Many fences exist in the world that prevent people from interacting with others. Physical fences on the border between different countries prevent people to migrate to other countries, while virtual fences keep people away from face-to-face conversations. In the essay “Bumping into Mr. Ravioli ”, Adam Gopnik’s daughter has an imaginary friend who is too busy to play with her. He realizes Ravioli, the imaginary friend, is a typical New Yorker who is busy all the time. Ravioli makes Gopnik reflect on how people live a busy life in New York. Busyness becomes the fence that prevents people from face-to-face conversations. In the essay “Fences of Enclosure, Windows of Possibility”, Naomi Klein illustrates that globalization is a virtual fence because
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Some people think fences protect their own rights, while others think fences contradict their interests. In Klein’s essay, she writes that “But what are reported as menacing confrontations are often joyous events, as much experiments in alternative ways of organizing societies as criticisms of existing models” (Klein 199). The phrase “reported as” implies how the government and authorities label certain activities as unjustified ones. In this case, the social gathering or protests are not like those extremely radical “menacing confrontations”, because the protesters represent positive beliefs. People protest in response to the fences and barriers that government creates. The purpose, from their own perspectives, as well as Klein’s, is to promote beneficial changes and fresh air to the political situation. However, in the eyes of the authorities who have to deal with the protests, the people from the “joyous events” are just a bunch of radicals looking to overturn the government. The different perspectives show a variety of ideas of one single thing. Getting to know each one of them will change how people see the world as well as themselves. Gopnik also mentions similar kinds of stories involving different perspectives. He finds that his daughter, Olivia, has an imaginary friend called Ravioli who is busy all the time. Imaginary friends are supposed to play with the creator all the time, but Ravioli is so busy that he has no time to stay and play with Olivia. As the day goes on, Gopnik realizes that “Ravioli was a romantic figure of the big exotic life that went outside her little limited life of parks and playgrounds”(154). Imaginary friends are formed based on their creator’s understanding of the society and how individuals act in it. They possess the most common characteristics of people in the real world. Thus, Olivia realizes the people in this city are busy with their jobs and
Some people think fences protect their own rights, while others think fences contradict their interests. In Klein’s essay, she writes that “But what are reported as menacing confrontations are often joyous events, as much experiments in alternative ways of organizing societies as criticisms of existing models” (Klein 199). The phrase “reported as” implies how the government and authorities label certain activities as unjustified ones. In this case, the social gathering or protests are not like those extremely radical “menacing confrontations”, because the protesters represent positive beliefs. People protest in response to the fences and barriers that government creates. The purpose, from their own perspectives, as well as Klein’s, is to promote beneficial changes and fresh air to the political situation. However, in the eyes of the authorities who have to deal with the protests, the people from the “joyous events” are just a bunch of radicals looking to overturn the government. The different perspectives show a variety of ideas of one single thing. Getting to know each one of them will change how people see the world as well as themselves. Gopnik also mentions similar kinds of stories involving different perspectives. He finds that his daughter, Olivia, has an imaginary friend called Ravioli who is busy all the time. Imaginary friends are supposed to play with the creator all the time, but Ravioli is so busy that he has no time to stay and play with Olivia. As the day goes on, Gopnik realizes that “Ravioli was a romantic figure of the big exotic life that went outside her little limited life of parks and playgrounds”(154). Imaginary friends are formed based on their creator’s understanding of the society and how individuals act in it. They possess the most common characteristics of people in the real world. Thus, Olivia realizes the people in this city are busy with their jobs and