Student Responses

Chapter 8 Response
 The holy work Ishmael was talking about is about how the takers got their food.  They plant crops in large quantities in areas that were once food and/or home to another species.  We kill the insects that eat our food that we are trying to grow for later use.  We kill small rodents for the same reason.  We allow our own food sources (cows, pigs) to eat what we grow, only so that we can eat them later.  No other animal does any such thing.  The plants that they eat are the same plants that other animals eat.  No other animal declares a 20-acre plot to himself or herself.  But, since humans have the technology to do so, they will.  We over breed certain animals just so we can eat them later.  Because of these practices, the human population is growing at a scary rate.  We cannot stop the growth until we can admit that what we are doing is wrong.  And we know that won’t happen.  Mother Culture tells us that what we are doing is ok and we must do this because we need to survive.  The world needs more of overall species diversity (129).  That way we can keep our natural check (131) and balance the life cycle.  This balance is a must if we want humankind to live for a long time.  We may not realize it, but humans are very fragile (129).  One strong virus in enough places around the world and we are gone.  But really, sadly, that is what needs to happen.  Our population is WAY over what is should be to keep that natural balance and if half of us were gone, it would be a good start.  We are the only species growing so rapidly.  We are taking too much land and too many natural resources.  A huge population decrease is what we need, and Mother Nature knows this, and soon enough she will win over Mother Culture. 

Mother Culture
            I think that Mother Culture is reflective of society as a whole-whatever force it is that influences conformity within society.  This is also the force that teaches people that it is wrong to be different and forces beliefs on individuals.  This relates to the story about Kurt and Hans because Hitler plays the role of Mother Culture within Nazi Germany.  Both Hitler and Mother Culture influence people in the same ways and oppress them in the same ways.  Both are accepted by the societies which they dominate.  One idea that shows Mother Culture in society today is that it is a widespread thought that to be successful, you must have a lot of money and power.  Of course, not ever individual in society feels this way, but you must meet these criteria to be viewed as successful by society as a whole.  Those who have overcome this idea and have other criteria for what makes a person successful may be in a way like Hand and Kurt in that they question Mother Culture.  Another example of Mother Culture is seen when people violate norms of society.  Mother culture establishes norms and those who violate these norms are looked down on by society as being deviant.  For example, parents may not like your boyfriend because they think he is a rebel and a bad person just because he has his ears and eyebrow pierced.  This is seen as deviance because body piercings are not fully accepted by society.  They are often associated with misfits and rebels.