Elizabeth II (post 3)

The third section of Monarch: The Life and Reign of Elizabeth II focuses on her growth from a child to a young adult. At the beginning of the section, her father has just been crowned George VI, making her next in line for the crown. Her education is begun under Sir Henry Marten, who taught her history and government most of all. Her textbooks contain notes in the margins on how to rule (even if her powers are mostly ceremonial) effectively. She wrote, "If the King had a strong will, and a good capacity for business, he ruled the witan [an early form of Parliament]; if not, the witan was the prevailing power in the State" (117). She also, however, recognized that the monarchs did not have much power in the modern world, and the era before elected ministers was noted as "The days before responsible government" (117). She chose to rule responsibly and sensibly, putting her people before herself. This was in contrast to her uncle's reign, which was dominated by a powerful and overdone sense of progress and a decision to abdicate for personal reasons. Elizabeth would argue that no personal reason is a good enough excuse.
Elizabeth continues to grow older, and she makes her debut as a public figure. Most of her work was charity- related, though she did take an Army class in auto mechanics to help the war effort. She met, and fell in love with at age 13, her third cousin Philip, whom she would marry. Another burst of character shows through the cloud of public facade in her response to her former governess, who wanted to publish a tell-all series of articles for the Ladies' HOme Journal. When Princess Elizabeth asked her not to give information to any journalists, she softened the blow by offering her former governess another job. She chooses gentle firmness over her sister Margaret's disdain. Elizabeth's first two children, Prince Charles and Princess Anne, are born. For all her public kindness, Elizabeth does not seem to have been a particularly maternal figure. She left her young son and newborn daughter with their grandparents for Christmas in 1950, as she had done to Charles in 1949. However, when her father died in 1952, she stayed in England to prepare for her new role as sovereign.

Traitor or Whistle-blower?

The difference between a treasonous act and an act that will benefit society does not have a textbook answer. The film On the Waterfront explores that divide. Terry, a character in the movie who does not work for the tyrannical mob but is friendly with them, must decide whether to testify against the mob for the death of a boy who was pushed off the roof. While he is trying to decide, many people give him advice on how to act. His brother Charlie is part of the mob and believes that Terry's first duty is to his friends. By friends, he means the mob. Charlie thinks that you are ratting on your friends when you testify against them. On the other hand, the local priest knows that what the mob does is wrong and encourages Terry to testify against them. He knows that silence will not help the workers who cannot earn decent wages because of the mob, and so the mob needs to be taken down. The priest thinks that you are not committing treason when you are acting against your friends and family for the greater good of the society. In the end, Terry decides that he must end the injustice even if he might have to sacrifice himself to do so.
I believe that a traitor is only someone who does something for selfish reasons. If they are doing it for the greater good of the society, then it is excusable. Even if you are selling out on your friends, if it will drastically improve the community's well-being then it is alright. For example, if you have a friend that you know has been stealing iPods, then it would be much better to turn them in and keep them from continuing t0 anger those who they have stolen from and progressing to worse thefts. You are genuinely helping society. However, if you simply want to see you friend get into trouble, then you are ratting your friend out.

Family or Society?

In the novel All My Sons by Arthur Miller, many characters are faced with the choice of putting family or society first. The most obvious example of a character who places family over society is Joe Keller, who ships out faulty airplane parts instead of losing his contract with the Air Force. He says to his son, "The paper, it was all over the front page, twenty-one went down, it was too late.... Chris, I did it for you, it was a chance and I took it for you" (70). Joe wants to pass his business down to his son, and he uses that as a justification for causing the deaths of 21 pilots flying in airplanes with his faulty parts in them. Joe feels like this is a reasonable excuse, because he simply wants his son to have a better life than he did what parent could be blamed for that? Chris, on the other hand, feels much differently. He resents his father's actions and does not want a business that came at the expense of 21 lives. Chris rages, "What is that, the world-- the business? What the hell do you mean, you did it for me? Don't you have a country? Don't you live in the world? What the hell are you? You're not even an animal, no animal kills his own, what are you?" (70). Chris fought in the war and he knows how devastating 21 deaths can be, so he feels like a better life for him is by no means a justification for the lives that ended.
Personally, I feel that there are very few instances when family can be placed before society. In little matters, it may be all right, such as choosing to open the door for your grandmother rather than the other little old lady. However, it is also important to remember that every statistic, every stranger, and every person in the world has someone who cares about them, just like you do. If a family member and a stranger were trapped on a sinking ship, and you only had room in the lifeboat for one, then the stranger's family would feel just as much grief for the loss of their loved one as you would for your relative. This conundrum also causes many debated issues in modern politics, with questions such as: Higher taxes or fewer programs for the poor? Should senior citizens have to pay taxes for the school system? and whether or not day care should be provided by the government. Even if it may prevent your family from going on your annual vacation, remember that someone who is in need would be grateful for the sacrifice you have made. I believe that society should be placed before family in most circumstances, and this will help everyone live a better life.

Miller, Arthur. All My Sons. New York: Penguin, 2000.