ipl-logo

Capitalism: A Ghost Story By Arundhati Roy

795 Words4 Pages

Capitalism: A Ghost Story is a controversial book by Arundhati Roy that aims to expose the downside that capitalism has brought to the Indian society. Ms. Roy accuses private corporations of robbing the poor in their quest for wealth, and how the government turned a blind eye when this is going on, as well as their harsh stance on detractors and terrorists. The book is asking whether it is ethical for the government, in order to boost their countries economy, let these private corporations exploit the poor people and their resources. It gives readers an account on some of the activities the Indian government engaged in that are not reported in the mainstream media, particularly on violence by government-funded groups and media censorship, …show more content…

For example, although the book talks about the hunger strike of Anna Hazare and the trial of Afzal Guru, little background information about them is provided. Therefore, it was a bit hard to follow their stories since the book jumped straight to the point. It would be better if the book gave more focus on the other chapters after the first. In addition, the book needed to be more cohesive and make it clear how each chapter relates to the other chapters, and how it ultimately relates to Ms. Roy’s main topic of capitalism, as doing so would allow readers to keep up with the story and give them a better idea of the message she is trying to convey. Many readers, particularly non-Indians such as myself, may struggle to identify with the issues Ms. Roy presented, due to the lack of background information on the events detailed in the book. It is entirely possible that the Indian readers will have a different point-of-view on the events Ms. Roy presents, and without the proper research on the issues of India, readers may struggle to follow and understand the message Ms. Roy is trying to articulate in her book, and the book could fail to resonate with the non-Indian readers and have its message be misinterpreted by

Show More
Related

  • Charles Sellers Capitalism And Democracy

    502 Words  | 3 Pages

    Capitalism and democracy Some historians, such as Charles Sellers and Nancy Cott, label the period following the war of 1812 as a Market Revolution. Whether the historian labels the period as such or not, all agree on the economic, social, and innovative changes and developments that occurred during this era. However, historians disagree on the positive or negative effects that took place because of these changes. Charles Sellers argues that this “Market Revolution,” called so because it introduced capitalism and other drastic changes, served only to strip the small farmers or businesses of any advantages and give it to the large corporations. Or in Jill Lepore’s words, “made the poor poorer; the middle-class smug, pious, and bourgeois;

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Article 'New Capitalism' By James Paul Gee

    785 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Value of Shapeshifting James Paul Gee makes a persuasive argument to educate students, as a facet of literacy, the skill of tailoring their identities, as a valuable tool to prepare them to compete for employment in the “New Capitalism” marketplace (Gee, “New Literacy” 412). He describes this new work environment as a fast pace, short term, project orientated model, where successful employees tailor their professional personas, to make themselves attractive to new project opportunities. Further, he references a study to demonstrate how teenagers from Upper Middle class families seem to be assimilating these key skills from parents who are doctors, lawyers, and other highly paid professionals.

    Read More

  • Capitalism Vs Cold War Essay

    658 Words  | 3 Pages

    A War of Ideas: Capitalism V.S. Communism With tension rising in Berlin, Germany, between Capitalism and Communism, a war of hostility broke out: the Cold War. The Cold War was a war between the western democracy capitalist United States and the totalitarian communist Soviet Union. These two superpowers held the fate of the world in their hands. Tension rose to an unbearable level during the Cold War, almost entering into World War III.

    Read More

  • Socialism And Capitalism In Harrison Bergeron, By Kurt Vonnegut

    1237 Words  | 5 Pages

    “Harrison Bergeron,” written by Kurt Vonnegut at the time of the Cold War, is a short story that takes place in a future world of the year 2081 where the Handicapper General and the law force the beautiful to wear masks, the intelligent to wear earpieces that disrupt their thoughts, and the athletic to wear heavy physical restraints, so that everyone may be equal in the categories of beauty, intelligence, and athleticism; a world where the people “[are] equal in every which way.” (Vonnegut 1) What the many readers of “Harrison Bergeron” seem to misinterpret is that the entire story is an allegory to the political systems of Socialism/Communism and that Vonnegut utilizes symbols in the story that either expose the glaring flaws of left-wing politics or advance the supposedly far-superior ideology of American capitalism. In actuality, Vonnegut’s use of symbols in “Harrison Bergeron,” and the entire story itself is a satire of the common American’s ignorant misunderstandings of left-wing politics at the time of the Cold War. Vonnegut once said at a college commencement speech, “I suggest that you work for a socialist form of government … It isn 't moonbeams to talk of modest plenty for all.

