The influence of the past to future events have generated a tremendous growth in anxiety levels over the future. Hence the coining of the popular saying, learn from your mistakes since history. Forecasting principles dictate require rigorous study of trends since they believe that past performances can reoccur in future. However, Mark Twain disputed these theories by stating that history does not repeat itself, it rhymes. In this quote Mark Twain implied that past situations do not replicate themselves in the future, but rather they may appear in a different form.
In order to understand the statement, imagine an event or situation that caused unfathomed pleasure in life. In this case the receipt of the experience may be complied to repeat the causative agents of experience in order to recreate the feelings elicited by the initial occurrences. One should note that the second situation will possess different triggering agents. However, the thrill caused to the receipt will simulates the same pleasure. The theme of recurring instances are widely spread in history and in the human life. However, the paper concentrates rhyming events explored by Holt Hamilton, Undistinguished Americans and Inada Lawson, Only What We Could Carry.
Inada Lawson explores the lives of Japanese Americans during the World War 11. The author elaborates the injustice suffered by the Japanese Immigrants following the internment period. Internment of the Japanese began immediately after the bombing of the American Pearl Harbor. The highest number of interned Japanese comprised of American citizens who were victims of racial discrimination (Inada 67). The interned Japanese suffered massive losses of property and violation of their human rights.
A recurrence of these historical injustices is documented by Hamilton Holt. Hamilton documents the life stories of ordinary American citizens. However, the most striking story is that of the Negro Peon. An African- America whose life comprises untold sufferings caused by constant racial prejudice (Holt 431). The story of the Peon occurs in the post war period. The fact that America displays racism across two different periods, confirms to some extent that history does not repeat itself but it rhymes. In this case, the recurrence occurs racism on immigrants.
Additionally, the story of Lithuanian reveals a repeated notion of extravagance by the ordinary citizens. The Lithuanian spent most of his money on good clothing’s despite his meagre earnings. The Lithuanian executes most of his in the cold war period. On the other hand, the mindless consumerism manifest itself in the life of the Greek Peddler. One realizes that the Peddlers occur in a different era, however there is a collinearity between these two individuals, Mindless consumerism has affected the American Society to date. Correspondingly, the life of the Sweat Shop girl and that of the German Nurse are marred by the same challenges. Despite the different backgrounds and level of experience rhyming life instances haunt the two individuals in the same way. These occurrences are succinctly summarize by the Iowa farmer’s wife who claims that a nail can only hurt when it scratches the bone (Holt 435). The immigrants have only experienced difficulties only after landing in America, something that aligns their life patterns. Therefore, it’s important to be keen on historical happenings since occurrences in the past may manifest themselves in present times. History therefore does not repeat itself, however human interventions leads to a collinearity between the past and the present.
Works Cited
Holt, Hamilton. The Life Stories of Undistinguished Americans. As Told by Themselves. New York: Routledge, 2000. Print
Inada, Lawson F. Only What We Could Carry: The Japanese American Internment Experience. Berkeley: Heydays Books, 2000. Print
