Bonjour, bonsoir :D

Bon, j'imagine que vous ne traiterez peut-être pas les mêmes sujets que j'ai pu traiter dans mes oraux. Cependant, je tiens à vous faire part d'un petit peu d'aide sur la méthodologie de réalisation des oraux :)

This year in class, we talked about the notion “The idea of progress”. It can be defined as a technical, scientific or social development, an improvement or a change which contributes to making the world a better place. We illustrated these ideas with the example of consumerism and its alternatives. Consumerism concerns people who spend a lot of money on goods and services, attaching a materialistic value on things. The problem is obviously overconsumption and the excesses of our society. How can people change their consuming habits? First, we’ll introduce consumerism and the different ways of consuming, and then we’ll propose three alternatives to it.

I. Consumption and consumerism

Nowadays, the ways of consuming are no longer restricted: you can go to a supermarket or a mall but you can also buy online and be delivered directly at home. First, there’s a difference between consumption, which is the act of consuming; and consumerism which is an attachment to materialistic values or possessions. People addicted to that kind of consumption are called “shopaholics”. The King of Prussia Mall is the largest shopping mall in the US with more than 2 million square feet, and 400 shops. Every year, on the Friday following Thanksgiving, America celebrates “Black Friday”, what Jarod Kintz called the «religious day of consumerism”, the busiest shopping day in the USA which marks the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. What’s good is that there are a lot of sales. The following Monday, the Internet also gets its biggest shopping day called “Mega Monday”. At the beginning of the 20th century Will Rogers highlighted how consumerism had generated into a consumer society, saying that “Too many people spend money they haven’t earned to buy things they don’t want, to impress people they don’t like”. More and more people become addicted and suffer from this "over-consumption", which can be dangerous. Indeed, in such events, accidents happen: people are trampled, injured, and we can notice verbal violence due to the hysteria generated.

Transition As Vicki Robin said, it seems that “We no longer live life. We consume it”. Shopping habits have changed over time, causing many excesses to which we must find cures.

II. Limits & Alternatives

There’s an international non-violent day to protest against consumerism in opposition to Black Friday, criticizing materialism and the unquenchable dissatisfaction of society: It is called “Buy Nothing Day”. In North America it is held during the exact day of Black Friday, and elsewhere, the following day. Actually, the developed countries representing only 20% of the world population are consuming over 80% of the earth's natural resources, causing a disproportionate level of environmental damage, and an unfair distribution of wealth. Fortunately, consumerism has found its solutions. First, bartering: when money is scarce, swapping your goods for others saves it and makes you feel more responsible because you throw away less which is more ecological. However, people can cheat and make false promises. Then, fair trade. Buying at fair prices quality products, you’re respecting the environment because there’re neither GMOs nor hazardous chemicals; you’re helping farmers and workers get a fair deal and not be exploited, and the funds are invested in community development. Little people doing little things in little places everywhere can definitely change the world. Finally, freeganism, which is the practice of collecting and eating discarded food. Buying as little as possible, a freegan reduces waste and protects the environment, minimizing dependence on what is termed the “conventional economy”. One man’s trash is another man’s dinner.

To conclude, I would say that the development of large shopping malls, advertisements and the Internet contributes to creating a consumer and materialistic society. Fortunately, people can change their shopping habits considering alternatives for a more respectful approach to consumption. The Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not for anybody’s greed.

This year in class, we talked about the notion "Myths and heroes". A myth can be a popular belief or tradition, but also someone mythological or legendary often improved by the collective memory. A hero is known thanks to his achievements and his noble qualities, and keeps inspiring the world. We illustrated these ideas with the example of Diana, Princess of Wales, who was born in 1961 and died tragically in 1997 in a car crash. She didn't see herself as being queen of England, actually she wanted to be a queen of people's hearts. So it seems fair to ask ourselves: did she achieve her goal? To answer, we'll divide her story into two parts: first when she was alive, a hero in people's eyes ; and then after her passing, her legacy lives on.

I. A hero in people's eyes

Diana was often called Princess Diana by the media and the public, but she did not enjoy such a title. She always had a strong head on her shoulders, trying to not let various things get her down. She spoke with surprising truthfulness about her own personal struggles with bulimia and suicide: she was a role model of openness and honesty. She used her media popularity to bring attention to the needs of the forgotten and needy of the world, trying to seek a symbol in everyone's life. She was one of the first very high profile people to be pictured touching those troubled with AIDS; this had a significant impact in changing people's opinions and attitudes to this disease. She was something of a rebel, because actually this charity was not following the practice and tradition of the Royal Family. The patients loved when Diana visited them: she was their guardian angel and hero because she understood their suffering, with heartfelt sympathy. Moreover, she provided her name to the campaign to ban landmines. She visited survivors in hospitals, launched de-mining projects and attended mine awareness educations classes. She spoke up for those whose everyday lives were and are ruined by landmines, especially children. She also went forth with a campaign on Palliative care: an affordable approach to caring for people who are facing problems associated with life limiting illnesses. It's a way of allowing people to die with dignity, and supporting the families.

