Multiple Perspectives and Persepolis

The lack of looking at other people's problems from their point of view is one of today's biggest problems. In the case of North Korea, the United States and other countries do not try and understand what it would be like to live in one of the most censored countries. They take for granted that they can say or do whatever they want to and they hear almost all the truth. At a time when much of the world takes for granted a fat and growing network of digitized human knowledge, art, history, thought and debate, it is easy to forget just how much is being denied to people in a country like North Korea. Countries like the United States of American have become too dependent on and sometimes overuse their privileges to do whatever they want. It is reported that "87% of American adults have a cell phone, and 45% of those are smart phones," and "The average American smartphone user spent nearly 30 minutes a day checking or updating social networks. (Gibson 1)"   In comparison, "There are about 1.5 million mobile phone users in North Korea, but service is spotty and no Internet is available. One popular use for mobile phones: as a "torch" to provide light when the power goes out at night. (Newman 1)".   The North Korea citizens are forced by their government to live this way, they have no choice. They have one perspective, because it is the one the government gives them. The government brainwashes them by only allowing them to see how excellent their country and leaders are and how terrible the outside world is. According to the BBC, the broadcasters on TV and radio are only allowed to bring reports of how great Kim Jong-il is. Hardships and other problems are never reported. Another prime example of a country like this is Iran after the Iranian Revolution. The Iranian government was using propaganda to convince or force one certain belief on the citizens and to show how bad the western world was. In the book Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi, she says," He [her father] took photos everyday. It was strictly forbidden. He had been arrested once been but escaped at the last minute.(29)" Satrapi's dad was not allowed to report or let the country see the evil that was going on because it would portray Iran in a negative way. This is very similar to what it is like in North Korea today. Overall, countries like the United States of American are too focused and caught up in how they live to see another perspective of life in a country with censorship. Unlike the United States' citizens, North Koreans have a very limited perspective of their country and the outside world because the government forces only one on them.








Works Cited

Gibson, Maranda. "Cell Phone Statistics: Updated 2012 Maranda Gibson." AccuConference. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 May 2013.
Newman, Rick. "Here's How Lousy Life Is in North Korea." US News. U.S.News & World Report, 12 Apr. 2013. Web. 23 May 2013.
Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis. New York, NY: Pantheon, 2003. Print.