Then finally he changed how the class was going to be run and made the students act more obedient and adult-like. At first, these students just did as Sir said. But then all these students realized that what Sir is saying is that its time for them to wake up and grow up already. The one student (I can’t recall his name), the guy that was always misbehaving and looking to fight with Sir, finally realized it was better for himself to do better and he ended up looking to get a job at the school after he graduated. He did it for himself, not because anybody else told him to.
In Malcolm X’s instance, he was jailed. While he was in jail, he decided it was time for himself to become more educated and better himself. He slowly started to teach himself how to write and read better.
“I saw that the best thing I could do was get hold of a dictionary—to study, to learn some words. I was lucky enough to reason also that I should try to improve my penmanship. It was sad. I couldn’t even write in a straight line. It was both ideas together that moved me to request a dictionary along with some tablets and pencils from the Norfolk Prison Colony school.” (Malcolm X)
As he continued to read the dictionary, he would write down every word and their definitions. Malcolm X chose that he should better himself. Nobody told him that he should learn to read and write better and learn more words, he chose to do it by himself, for himself.
Malcolm the Buccaneer Scholar
James Marcus Bach’s ideology explains that school isn’t needed to educate a person. Bach emphasized the point that self-education allows a person to learn in their own comfort and put their knowledge to use in things that they like. Malcolm X’s persistence and dedication in educating himself while being in prison reflects Bach’s idea that self-education can go a long way.