Can Change
Everything
Author: Aulia Priangan
Introduction:
In this paper, I
will discuss Howard Zinn’s article which has title “Speaking Truth to Power with Books.” Howard Zinn is a historian
from America who well known as brave writer that against his country through
his famous book, A People’s History of
the United State. Zinn’s article tells about the tremendous power of book
which can change everything, like mindset of reader, policy even history. He
also writes that the writer must provide facts to the readers. In particular,
he said that books which we read influence our life, both in society and have a
nation life. After summarizingZinn’s main point, I shall be claiming that books
which we read have big power in this world and it is a great instrument to change the world.However,
I shall show that Zinn’s
article neglect something.
Summary:
There are
several basic points that Zinn wrote on his article which has title “Speaking Truth to Power with Books”.
First, in the beginning of article Zinn wrote that every book which had written
and will be writing has purpose. One of the common purposes is persuade the
reader to follow the writer’s idea. The writer’s idea usually changes the
reader consciousness and then affecting
to the reader’s whole life. In other words, books which we read can change our consciousness
about something. In this article, Zinn take an example from his experience of
reading books. At the time when World War II occurred, Zinnwas a bombardier in
the Air Force and did not know anything about the effect that resulting from
bombs which was dropped from 30.000 feet and did not understand what he had
done. After war was over, Zinn felt guilty and immediately read John Hersey’s
book, Hiroshima. Reading Hersey’s book
changeshis consciousness about what he had done and understood what he should
do after that. After that, Zinn resign from bombardier.
Second,Zinn shows
to the reader of his article that books can change everything. As Zinn wrote in
his article “And if a book changes
somebody’s life by changing somebody’s consciousness, it is going to have an
effect on the world, in one way or the other, sooner or later, in ways that you
probably cannot trace.” Third, Zinn wrote in his article that facts are
crucial thing that should present by the writer. Facts are something needed by
the reader. Fourth, Zinn tells about the facts of Christopher Columbus, person
who deemed to be a hero or discoverer of America continent. He said that
Columbus is not person who discovered America and Zinn also said in his article
that Columbus was a murderer, a torturer, a kidnapper, a mutilator of native
people, a hypocrite and a greedy man looking for gold. In conlcution, Zinn’s
article tells about those four basic points in whole article.
Main
Body:
In
this section, I will show you that Zinn neglect something in his article.
First, Zinn did not tell the tremendous power of book wholly in his article
even though the title is speaking truth to the power with books. The title of
Zinn’s article is a phrase. It is the expression that
refers to speaking what one believes to be true, especially something that
might offend or criticize those in authority with the power to retaliate, in
spite of the negative consequences that might
result. An alternative to speaking truth to power would be to keep quiet or to
say only nice things in order to avoid (unjust) punishment by the people in
power (fluetli.com). However, he
just wrote about his experiences of reading book and the effect from that activity which change his consciousness.
In his article, Zinn did not mention the big event which occurredbecause book.
For instance, he did not mention clearly that books can change policy, like happened
in Voltaire’s
periode when he criticized the establishment
of the status quo through his writing
before France became a republic. In addition, Zinn is a historian and he is
habitual with everything that has similarity with history. So, in writer
opinion, include an example from big events
that occured caused by book will add evident and his statement becomes strong.
Second point that neglected by Zinn
is there is no source in his article that tell the readers from where Zinn gets
those information. Source in article has function to create complete meaning
through intertextuality which done by the readers to get the whole meaning.
Equal important, source also prove the validity of information that provided by
the writer. Besides that, source is something crucial when we write academic
writing.
Third point that neglected in Zinn’s
article is about the facts about Christopher
Columbus. Zinn said in his article that he wrote a book which tells the facts
about Christopher Columbus. The title of that book is A People’s History of the United State. In that book, Zinn wrote
that Columbus, person
who deemed to be a hero or discoverer of America continent, is not the first
person who came and discover America continent. He said that Skandinavua
people’s (Viking) came to the America continent in 11th of century
and then builtL’Anse aux Meadow colony.
Zinn
perhaps forget about the Muslim explorer or did not want to write that in his book and article. The Muslim
explorer had found America 603 years before Christopher Columbus came to
America. Literature which explains that Muslim explorer had come to America
before Christopher Columbus, obiter, the historian and geographer Abul Hassan
Ali Ibn al-Hussain al-Masudi (871-957 AC). Al-Masdudi wrote in his book
Adh-DhahabwaMurujMaad al-jawhar (The Meadows of Gold and Quarries of Jewels)
that KhaskhasIbnSa’iedIbnAswad, a Muslim explorer from Cordova, Spain,
succeeded in reach the America continent in the 889 AC. The most popular
literature is essay Dr. Yossef Mroueh in Prepatory Committee for International Festivalsto Celebrate the Millennium
of the Muslims Arrival to the Americain 1996. In essay entitled Precolumbian Muslimsin
America (Pre ColumbusMuslims
inAmerica), Dr. Mroueh shows the
fact that a number of Muslims from Andalusia and West Africa arrived in the
Americas at least five centuries before Columbus.
Additionally, Zinn also forget about
the map that Columbus used to find the New World. The evident
claims that Chinese admiral mapped the Western Hemisphere (Western
Hemisphere) more than70years before Columbus,
is one of the claims published author Gavin Menzies. Menzies
believes that Cheng Ho is person who discovers America.
Finally,
we know that Zinn’s article still neglect something that has effect to the
readers. Some crucial thing that neglect from his article is source and evident
about information that he got. Zinn’s also neglect to write or mention Muslim
explorer in his text, both in article even in his famous book, A People’s History of United State.
Conclusion:
In this review I have discussed Zinn’s article which has
title “Speaking Truth to Power with Books”. Zinn article covers several points, the first is every
book which written have purpose to persuade the readers to follow the writer’s
idea. Second, book can change everything. Third, facts are crucial things that
must give to the readers. I have argued that he is right that book which is written has purpose because the writer itself
creates a book with their own purpose. Books also can change everything, our
consciousness, policy even history likewise Zinn did by published A People’s History of the United State
to change people’s consciousness about Christopher Columbus whom perceive as
the hero or discoverer of America. However, Zinn’sarticle still neglects
something
and he did not give source of
informations. Besides that, Zinn’s article also did
not mention the great event that occurred because the effect of book.
Furthermore, Zinn seems like forget about the facts that he would give to the
readers. He perhaps forgets to write that Muslim explorer is the first person
who discovered America.
In conclusion, books have tremendous power to change
everything. It can change reader’s mindset that will effect to reader’s life.
In the end of this journey, books will change the world. The books become a
great instrument to change world.
Refference:
Zinn, Howard. Speaking Truth to Power with
Books. Blackwell
Publishing Ltd.
Zinn,
Howard. (1980). A People’s History of The
United States. United States: Harper & Row; HarperCollinshttp://fluentli.com/questions/what-s-the-meaning-of-this-phrase-speak-truth-to-powerAccessed on : 21/03/2014
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