Hey ASTU 100,

For the past couple of weeks, our class has focused on memory and trauma through the works of literary scholar Ilka Saal and more recently, literary theorist Judith Butler. These two articles were thought-provoking because they challenged ideas such as trauma transfer and vulnerability. Judith Butler’s article sparked my interest as she interrogates the extent of our social responsibility – focused primarily on the context of war. Where exactly do we draw the line between “us” and “them” when we consider who we want to grieve for? Why do we grieve for who we grieve for more than others? It was interesting to see the different connections being made in most of my classmates’ blogs as they too, were inspired by this question.

Butler claims that “by a cultural reflex, we mourn for some lives but respond with coldness to the loss of others” (36). a href=”http://blogs.ubc.ca/taylorkhatkar/2016/01/28/the-value-of-death-by-taylor-khatkar/”>Taylor reflects on this through Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, in which Oskar is seen to value his father more than people he doesn’t know. This is shaped by their relationship as father-son and Taylor explains that if he was not such a strong influence in his life, Oskar might have been more apathetic towards his father. Kendall extends this conversation and sees this Us vs. Them distinction as a “natural human response”. She considers the possibility that as social creatures, we will be “capable of understanding one another, despite differences in culture, religion, beliefs, and norms”. This perfectly segues into Mariana’s blog as she affirms that it is “a challenge restricted to the individual, to leave their comfort zone and see the interconnection with other people”. It is in these reflections that we see that value is shaped by both personal frames and social interactions with those we surround ourselves with.

Two of our classmates were interested in this cultural reflex. As Sania questions, “how and why are these factors still given place in society?” (on giving social status labels) She observes that media has been a significant tool in illustrating who deserves grief and who doesn’t, backing up points with the ISIS Crisis. Likewise, Kihan exemplifies this through the Musqueam land controversy. By not identifying ourselves with the Aboriginals, we do not feel the need to mourn for them.

In looking into these various connections, many of us have grasped Butler’s contention and started inquiries she wanted to be considered. Her work was difficult to approach, however I personally feel we’ve all reached the level of critical thinking that tries to help us understand why we value specific lives more than others.

Hope you have a good week!

Kristen Ylo