Hotep

In the ongoing pursuit to decode the innermost thoughts and/from the actions of the Westerner, I shall proceed...

I recently saw "The Beach" with Leonardo DiCaprio, yeah I know this late but it just premiered on HBO. I found it significant to many of the discussions that I have been having recently concerning Western culture. Before I continue I want to say that this analysis is not a reflection on the entertainment value of the film (I actually liked it) and that one must understand that ANY movie, story or piece of art is reflective of the culture from which it stems, thus can be used to exemplify certain themes prevalent and popular within the cultural core.

1. The movie begins with Richard (Leonardo) introducing himself. He says is name is just "Richard" and that is all we (the audience) needs to know. He said that his family history, origins , background and experiences are all irrelevant to the following story since he is in a new land across the world "18 hours" away from home. We do know he's an American.

This is the quote that inspired me to even write this. Westerners commonly make the mistake of thinking that culture "magically" disappears when they cross the sea. Why? This is the result of a combination the Western cultural traits of universalism and individualism. Since "we are all the same," and "we are all individuals," when outside of one's society the cultural values, mores, perspectives, etc. are no longer applicable or existent since society is not there to enforce it on the "individual."

2. He next commented on how this new land is "the land away from home" and the world's "playground."

While it is true that for anyone visiting a foreign land, the land is "away from home," it is not always the "world's playground." "Playground" in this connotation refers to a place where one can enact behaviors that one would not commonly do at home. This attests to the concept of individualism as presented in #1. Since there is no "parental" (societal) supervision, one can do things that they might not do in their homeland.
This further exposes the rhetorical (hypocritical) ethic found in Western culture or the lack of connection and consistency between thought and actions. Only an empowering external governing system controls that form of behavior among Europeans but outside of this system, especially among the "un-sophisticated", "un-cultured" First (Third) world peoples, the actions of one does not necessarily reflect upon his ideals. On a poster advertising Jamaica a white woman is telling her young son "What you see here? Do here! STAYS HERE!"

Also the concept of someone else's land being a "playground" shows a complete and utter disrespect their land and culture. Believing that you can commit to unruly behavior that you would not do (or at least is not socially acceptable) in your own house (land), exposes a common Western trait indicative of its imperialist nature and view of the other as being "un-civilized" therefore this behavior in their land is acceptable.

3. RIchard comments on the norm of tourists going to foreign lands doing what they would normally do at home and how people should do what people in that land would do, in order to experience something new.

This shows the common epithet of "When in Roman do as the Romans do." When does this EVER take place, at least in First world countries? When do Westerners go and live in the shanty towns and commit to the menial and often demeaning forms of labor of serving visitors to your land who truly have no respect for you or for your situation in life? When do tourists ever try to EXPERIENCE the feeling of what it is like to be in a land once self-sufficient but now victim to a neo-colonial government when foreign in ivory towers millions of miles away control how and IF your child will be educated? When do tourists ever DO and ACT like indigenous people in their own lands by not succumbing to daily acts of hedonism, possessing a communal spirit, realizing that SPIRIT IS LIFE and separate from nothing, and showing continual respect for the ancestors ?

The problem with Richard's comment is that he should have been more specific. He should have said that tourists should commit to behaviors not sanctioned in one's homeland and/or not commonly committed, so one can try something "new."


4. Richard introduces the people of the utopian community. The token black of the community is an Englishman named Kito and is the first to be introduced. Kito says "Thank God for the two Pillars of Civilization! Christianity ... and Cricket!"

Need I say anything... Geez.

5. The leader of the community is an Englishwoman named Fanny, and all other members are Europeans from various countries.

Therefore we have an inclusive body of Westerners from all over the European Diaspora. It is also interesting that they are led by an ENGLISH woman who physically looks like and has the domineering female persona of Queen Elizabeth.

6. A member of the community is bitten by a shark and is seriously ill. He needs medical attention but can't move and in order to keep the community hidden, a doctor from the mainland cannot be brought in to treat him. Because he cannot be helped (without revealing the secret) and causes a constant scene of depravity and melancholy for the rest of the community, the others leave him in the forest to die.

This shows the true colors of this "utopian" society. There is NO communal spirit just the spirit of self-gratifying individuals who are connected through the need to hoarde the environmental paradise that they have found. There is no altruism among these people just HEDONISM. Leaving a member of their "family" to die in order for them to be happy displays a lack of concern for his (and each other's) well-being. As long as you allow the Westerner to pursue his desire for hedonistic materialistic ventures, you can be "family," but as soon as you threaten this desire, YOU'RE DEAD.

7. Richard returns to the mainland and discusses how the other tourists (how he "use" to be) are nothing but "parasites" and "cancers."

This comment can be generally applied to Western culture. (See #1 and #2).

8. Everyone finally abandons the community and return home after many deaths related to them "keeping their secret."

The community couldn't work because it doesn't EXIST within a Western conceptual system. The communal spirit is necessary for a group of persons to exist in a "utopian" society. This spirit is not something that can stem from an natural environment that provides all of one's needs.

We have seen throughout history, Westerners conquer and acquire lands from others which provided them with adequate resources for survival. AFter these conquests were complete did they stop? NO! The desire to gain more and more resources that were not necessary for adequate survival became (was) a need within the Western cultural core. The persons in the movie think that "paradise" is a physical place and that one could be happy forever but they prove to themselves that not only can they not maintain "paradise" if they wanted to but they cannot even CONCEIVE of what a "paradise" is.

9. Richard returns home and comments on how paradise is not a place you go to but a state of mind.

ALthough he does not get to a true understanding of the Western conceptual framework, he does realize that one has to mentally create a "paradise" before it can manifest in the physical.

Could there be hope for the Westerner?


PEace
Solarus


"Activism is the practice of using an internal, self-determining source of power to live one's life and/or enact some sort of change. Power is the ability to define reality, while self-determination is to decide or define one's self. Therefore activism, is not simply something done to right some wrong or to fight some cause but rather it is a way of life. Activism is the way of life where one can define self and change anything that may impede or control the reality that one chooses to live."-Solarus

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"the real pyramids were built with such precision that you can't slide a piece of paper between two 4,000 lb stones, and have shafts perfectly aligned so that you can see a tiny aperture through dozens of these mammoth blocks