In Doris Lessing's article "Group Minds," she explains how we tend to think as a group and why thinking as a group could modify the younger generation's capability to think as an individual. Lessing paints a flattering portrait of people living in the West. People living in the West are individuals that make individual choices. They have their own mind and have their own opinions. The idea that the people living in the West make individual choices is not very different from how we see ourselves. Individuals never stop to think about this portrait and consequently live the rest of their lives thinking no different. We are all individuals but we all strive to belong in a group with likeminded people and never recognize the social laws that we require to abide by. We are all free to our own opinions but will never keep that opinion for as long as we are in a group. .
Many experiments display that this group thinking idea is accurate, however humans do not take this important information into thought and therefore never improve their means of thinking. An individual could be asked an uncomplicated question and identify the right answer and the individual will still give into the group's peer pressure. Lessing describes an experiment that a group of people would be instructed to believe that two wooden boards at slightly different lengths would claim that these boards are exactly the same in length. One or two people wouldn't be instructed and would find out for themselves that the wooden boards aren't the same length. The group would argue with the one or two people that the boards are the exact same length. Even though the one or two people know the right answer they will be easily influenced by the group to believe the wrong answer. .
When people are faced to give an individual response the majority of people wouldn't do it and end up saying that they would. When an individual is used to abide by the group it's hard to stand up for your individuality and go against what a group thinks.
Doris Lessing, what a great woman! ... Doris grew up in Kermanshah, Persia. ... Doris dropped out of school at the age of 13. ... Then Doris got married to Frank Wisdom. ... Then Doris got remarried again, and divorced again. ...
The short story that I recently read was called "Through The Tunnel" written by Doris Lessing. ... This is the first of Lessing's work I have read. ... I think the most important aspect that contributes to the success of the story is Lessing's interesting style of writing. ... Although the end is predictable, the effectiveness of Lessing's techniques makes it just as suspenseful. Doris Lessing's highly successful use of different writing styles and techniques made the short story a gripping and enjoyable read. ...
ANALYSE Doris Lessing's A WOMAN ON A ROOF IN LIGHT OF STRUCTURALISM Structuralism concentrates on elements within work of literature without focusing on historical, social and biographical influences. ... For instance, without taking into consideration Doris Lessing, we can give her story a multitude of interpretations. ... In Doris Lessing's story, agents such as sexuality, including femininity and masculinity and non-verbal communication form the semic code. ... In Doris Lessing's story, the red colour, for instance, is used to symbolise femininity, sensuality of the woman ...
A free essay on A Sunrise on the Veld In "A Sunrise On The Veld" by Doris Lessing, the protagonist gains a greater consciousness through the exposure of a new reality and truth of which he was not previously aware. ... The type of initiation both characters had was a distressing journey from innocence to knowle A free essay on A Sunrise on the Veld In "A Sunrise On The Veld" by Doris Lessing, the protagonist gains a greater consciousness through the exposure of a new reality and truth of which he was not previously aware. ... The type of initiation both characters had was a distressing...
In her speech "Group Minds," Doris Lessing discusses these dangers of obedience, which are demonstrated in Shirley Jackson's short story "The Lottery." In "The Lottery," the villagers portray Lessing's observation that "it is the hardest thing in the world to maintain an individual dissident opinion, as a member of a group" (334). ... As Lessing points out "the majority will continue to insist and after a period of exasperation the minority will fall into line"(334). ... Being in my past, this now stands as yet another example of Doris Lessing's idea that, as a member of a gro...
"A Sunrise on the Veld", by Doris Lessing, introduces the idea of adulthood and maturity that is seen through a child's eyes. ... The short story, "A Sunset on the Veld," by Doris Lessing, is an extremely symbolic representation of the stages of maturity that a young boy endures while traveling the road to adulthood. ...
Doris Lessing, a novelist, well known for her Five Short Novels (1954), and The Golden Notebook (1962). ... Another aspect I find to be true in Lessing's thesis, is when she wrote "what is dangerous is not the belonging to a group, or groups, but not understanding the social laws that govern groups and govern us." ...
Alan Bennett is very clever in the way he puts across what Doris first says. ... I think he probably uses it here as he wanted to give us some idea of what Doris is like before letting us know what she had done. ... Is more literally true than Doris intended it to be. ... Doris also starts to mention another character, her deceased husband Wilfred. In the next section of the play Doris brings up the topic of the garden gate, which has wanted "doing for years-. ...
Doris Lessing illustrates woman's vulnerable role in society by adopting the intolerable heat as a trigger for male aggression and presents the conflict of power between man and woman. ... Lessing's message is that Tom only has positive feelings towards the woman on his own terms as he objectifies her in his estimation of her as a sex object satisfying his fantasy. ... Lessing parallels the heat and the woman's indifferent attitude toward them that cause the men to be furious. As such, Lessing portrays the power struggle between men and women. ... Doris Lessing's "A Wo...