Transition In her life, Diana supported more than 100 charities. Unfortunately, she died on the 31st of August of 1997 in a horrific car crash in a Paris tunnel. Diana's death dominated every hour, every second of the news. The world stayed stunned. Almost 18 years after a passing, her legacy lives on.

II. Diana's legacy lives on

She wasn't a movie actor or a singer, so her "image" has faded a bit. But her greatest legacy lives on though her two boys, who have turned out very well. Prince Harry gave a speech in tribute to her: she was their guardian, their friend, their protector, and quite simply the best mother in the world, who will always be remembered for her amazing public work. He founded his charity Sentebale, meaning "forget me not", in honour of his mother, with the aim of helping the children of the African country. As for William, the future King has taken on his mother’s role in countless good causes, as well as her hands-on approach to raising his children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte. Actually, after her death, many donations have been made to the "Diana Memorial Fund" for her favourite charities, and she also received many awards for her good deeds, an official legacy to her belief in the power of young people to change the world and to make a difference in the lives of others, with social action and contributions to communities. She was, and still is a truly inspirational and unique human being. In death, she also helped to modernise the monarchy, forcing it to take more notice of public opinion. She showed the royals how to connect with ordinary people.

To conclude, Princess Diana is a hero. Universally loved, she used her position of power and fame to give hope and comfort to those whom society too frequently forgets. She will be remembered as a woman who was at once supremely royal and at the same time incredibly human. To the millions who followed her charitable work, she was most certainly the "Queen of our Hearts".

This year in class, we talked about the notion “seats and forms of power”, both a source of political, social and personal integration and a source of tensions and conflicts. We illustrated these ideas with the example of the gun issue in America: guns are rooted in the culture of the country, but this is a problem still debated today between gun control and gun rights activists. It seems fair to ask ourselves if gun control is now a challenge for America. First, we’ll see how America grew up with guns, and then we’ll see how the debate has been relaunched.

I. America grew up with guns

In the USA, the right to carry arms is written in the Constitution, more precisely in the Bill of Rights. It comes from the time when the US had just achieved independence and there was no real army to defend the country. It strictly says “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed”. Since then, a majority of the population and organizations such as the NRA have considered this as an inalienable right and have consequently been opposed to any kind of gun legislation. This is how America grew up with guns, and that’s why the gun culture is deeply rooted in the mentalities and so is the idea of self defense in case of danger. For example, we find this theme in works of fiction such as "The Life Before Her Eyes" (a scary story in which a boy brought a gun to school to kill everyone), reinforced by many iconic figures like John Wayne or Clint Eastwood. But the problem is that it is way too easy to purchase a gun. In some states (for example in Colorado), you just need to be over 18 and have a clean criminal record and you don’t even have to register your gun with the administration. Your weapon must be concealed, except if you have a concealed weapons permit. Rifles, shotguns and all kinds of weapons are easy available anywhere, as well as ammunition.

Transition Gun-rights activists argue that it acts as a deterrent against crime but sometimes the guns can fall into the wrong hands and be used by criminals or deranged people to shoot at random and cause horrendous bloodshed.

II. A debate relaunched

Slaughters have affected many schools and cities such as Columbine in Colorado earlier in 1999, where 2 students, rejected by their classmates, decided to take revenge by putting a bomb in the cafeteria (but it did not work) and killing several people fleeing from school, before committing suicide. The President of the US at the time, Bill Clinton, responded to this tragedy addressing the nation: children and adults need to understand that conflicts must be resolved with words, not weapons, and maybe now America will wake up and prevent such things from happening in the future. Despite this, another shooting in 2012 at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut relaunched the debate. And again another in 2014 in Seattle which caused two dead and four hurt. The shooter, a freshman, was apparently in a fight because of a girl and died on the crime scene. In one year, guns murdered almost 10 000 people in the US. God bless America. And the NRA keeps promoting this, saying that “guns don’t kill people, people kill people”. Moreover today we see posters in which children are asking Santa for weapons. We prohibit tales to keep them safe, and not firearms. What is “safety”, then? Gun control is not about weapons, it’s about control. Where you have the most armed citizens in America, you have the lowest violent crime rate. Where you have the worst gun control, you have the highest crime rate. I would end with a quote from Eliot Spitzer: "Yes, people pull the trigger - but guns are the instrument of death. Gun control is necessary, and delay means more death and horror."

