Narrative # 1

Henry Petersen

October 27, 2010

English 100O

Part A:

In Cynthia Selfe’s essay about our world and the influence of technology over our “Tribes”, she explains how peace and cooperation must be met. In the portion of the essay titled “The Global Village and The Electronic Colony”, she first explains the need to cooperate and live as one tribe. Just to get a sense of where she is coming from. Selfe further states that Americans would be asked to relinquish their current status in the world today. This is involving all Americans to give up every prejudice they have towards anyone. No one has a particular level in the world, and everyone is equal. This idea has such been attempted many times, but in most cases has lead to no one being in agreement over anything. The tribes that we are to live in would all have the same opinion due to our fear of the technological advances in our world. As Selfe puts it, Americans have the experience to live as a single tribe, and everyone can connect with each other. Without their being any prejudices towards one another. Since America has the power of travel at the flick of a wrist, we can simply go out and tour the world. Or join the Peace Corps and explore while helping other people.

In the first advertisement a man is pictured in traditional clothes worn in his tribe. And the phrase above him says “For the world to have a future we must work together as one tribe.” The man has an expression on confusion, and in the article Selfe claims that he is “Wondering”. (Par. 22) Showing off his primitivism to the world, but is telling all Americans that we must be one tribe. Selfe then completely makes a huge leap to another point of her argument, and tells us how we can just sit in our comfortable living rooms away from the primitives. “… acquire knowledge of – other cultures , while remaining comfortably situated within their own living rooms…” (Par. 23) So in a way she went from telling her audience that in order to live properly we must connect with the world around us. To saying that should all just sit in our livings rooms and watch the tube like we have been doing for the last few decades. Not only is Selfe claiming that we must live as a tribe, Virgin Mobile is just as big a part of it as Selfe is. Making “One Tribe and One World”. (Par. 23) Selfe continues on to say that Virgin Mobile has their headquarters in Britain, but has American Taste. Is this not forming one tribe with the people of Britain?

The advertisement on page 299 shows a woman breast feeding a baby and a monkey? This is strange, but that’s what gets the attention of someone surfing the net, and finding something their not looking for. The dollar sign will attract the people interested in money and the monkey suckling on the teat of the native woman will attract attention and cause people to click on this link.

The advertisements interpreted by Selfe are ones that are made to show other countries and people what America is capable of. That we can help. Our technology today is used in ways that weren’t even imaginable 20 years ago. Now we can make pictures of run down churches and take pictures of thirsty South Africans. Good Job America.

Part B:

Americans are portrayed as lazy, ignorant, and selfish. This can’t be argued too much but it can be said in a different way that may make sense to other people in the world. “… Americans use technology to become world travelers, to learn about - and acquire knowledge of – other cultures, while remaining comfortably situated within their own living room…” Not only have Americans turned into explorers, but are now receiving knowledge from their own living rooms. However the only knowledge that they are acquiring is that of which they see on their televisions. What the crew that made the video wants their viewers to see. To truly gain knowledge, the people who want to learn of our cultural differences must first break the habit of sitting in the chair. To making a trip to The Amazon, and seeing first hand what truly happens their. That way they can find out why the monkey sucks on that woman’s teat. Or just how, and why the people outside of the United States live. The only way to true knowledge is experience.