The theme on social change as depicted by Pancake is painted in a form of negativity. The social change in this novel has affected the lives of a minority in the novel. Pancake has used art in writing to sensitize on the issue of disregard of the minority populations. The population in this novel is exposed to ignorance and disregard. The minority population in this novel is facing the threat of losing the main source of their livelihood and their habitats. The aim of the novel by Pancake was well put across and sensitized. The issue of mountain top mining has also been put across by the novel. Mountaintop mining has been viewed and described as an environmental hazard. This form of mining has severe effects on the environment. This corrosion of the natural resources is well and clearly depicted by Pancake in this novel (67).
The film and novel industries have been significant in their role of ensuring that the rights and freedom of the minority groups are sensitized. Over the past years, award winning films have based their work on how marginalized some groups are in the American population. These films and books use real life interviews from people who are marginalized by the society. According to Pancake this has been significant in championing of the liberation of the minority groups (122).
Pancake has used the plight of shelter as a theme to show how the plight of the minority has been ignored. In this case, the shelters in contention are the mountain tops. In this book, the mountaintops display a very significant feature in the plot of the novel. Firstly, they are used as shelters for the coal mining families. Additionally, they are featured as natural resources that under pollution by mining companies. From the author point of view, the destruction of the mountain tops by manufacturing companies destroys the environment and also destroys the habitat of members of the community (Pancake, 123). Mining companies are turning the mountaintop to waste, which leaves the community around with nothing but puddles of water. The community came together and tried to stop the mining company from strip mining from the mountaintops.
The author focuses on one particular family, Jimmy and his wife Lace. The couple has four children; a daughter and three sons. The author uses the family to show the impact of the strip mining to the family settings of this community. Lace’s daughter Bant and her mother are involved in a tussle (Pancake, 76). As Lace is deeply involved in the community’s efforts to retaining their property, her daughter is emotionally involved with a worker at the mines. This relationship between Bant and the miner directs Bant’s allegiance to the mountains in the opposite directions (Pancake, 115). Bant tries as much as possible to ensure that her emotional attachment and relationship with the laborer at the mines is not distorted by her family’s efforts. The author describes Lace as “strong woman but she is defeated” (112).
In disregard of the family tussle, the author of this novel had the theme of social change in mind. People in society have been disregarding ethics and morality. The thirst for success has made the society undergo negative social change. In this case, the mining company is disregarding the fact that the mountains act as a source of living and homes to a certain community. Additionally, the company is disregarding the fact that mining at the mountains is an environmental breach. It takes a lot of opposition to gain attention of greedy developers who do not mind the welfare of the unfortunate in society. The economy and cost of living around the mine rose significantly as people sort other ways of sourcing for a living apart from coal mining. The society was rendered poor by the mining activities. The community however, did not let their property and rights be taken away from them. Lace was a strong woman, but she was defeated. She never had the power to fight the powerful mining company. However she was able to her community to oppose the mining company. Lace urged the people to protest by telling them the “best way to fight is by standing in their way” (132).
The theme of social change as used by Pancake has been reiterated by Beecher and Sinclair. Sinclair wrote the novel The Jungle which highlighted the plight of immigrants in the United States (Arthur, 96). Beecher authored the novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin which highlighted the plight of a minority group exposed to slavery. The novel the jungle by Sinclair is also viewed as piece of art with the aim of sensitizing the society on the importance of equal treatment regardless of someone’s race. In this particular novel the plot revolves around an immigrant family who undergo inflicted suffering and tribulation because of their social status. This novel borrows heavily from Pancakes writing on the plight of the minority groups. Sinclair highlights how immigrants are subjected to ill treatment by employees (Arthur, 34). This act has forced many immigrants to live in pathetic conditions. However, Sinclair put across an obvious assumption that the lives of the minority groups would have been comfortable if the society would be sensitive towards them.
In Beecher’s case, the novel is based on the plight of a minority group used as slaves by the mighty, rich and powerful. The cast in the novel are traded like any other commodity at a trade fair. The trading of humans was directed at a minority group, the blacks. This particular group was a stereotype in the society. They were viewed as unfortunate inhabitants of the society. The connection between Pancake’s and Beecher’s idea is that the relationship between the mighty and the weak would never be symbiotic. The mighty always abuse their power and get the best out of the society and then subject the minority to unfavorable conditions. In words by Hulser the change the society needs lies under the mending of the relationship between the mighty and the minority (191). As long as the minority will be subjected to cruelty and disregard the rift between these two groups will never lessen.
In the three books, the authors have the intention of representing the minority groups in society. They portray on how the minority are disregarded and treated like dirt. The authors argue that with normal conditions the pain and suffering the minorities undergo would be avoided. However, the authors portray the minority as strong individuals who with organized units can change their lives and make their significance in society felt. The theme on social change is effectively covered in the three novels.
The novel by Pancake holds so much significance in interpreting the theme of social change. The author argues out three issues on the negative side of social change. These are the destruction of the environment due to mountaintop mining, destruction of homes of the minority and the enemy to economy. This makes the novel hold so much regard in the fight against disregard of the minority groups (Pancake, 118). With the support from the novels by Beecher and Sinclair, Strange as This Weather Has Been has effectively sighted on how much suffering the minority groups undergo and how much should the society at large contribute to ensure the minority groups have comfortable lives in location of their choice.
Works cited
Arthur, Anthony. Radical Innocent: Upton Sinclair. New York: Random House, 2006. Print.
Hulser, Kathleen. "Reading Uncle Tom's Image: From Anti-slavery Hero to Racial Insult." New-York Journal of American History, 2003, 65(1)
Pancake, Ann. Strange as This Weather Has Been. California: Counterpoint Press. 2007. Print.
