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  • Essay / Meaning of Altruism: Examples from Classical and Modern Literature

    Although being altruistic is often considered a good personality trait, altruism can sometimes have unintended consequences in our own lives as well as in that of those around us. In the collection of stories known as The Arabian Nights and in "The Subordinate" by K. Saraswathi Amma, a trivial role is played by a character described as selfless. Paru Amma in “The Subordinate” and Shahrazad in The Arabian Nights are selfless in many aspects of their lives. Paru Amma murders her daughter so that her daughter, Lakshmikutty, does not have to endure the trials and heartaches she faced as a child and teenager. On the other hand, Shahrazad volunteers to marry King Shahrayar so that he does not marry another prince's daughter. All of the king's previous wives have been murdered after a night of marriage, but Shahrazad is determined to save these girls by putting his own life in danger. Both of these characters believe they are committing an altruistic act, but in reality they are causing harm and heartache to themselves and those close to them. The altruistic and limited point of view that each of these women embodies means that none of them fully understand or consider the consequences they may have on others involved in the events that unfold. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Paru Amma felt like killing her daughter in 'The Subordinate' was an altruistic act because she didn't want her daughter to experience the same things she experienced as a child . She only thought of one thing when she decided to kill her daughter: her daughter would be freed from this life that she had inevitably inherited. Paru Amma lives vicariously through her daughter because according to her, “death and prison are preferable to a rebellious life” (Iglesias, Mays, and Allen 159). Paru Amma would have liked to be killed or imprisoned instead of having to face the situations she faced when she was young. Paru Amma said, “Poor girl! How could she know the helplessness of being born a woman in a poor family! » (Iglesias, Mays and Allen 158). Paru Amma reflected on her own experiences and assumed that her daughter would feel the same way she did about her social status and the tasks she had to accomplish. Lakshmikutty, his daughter, never had an option or a chance. She was not informed of the horrible things that had happened to her mother and had no say in how her life turned out. She was killed without any other options being considered. Essentially, Lakshmikutty suffered and was murdered because of her mother. Paru Amma committed this act thinking that she was being selfless and giving Lakshmikutty a better life than she did, but she did not think about how Lakshmikutty would feel about the situation. Shahrazad also believed she was committing an altruistic act by putting her own life in danger. risk potentially saving others; However, she too did not consider all the consequences when she made the decision to marry King Shahrayar. While Shahrazad recognized that she would “succeed in saving the people or perish and die like the others” (Arabian Nights 448), she did not recognize that her family members would suffer because of her decision. Shahrazad's father was upset when he was told of the situation Shahrazad wanted to put him in, saying: "He will sleep with you one night and ask me to put you to death the next morning, and I will have to do it, since I can't..