World Literature Paper: Understanding Violence and Purpose in Lorca's "Blood Wedding".

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Henry

Triniti Henry

IB English III, Period 1

Mrs. Harrington

1/1/13

Understanding Violence and Purpose

In generational society, violence is seen as the common thread that both tears people apart and holds them together.  Citizens of the United States of America uniquely have the freedom of speech, press, and the pursuit of happiness.  However, when one thinks of the pursuit of happiness, are wars, discrimination, and violence in general a part of that true happiness that should be pursued?  The main goal of wars and discrimination is to take ownership of something not made to be owned whether it is land, a person, and/or a person’s goods.  The pursuit of happiness is finding one’s own purpose in life, not taking someone else’s.  Because of this, the true origin of violence is the action of not understanding one’s true purpose and the purpose of others.  To find a purpose in life that unconsciously liberates others should be the true goal of humankind.  This is exactly what the poet Federico Garcia Lorca did in his work of Blood Wedding and many other pieces of Spanish literature.  Lorca was able to look past the violence and discrimination he faced in society and write literature that caused people to think differently in order to find their own purpose.

        Federico Garcia was unfortunately born during a time when Fascism was developing and was fully established in Spain by the 1930’s.  His people were naïve to the fact that they could let go of the past fascist ways and open their minds to new possibilities.  Because of this, the fascists in his society discriminated on his different period of view as a homosexual.  This Spanish society wanted nationalism and equality but were clearly not aware that by wanting everyone to be the same, society was causing sorrow and mourning in the citizens that wanted to spread their ideas and imagination.  This was why Lorca became an elegiac poet.  He expressed his sorrow and mourning through his writing, therefore, he could still express to words what he could not say aloud.  Through his writing, Lorca demonstrated themes of:  violence and love.  Through his writing, Lorca demonstrated his true self.  One of the most static characters of Blood Wedding was the mother of the bridegroom who represented Spain’s closed mindedness by refused to forgive the deeds of old conflicts between the two families of the bride and bridegroom.  Although it seemed that the purpose of the marriage between the bride and bridegroom was to mend the old wound of the past, the power of the conflict controlled their happiness because it was impossible for the marriage to be successful unless the older generation was willing to put aside their vendetta.  Similar to the old society of Spain and the present society of the United States, people must learn to forgive and put aside old wounds to make room the youth of society to flourish their true selves.  

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Lorca established his true self by following his own path in the life he was born in.  Although he had conflictions, he followed his dream through to the end that was unfortunately his murder.  From this point of view, a reader can compare Lorca with the bridegroom and contrast him with the bride of Blood Wedding.  In comparing Lorca and the bridegroom, readers can see that they both had a passion for an aspect in life and sought to fulfill it at any cost.  Unfortunately, in seeking to fulfill their goals, they both lost their lives at the hands of ...

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