The Politics Of The Brokenhearted Analysis

As tensions across the world increase, it is important to understand each other and stick together to find a solution to the current and potential fighting around us. In the prelude chapter, “The Politics of the Brokenhearted,” Parker Palmer expresses his ideas on how to deal with the things going on around us with other people. He shares his ideas on how to change the world to anyone who will pick up the book, and he asks that they become more accepting and less fearful of other people to reduce the tension the world faces. Palmer wants his audience to think of people as a connected, alike, and even harmless species if we break down barriers. He expresses these ideas using United States history, personal encounters, and poetry. He accurately inspires readers to become more …show more content…
Palmer convinces the audience that the we must unite to conquer the problems that the world is facing today by being a more connected species emotionally.
Palmer starts his prelude chapter by telling his story of his struggles with aging, and adding other things he views as “dark” such as wars, scandals, and racism. He felt as he aged that his physical abilities were slipping through his fingers, as well as his understanding of modern culture. He fell into a depressed state that he believes must have been influenced by the world stating that “There are times when the heart, like the canary in the coal mine, breathes in the world’s toxicity and begins to die” (Palmer 3). Palmer spiraled into this mental state knowing that the world around him impacted it, such as the the terrorist attacks that recently occured in the United States at this time on September 11, 2001. It was not just a dark time for him, but also for the entire country. The United States acted out of fear at this time in response to the attack according to