After an entire semester of discussing the presence of manipulation in literature and in our lives, I realized that my understanding of manipulation is broad and somewhat foggy. So, I decided to look up the definition on my MacBook's "dictionary" application. According to the app, manipulation is the "control or influence (a person or situation) cleverly, unfairly, or unscrupulously" or, to "alter (data) or present (statistics) so as to mislead." Upon reflection of this definition, I realized the presence of manipulation during my Easter weekend at a friend's house in Connecticut.
For breakfast, my friend's mother cooked omelets with spinach and goat cheese, and for dinner, she prepared a beautiful Easter meal, consisting of scalloped potatoes, green beans, brown rice, buttermilk biscuits, and ham, to name a few. For dessert, we feasted on a bunny-shaped ice cream cake paired with chocolate fondue.
Not to discredit my friend's mom in any way, but I'm almost positive she doesn't prepare these kinds of meals every morning and night. My presence, as well as it being Easter, made Mrs. W control the situation and influence me into thinking that meals were always extravagant and over the top at their home. Unconsciously, Mrs. W influenced the way I thought about her cooking, her as a person, and their family's lifestyle.
For starters, the Easter meal your friend's mom prepared sounds AMAZING! Next, I agree with you that Easter, among other holidays are very often manipulated. I spoke about the manipulation of the religious aspect of Easter, creating a social construction of Easter surrounded by chocolate, eggs, and bunnies. I did not however think about the way in which families manipulate holidays such as Easter. Your post reminded me of the scene in the Grinch, in which two of the Whos' are competing with each other for the biggest, brightest, and best christmas lights in town. Like your friends mom, the Whos' attempt to influence the way people view them and their lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteGoing off of Meg's discussion of how she felt manipulated by religious holidays, I personally feel that this manipulation has changed entirely the way we perceive these events. I personally do not practice religion or have a deep sense of faith but I do celebrate all of the Christian holidays. I even find myself time after time asking my roommate and known Jewish friends how their Christmas or Easter was. Not because I am unthoughtful or forgetful but rather because I have forgotten the association of religion with these holidays entirely because of my experience with them. All of the traditions that my family repeat year to year on these days have little to nothing to do with what the day is intended for, a result of the manipulation of society that these are days for buying gifts or stuffing eggs full of overpriced candy. Wherever these "norms" began along the way, these holidays have for many people, been manipulated into events intensely distorted from their actual purpose.
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