Gandhi Experiments with Truth Feb. 17

Bellwrite #50: Help us write our class devotional by reflecting on the following. What have been the most important principles/stories from what you have learned in core this year? Please consider these unit topics:

• The Chosen
• Red Scarf Girl
• Man's Search for Meaning
• Screwtape Letters
• State of the World (current events)
• Middle East
• Cold War
• World Wars I & II

We discussed together some ideas for our class devotional (March 5).

We also discussed the following questions from the movie Gandhi. I have included some notes to help those students who were absent today.


1) What were the long-term consequences of British imperialism for India?We considered the economic, religious, political, psychological, educational, technological, and social consequences of imperialism. A few ideas:

• Before the British, Indians were self-sufficient. However, when the British demanded Indian farmers grow cash crops (such as indigo), Indians lost their ability to feed themselves. When the demand for cash crops disappeared, the British still demanded payment of rents for the farmlands, driving rural India into poverty. (We noted that part of the explanation for economic disparity in the world can be traced to imperialism.)
• Indians saw themselves as culturally inferior to westerners, as evidenced by the desire for young ambitious Indians to imitate the West in fashion and educational trends.
• Britain intentionally fostered divisions within India to make it easier to keep subservient; when the British withdrew it created a power vacuum that was filled by these competing factions. The creation of Pakistan is evidence of this pattern.
• Please note, not all consequences of imperialism were negative. For example, Britain left behind technological and educational infrastructure which blessed India. Likewise, the English language was a result of cultural borrowing which has allowed India to be a rising player in the world economy.

2) Explain Gandhi's methods of resistance. What were they are why were they effective?

• As you think about this question, please consider the following:
• Why it was essential that Gandhi involved the media in his campaigns.
• How did his methods make injustice and brutality visible?
• Why were his methods NOT passive?
• Why did he want Britain to leave of their own will and to depart as friends?
• Why was he able to have such an influence? Why would an entire nation work to save him from starving to death during his fasts? How did he acquire moral authority?
• How did he ennoble Indians to overcome their long-held sense of cultural inferiority to the British?
• Did he work from the inside-out or the outside-in? Explain.
• How did Gandhi respect individuals? How did he create unity?

 

3) Why do you think Gandhi titled his autobiography, My Experiments With Truth?

 

Homework:

Type responses to Gandhi questions (due tomorrow).

Spend at least 20 minutes on the online vocabulary list for Screwtape Letters 19-21.