Progress

From caverns and huts to houses and stone-walled castles to buildings and
skyscrapers, the human race has continuously evolved. Not only have we
discovered new countries and travelled through space, but weve also established
human rights, forbidden slavery and developed new ways of thinking. Progress is
the idea that the world can become increasingly better in terms of science,
technology, modernization, liberty, democracy, quality of life, etc. In my opinion,
some of the biggest changes in todays world are: Firstly, womens role in society;
secondly, the gap between generation; and thirdly, racism.
In Shakespeares poem Thy husband is thy Lord, we can firmly grasp the way
women were viewed in the 17
th
century. First off, they were considered physically
and intellectually weak. Beautiful and dutiful, their only job was to abide by their
husbands every rule. Being the perfect housewife was their lifes goal. The
husbands were the heads of the families. They were considered perfect in every
aspect. Only after the First World War, did women begin participating in the
working industry. However, their jobs were always at the bottom of the working
class. Holding high-paid positions and owning their own shops was not acceptable.
With time, women proved themselves to be just as good and capable at their posts
as men. Soon after, women were permitted to thrive in the working industry just as
any men would. The cartoon The Social Ladder reveals the struggles of women
at work. Despite the appearance of equality between the two genders, women work
harder than men to reach a high position. As they juggle between house duties,
their jobs and peoples scrutinizing gaze, women describe a glass ceiling that stops
their ascension in the work place. Being in charge of a family is quite a handful on
its own. Between the cooking, cleaning, shopping and driving, how can a woman
be expected to have any free time? In the text I Want a Wife we understand the
importance of a mother in a family. She organizes everyones life as well as her
own and cares for her children and her husband. So who wouldnt want a wife?
Just as women have progressed, every coming generation is different from the one
that preceded it. Ideas contradict each other as new points of view surface. Whose
opinion is the better one? The text The Younger Generation Knows Best
explains the new open minded ways. Newer generations are more independent,
they have more money to spend and grow fast. Instead of accepting things as
general truths, they question everything and make their own opinion of the world.
The advanced technology and education of this era allows them to be exposed to
life and its menaces at a younger age. They are therefore considered smarter than
their ancestors. Where the older generations prefer conformity, the younger thrive
on modernity. For the old, grey suits and classic haircuts are necessities in order to
be taken seriously. Piercing and tattoos are therefore viewed are grotesque and
vulgar. They could learn from the young that enjoyment isnt sinful. In the text A
Cosmopolitan Girl Pritti, the young adult, struggles to be free and make her own
way through life with the acceptance of her parents. She knows the modern ways
and believes in globalization. On the other hand, her parents fear the new world
since they dont fully understand it. As tradition portrays intimacy, modernization
represents individualism. Through progress, the industry has also changed. The 4
Ps of modernity that are: (progress, promotion, price, and place) express exactly
how the new ways operate. As malls and huge department stores open, they use
lower prices, newer gadgets, advertisement and a perfect place in the center of a
town in order to attract customers. Where the young seek-out these new places, the
old prefer the familiarity and comfort of a long time visited old shop.
In some ways, these newer generation have contributed to the eradication of
slavery. In 1619, the first boat, filled with African slaves, arrived in the US. They
were initially brought to this new country to work in the crops. As their number
increased, the niggers were no longer used just for field work. Their jobs went
from the simplest task, like fetching an object, to the most agonizing labor work.
Their rights, freedom and possessions were non-existent. They were property,
owned by white men and beaten if ever disrespectful. They were malnourished and
were not privy to education and enjoyment. However, the black slaves were not
killed by their masters. Not because the white would feel guilty about their murder
but because they would be destroying one of their possessions. If they ever
bothered the pure white folk in any way, the slaves would be lynched and would
therefore set an example to all the others. The condition of slaves is well described
through the text Miss Eloise. The young slave in this text is called by a number,
hes uneducated and hungry. His lifes highest goal is to be a white girls page,
serving her in any possible way. Through this text, we learn that knowledge is
power since it leads to freedom. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln declared the
emancipation of the salves. In 1868, all of the US states prohibited slavery. And
finally, in1869, black people obtained the right to vote. Despite slavery being
illegalized, the white and black did not get along right away. The two races hated
each other and struggled to live in a shared environment. The black were therefore
segregated as they stuck together and refused to frequent the whites parts of town.
The people were divided in to two groups in society, at school, in the
neighborhood, and through town. The Jim Craw laws, that mock the black,
might not have been official but they were respected and followed. Little by little,
black were treated with respect and found their place in society. We all know the
famous story of Rosa Parks, a black woman who refused to give up her seat for a
young and healthy white man. Another example is Jackie Robinson, a black
baseball player who was recruited by a white coach to join his team. He became
the first African-American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the
modern era. What was once unimaginable has become normality in todays 20
th

century.
To sum up, Women have greatly progressed since the First World War. We now
find some women like Oprah and Ellen, whose opinions are highly respected,
hosting talk shows while other break the glass ceiling by being in the US supreme
court. Newer generations are much more open-minded as they search for novelty in
our world. Racism is slowly but surely disappearing as we further establish and
apply human right laws. Current US president Barak Obama is proof that our
world is continuously changing. But no matter how far weve come, injustice still
roams our countries. Will poverty ever end? Can misery permanently leave our
homes? Are the new, brighter and open-minded generation capable of finding the
cure to these problems?