    Read More

  • Chapter Summary: More God Less Crime

    1789 Words  | 8 Pages

    Beginning with the first chapter it stresses how the author

    Read More

  • Alan Turing: The Enigma Summary

    1010 Words  | 5 Pages

    He introduces a few topics properly but goes on and on about them, which also make this book a slow,

    Read More

  • Capitalism By Fred L. Block And The 1619 Project By Nikole Hannah Jones

    484 Words  | 2 Pages

    Capitalism: The Future of An Illusion by Fred L. Block and The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah Jones Capitalism has been the dominant economic system in the world for centuries, and it has been the subject of intense debate regarding its benefits and drawbacks. Fred L. Block's book, Capitalism: The Future of An Illusion, offers a critical analysis of capitalism, arguing that it is not the best economic system for promoting social justice and equality. In contrast, The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah Jones traces the history of the United States back to 1619 and explores how the legacy of slavery and racism has shaped the country and its economic and political systems. One of the main arguments made by Block is that capitalism prioritizes profit

    Read More

  • Summary Of One Vast Winter Count Sparknotes

    648 Words  | 3 Pages

    The approach he uses that moves between Spanish, French, and several Native perspectives leads to repetition which could have been minimized in my opinion. The book's strength is its loyalty to the oral history of indigenous peoples of their own history. Native tribal historians, writers, and elders often shape the sound of the narrative.

    Read More

  • Fahrenheit 451 Rhetorical Analysis

    1051 Words  | 5 Pages

    The novel also makes a unyielding point about the dangers of consumerism, emphasizing how creativity and individualism can be reduced by allowing the government and media to think for them. Perhaps the most important feature of the book is that readers understand the value of imagination and cultural heritage. These points would not be understood or accepted by readers if the novel failed to follow narrative structure, which is undeniably the most important aspect of any literary

    Read More

  • Rise Of Capitalism Essay

    2521 Words  | 11 Pages

    Capitalism is a highly dynamic system which brought immense material wealth to the human society. This essay traces the historical dynamism of capitalism from its minority status to its majority status in term of demand and supply of investment capital. The emergence of capitalism as a mode of production out of pre-capitalist mode of production was fully formed by the mid-nineteenth century (Hobsbawn, Age of Capital: 1848-1875) this in no way implies that it was quantitatively dominant mode of production.

    Read More

  • Socialism Vs Capitalism Essay

    732 Words  | 3 Pages

    Definition of Capitalism What is capitalism? According to Adam Smith, both parties in a capitalist system, the buyer and the seller, act in a voluntary transaction to achieve the outcome that serves their self-interest. However, both parties cannot obtain what they want without delivering the needs of the other. In definition, capitalism is an economic system where properties can be controlled and owned by private sectors to suit their interest, which is to gain profits, while the demand and supply of goods and services set the market prices to serve the interest of the society.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Behind The Beautiful Forevers

    1779 Words  | 8 Pages

    In order to raise awareness of the staggering injustices, oppression and mass poverty that plague many Indian informal settlements (referred to as slum), Katherine Boo’s novel, Behind the Beautiful Forevers, unveils stories of typical life in a Mumbai slum. There are discussions on topics surrounding gender relations, environmental issues, corruption, religion, and class hierarchies, as well as demonstrating India’s level of socioeconomic development. Encompassing this, the following paper will argue that Boo’s novel successfully depicts the mass social inequality within India. With Indian cities amongst the fastest growing economies in South East Asia, it is difficult to see evidence of this in the individual well-being of the vast majority of the nation. With high unemployment rates, the expansion of informal settlements and the neglect of basic human rights, one of India’s megacities, Mumbai, is a good representation of these social divisions.

    Read More

  • Morality In The White Tiger

    1674 Words  | 7 Pages

    In a corrupt society, the line between moral and immoral is blurred. People, especially the poor, have to coexist with corruption while trying to define their own sense of right and wrong. People’s definition of morality can go against society’s expectations when they want to escape from their hardships. While the Indian society in The White Tiger considers murder to be a brutal and immoral action, Balram embraces the murder as the only choice that can help him thrive for

    Read More

  • Karl Marx And Emile Durkheim's Theory Of Capitalism

    846 Words  | 4 Pages

    Capitalism is understood to be the “economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state.” In modern society, capitalism has become the dominant economic system and has become so integrated that it has resulted in a change in the relationships individuals have with other members of society and the materials within society. As a society, we have become alienated from other members of society and the materials that have become necessary to regulate ourselves within it, often materials that we ourselves, play a role in producing. Capitalism has resulted in a re-organization of societies, a more specialized and highly segmented division of labour one which maintains the status quo in society by alienating the individual. Karl Marx and Emile Durkheim theorize on how power is embodied within society and how it affects the individuals of society.

    Read More

  • Social Inequality In The White Tiger

    2011 Words  | 9 Pages

    The novel is somewhat of a memoir of his journey to finding his freedom in India’s modern day capitalist society. The book shows how it can create economic division. In India there are not social classes, there are social

    Read More

More about Capitalism: A Ghost Story By Arundhati Roy

Open Document