Conflict Is Born of Ignorance, Intolerance and Fear- Expository Essay.

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Conflict is born of ignorance, intolerance and fear- Expository essay. Conflict is an unavoidable part of the world we live in. Whether it be a small Family disagreement or a large scale Terrorist attack, strong parallels can usually be drawn back to ideas of ignorance. For example, in Bruce Beresford’s ‘Paradise Roads’, which tells the story of a group of women imprisoned by the Japanese during World War II, we see how conflict initially arose in response to the Westerners ignorant attitudes towards the Japanese. With increased knowledge regarding the strengths and abilities of their opposition, it would have been less likely for Japan to conquer much of the Pacific by successfully entering World War II, as the Western Individuals would have been vigil and prepared for attack. Conflict is consistently fuelled if not originated from ignorance. From the very opening scene of ‘Paradise Roads’ we witness a group of well dressed men, sitting around a table, idly discussing the war, or more specifically, the Japanese’s involvement in the war. They talk about them in a demeaning and scathing manner with one of the men spitting out that the Japanese are only good for “tin toys and cameras”. It is as much of an ignorant comment as an untrue one, which becomes increasingly evident as the film progresses. The Japanese Army targets the most vulnerable, a ship containing women and children. It is a cowardly attack yet it strikes loudly to the men back at home who belittled the Japanese’s ability to fight in the War. Conflict of any scale is usually caused by an individual’s blindness, lack of knowledge or lack of understanding towards a situation or individual. As evident in “Paradise roads”, such ignorance can have dramatic negative effects. Perhaps the world would be a much more peaceful place if everyone made a solid effort to gain knowledge about something before
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