Preview

What Is The Theme Of Obedience In Where The Wild Things Are

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
551 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
What Is The Theme Of Obedience In Where The Wild Things Are
Desmond Manderson critically analyses the way in which Sendak’s children’s book ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ illustrates the comprehension of legal obedience, outlining that the understanding of the law demands an ongoing commitment. Initially he sympathises with Max, as him being sent to his room is his first real encounter with the law, which ultimately comes across as a miscarriage of justice – being punished for being a barbarian. Furthermore, Manderson contends that a resolution cannot be found solely on the basis that we should do what our betters tell us. Manderson’s understanding of the text is in opposition with the idea of the writing being a glorification of obedience. The law is not obeyed for the sake of obeying. Manderson presents …show more content…
In a well organised and structured society the law grants us security and safety. We as a collective give up some of our rights and freedoms for the preservation of our lifestyles and communities. Manderson states that living in accordance with the law cannot be reached from following orders from authority for the sake of following them. There has to be an understanding and love of the law; not for the laws to function, but for us to accept them and live with them. An example is the heavy surveillance placed upon us within social media and on the internet. Though some may believe that this is a breach of our privacy it has prevented crimes and acts in violation of the law on countless occasions, thus, preserving our society and upholding our safety. A further example of loving law rather than simply abiding by it for the sake of obedience can be seen within sport. Take AFL for an example; these professional athletes follow rules and regulations to successfully play this sport and be a part of the league. The do so due to their passion and love of the game, and, by association, the rules and laws of the game.

Through analysing Manderson’s views on law in society, specifically through his break down of ‘Where the Wild Things Are’, my own outlook on the function of law has been altered. Not only should the law be abided by, but it must be cherished and understood. The claims made by Manderson are far from

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    PHL 612: Philosophy of Law

    • 5890 Words
    • 24 Pages

    (17) Dworkin, Ronald. 1982. “Law as Interpretation”. Critical Inquiry, Volume 9, Number 1, The Politics of Interpretation (September 1982), pages 179-200.…

    • 5890 Words
    • 24 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Law 421- Role Functions

    • 738 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Everything that we do in life has some sort of law attached to it and we as citizens have a role. For most average citizen, every day is just like any other day. We tackle our day with the things we need to do like go to work or doing our daily errands. These daily tasks are performed without the law ever crossing our minds. Although we abide by the rules and laws, we sometimes forget that we are doing it. For example, driving to the store seems like a simple task but it actually consists of several laws that we must follow. First, we must obey traffic laws and once we are in the store, there are laws in place to keep the shopping experience safe. Even the swipe of a credit card has several laws attached to it. The roles and functions of law in business and society are made to make our lives safer and fair.…

    • 738 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    “One may well ask: How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others? The answer lies in the fact that there are two types of laws: just and unjust. I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws. One has not only a legal but, a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.…

    • 1756 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    We need laws in society because there is a need to keep people safe and sort out disputes…

    • 1161 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Canada's Legal System

    • 1571 Words
    • 7 Pages

    The principle means that individuals must recognize and accept that we need laws to regulate society (Justice Education Society, 2013). According to the Justice Education Society, Rule of Law "expresses the principle that all people are equal under the law and no one is above the law." The law is important in maintaining order within society. Laws exist in society to protect the members of society and ensure safety for…

    • 1571 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Summary: Vagrancy Law

    • 1003 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Although the laws are what govern society and helps maintain order, it does not mean society should take it for granted and not question what is going…

    • 1003 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    What is law? Law is a system of rules used to govern a society and control the behaviors of its members. In this case, Martin Luther King is charged for breaking a law. King questions the differences between just and unjust laws to justify his actions in Birmingham and the charges of breaking laws willingly. Defending his willingness to break laws, King argues, “How can you advocate breaking laws and obeying other?” He answers to accusation of his willingness to break laws with a well-written argument of what is just and unjust laws. Martin Luther King uses the definition, the categories, and the implication of the law excellently to answer the charges of breaking laws willingly.…

    • 1054 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Each person has a set of personal values and morals that they hold themselves accountable to, whether for religious reasons or the result of years of environmental conditioning. These standards of behavior often go above and beyond the laws set in place by government. Just like individuals, a business entity chooses a standard of moral behavior to uphold. A difficult task to undertake, considering businesses are comprised of people with varying behavioral standards, but a necessary one nonetheless. Businesses are required to act with a moral minimum, defined as the minimum degree of ethical behavior expected of a business, or more specifically, compliance with the law . Most businesses go above this moral minimum however, weighing decisions beyond profitability and legality, and analyzing what constitutes right and wrong behavior. With information rapidly available to investors, social responsibility is in constant check. Going above the standards set by law can actually increase profitability, ease capital attainment, and in turn, increase the stock price. In a world where environmental concern is mounting, businesses are being called to act righteously and hold itself to the highest standard: that of natural law. In this paper, the concept of moral minimum will be further developed through the work of Hart, a positive and natural law theorist, accompanied by an analysis of the responsibilities facing business today, specifically the standards they should hold themselves to.…

    • 1382 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    “If there is no law, there is no society and no state. Therefore enforcement of the of the law, which is the society’s foundation, means protection of the society and the state. Thus, any person violating the law loses the right to be a society member and consequently must be deemed guilty and punished.”…

    • 1404 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    This essay will aim to answer a seemingly simple question: Are we free from the law? In order to answer this, both law and freedom need to be defined. A superficial answer given for law is ‘a set of rules and regulations backed up by state power.’ Law can stretch within its concrete application and can be applied to all aspects of life. Freedom is a problematic concept; it treats everyone as equal. However, everyone is not equal; all people have both natural and social inequalities and by treating all people as equal, it is actually treating them unequally.…

    • 123 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Manderson’s key claims revolve around the polarisation of the concepts of obedience and responsibility, specifically in association to a relationship with the law. He claims that in order to become a responsible legal subject, we are required to recognise differences between ourselves and others, thus demonstrating consideration, and ultimately love. Through a legal analysis of Maurice Sendak’s ‘Where the Wild Things Are’, Manderson explores Max’s entry into the law, describing him as having eventually ‘discarded the caput lupinum, and returned home a responsible legal subject’, due to his learning from transgressions with the law.…

    • 485 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    As we understand, law regulates behavior. But as Gustafson notes, law also expressed the majority collective vision of social goods, ills, and moral values. The law is defined by and maintained by the “norms.” The inherent purpose of the law is to marginalize and punish those…

    • 606 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Court Reflection

    • 1155 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Gunning, J., & Holm, S. (2005). Ethics, law, and society (4th ed.). England: Ashgate Pty Ltd.…

    • 1155 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In the Revolutionary Era, our country knew that laws were necessary to protect our given rights and freedoms. Laws today still protect those rights, and it is our duty to live by them and defend them. Throughout history, unstable laws have been tested and found either vital for our humanity or detrimental. It is our jobs as citizens to abide by these laws as well as prove the necessity of how they are predicated. Our world is constantly changing in terms of social and political terms. Some may argue that the only way to preserve peace is to ignore worldly change and concur and pursue the government's laws.…

    • 108 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    When I think of the term ‘Law’ I visualize a sense of order, control, a dominion controlled by rules, which are enforced by individuals appointed with a general authority. The definition of the term law varies slightly but may be broad dependent due to the many variations and use of law. One definition of Law is defined as “a body of rules of action or conduct prescribed by controlling authority, and having legal binding force (Melvin, 2011). In this paper we will discuss the functions and role of law in business and society.…

    • 992 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays