Critical Blogs – Lili Braidner

Describe a contact you have had with some marginalised group (gypsies/ circus people etc). Has it shown you the deficiencies of your own world view?

“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”

The aforementioned Bible passage from Genesis 1:27 states that we are all made in the image and likeliness of God, implying that no human is above another. So why is it then, that marginalisation, hate and discrimination plague our planet?

Growing up in a culturally diverse suburb, I was often surrounded by people who were classified as marginalised. These were mainly people who came to Australia for a new beginning. They shared different cultures, beliefs, stories and food. However, they all shared one thing in common.

To create a better life for themselves and their families.

Who can blame them? No matter who you are or what your background is, most people would do whatever was necessary to create the best life for those they care about.

Yet many people have the audacity to turn to these people and say “Go back to where you came from” or “Not on my land”. A land that to begin with, most likely wasn’t even theirs.

As a small child, being surround but such a vast array of cultures was magical. I ate amazing food, listened to music from all over the world and soaked up knowledge about all different cultures and religions.

No one is born a racist. This was evident through all the children from different background that played and danced together. It is when you’re uneducated, afraid and narrow minded that your superiority of self begins to form.

As a young adult now, my world view remains fairly similar. All cultures should be accepted and celebrated. Imagine how boring the world would be if we all came from the same culture? We would eat the same food, share the same stories and wear the same thing.

What makes Australia so wonderful is that it is sprinkled with diversity. Once other people realise that this is a blessing and not a burden, the world will be a better place.

Does Wordsworth’s sonnet “The World is too much with us” apply in any measure to the contemporary 21st-century world?

Wordsworth’s The World is too much with us provides us with a glimpse of Wordsworth’s sense of what is wrong with the world, as well as what is wrong with our relationship to the world. Wordsworth articulates the fact that we are so consumed with our material realities that we fail to see how rich and beautiful the world around us is. We have lost that inextricable connection with nature by pining for things that do not touch our inner soul.

Wordsworth sonnet The World is too much with us most definitely applies to the 21^st century. Our desire for all things materialistic is greater than ever, and this is heightened by the fact that one can never be satisfied with what they already have.

Human beings are competitive creatures, this is an evolutionary concept. We want the best of everything to increase our chances of survival. However, in the 21^st century, this idea has gotten out of hand. Buying those Christian Louboutin heels or that limited-edition Dior handbag will not increase my chances of survival, however, it will make me happy…temporarily.

In his sonnet, Wordsworth states, “For this, for everything, we are out of tune; It moves us not.” He says to the audience we do not need materialistic things to feel happy, we already have these amazing aspects of the natural world around us. However, we are no longer touched by them. We are so involved with “getting and spending” that nature does not move us anymore.

With the ability to get and spend anywhere at any time, Wordsworth’s sonnet The World is too much with us is more prevalent now in the 21^st century than it has ever been.

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