Review: A Language Older Than Words

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses Derrick Jensen's book about the extreme abuse his father inflicted upon Jensen and his family when he was a child. The paper explains that Jensen's book, "A Language Older Than Words", begins with the author's reflection of the horrifying events in his childhood and that Jensen then uses these events to reflect on society. According to this paper, Jensen's message is that society, much like his family did during their years of abuse, tends to pretend that horrible events that are taking place are not really happening.

From the Paper:

""A Language Older Than Words" begins with the author's reflection of horrifying events in his childhood. While this subject matter might be sufficient enough to discuss throughout the pages, Derrick Jensen uses these events to reflect on society. Jensen's father was an extreme abuser of his entire family. Yet, Jensen explores the reasons for this in his focus on the modern social order. Jensen contends that his mother and siblings learned throughout their lives with Jensen's father to pretend that the beatings, fear and rape did not occur. Individuals in society often react identically to the world. A woman is raped, a neighbor family lives in poverty, or one society mutilates its own - these are all instances in which the world pretends events do not occur. Jensen discusses the fact that people know of these issues, but to discuss them is taboo. Like the individuals in Jensen's..."

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