To conclude, we have seen that carrying weapons is a dilemma for America between security and risk. Weapons save and take lives, and from my point of view, today a real army is there to protect citizens. Among the controversial opinions, the country has to find a proper balance: gun control is now a real challenge.

This year in class, we talked about the notion spaces and exchanges that deals with the geographical and symbolic areas that all societies occupy and the interactions between them. We illustrated these ideas with the example of the US which has admitted more than 50 million newcomers, a larger number than in any other country in History. Most people came, and still come today for wealth, land and freedom. The immigrants faced many hardships during this period, but was it worth it? We’ll see how the arrival in America can be the gateway to success but also a symbol of chaos and suffering.

I. The arrival in America: the gateway to success…

Mainly since the 19th century, new immigrants came from all corners of the world, for a lot of reasons such as: the industrial revolution, unemployment, the potato famine (Ireland), poverty, conflicts (Korea & Hungary), or the pogroms in Russia. In fact, they were all going first to New York harbor. After a quick exam, the wealthiest were quickly accepted as new American citizens because they had money to take care of themselves, so they wouldn’t become a public charge. The others were taken to Ellis Island where 5.000 passengers arrived each day: that was their last hope. This is the case of Jacob, who left Russia because of the pogroms: sent back, he would be killed. Fortunately, he was accepted. But some immigrants didn’t pass through immigration stations – they arrived illegally. Such as for example Ana and another former immigrant. Ana trudged across the border to arrive in America, where she climbed through the ranks from a laundry woman, to a maid and to a success broker for illegal cleaning women. She earns an excellent living, but now she cannot return home: she left her family behind her, and they regret her departure. Concerning the former immigrant, he arrived in America with only $63 dollars in his pocket. He began to work with the same hands that now touch the human brain in one of the world’s most prestigious institutes: he’s now a world-known specialist. All these waves of immigration led to the growth of a nation, which became a symbol of welcome. The most significant example can only be Emma Lazarus’s poem “The New Colossus”, engraved on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. It begins with “Give me your tired, your poor / Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free” and so on.

Transition By leaving their country to go to America, lots of immigrants reached success or simply a better life. But it didn’t go the same way for everyone: in reality, this “dream” was both a symbol of hope and a symbol of chaos and suffering.

II. … but also a symbol of chaos and suffering

The arrival at Ellis Island, after a stormy crossing of the Atlantic crammed together, was not a piece of cake. First, the immigrants had a medical exam focusing on their digits, eyes (the most feared part), hair, limbs and skin. In case of any health problem (mental or physical), a letter was written on their lapel and they were taken to cages to wait for a doctor and for a full exam. Then, they had to pass through the legal examination: for 2 minutes, 29 questions (such as their name, original country, money… etc) were asked by a legal inspector accompanied by a translator. If their answers were not adequate, they were sent to the board of Special Inquiry. Then, they risked being sent home, and some of them were. (The majority passed through without any problems) But immigrants also arrived in the immigration on the west coast on Angel Island where Asian people arrived, harsh conditions were also awaiting them, including hours, days, months or even years of waiting. The Chinese poems carved on the walls reflect the suffering and despair experienced. They all talk about sadness, loneliness, sorrow, prison: the people were left out, and they were afraid of being sent back (like Jacob), for all the reasons mentioned earlier. Unfortunately, some of them had to go back to their country but luckily others were accepted. But as I said, if immigration was legal, some also entered and still enter the country illegally (as did Ana and the brain surgeon I talked about). We can mention Arizona, which is America’s new border flashpoint. No State has more arrests for illegal immigration, or more crossing deaths or political battles over this. There’s even a group of US citizens called “The Minutemen” conducting a patrol of this border. However, some people managed to cross the border. Tony Lincoln was one of them. His father came a little bit before to get money and pay for the crossing of his family, but one day he got in trouble and he was deported by the authorities. He will never see his father again, and he doesn’t have the rights he should have because of his status. But he is not the only one: these immigrants share a similar story, and today the families torn apart are countless. In spite of this, “America was and is the immigrant’s dream”, as the American novelist Don DeLillo said.

To conclude, we have seen that a lot of immigrants got a better and successful life, while others were rejected, oppressed or killed. From my point of view, America is indebted to immigration for her prosperity. The America that encouraged immigration profited from it and advanced rapidly in population, culture and arts. And it has changed so many lives, despite all the families who have been torn apart. Everything has a price, after all. So honestly, I think the immigrants hardships were worth it.