In "A Day in the Life," by Mike Ngo, Ngo writes about his life as a prisoner. The dismal conditions, the guards who are on some kind of power trip, his guilt and shame as a clerk, and his past mixed the with the pasts of his mother and father.
It brought me back to WMS50 when we talked about the prison industrial complex, which links the relationship between punishment and commerce. Based on this article it is clear that inmates are readily put to work. And it seems like there is some kind of social hierarchy, where clerks are possibly treated more like humans than other inmates.
It was really interesting to read about Ngo's seemingly constant guilt--guilt that he is potentially choosing comfort over fighting his oppressors, or guilt that he is potentially screwing over fellow prisoners. But then he kind of catches himself and cuts himself some slack. I feel like that is something all people in marginalized groups can relate to on some level. Maybe that guilt can manifest itself when you fail to correct a friend for an ignorant thing they said, or maybe for not speaking out for someone when you could have. But you have to pick and choose your battles, and you have to leave room to forgive yourself and grow.
And then at the end where he has a dream where he is his father. That was kind of chilling. I think I have to wait to have some more well-developed thoughts on that though.
Anyway, was it enlightening to read about the day in the life of a prisoner? What do you think about his struggle with guilt and his parents's pasts?
Felicia Peng
Section A01
No comments:
Post a Comment