Ideas of Otherness - What, Why, and the Resulting Consequences

          The ideas of otherness have existed for thousands of years, ranging from the days of Cain and Abel to the present-day war on terrorism. Any one minority (or in South Africa, the majority) can be subjected to otherness for any reason ranging from the popular skin color to religious practice to even something as petty as the t-shirt’s logo! In the early American era, the newly displaced Puritans also brought their prejudiced ideas by describing the natives as “savage beasts”. Their narrow definition of “good” and “civil” has carried over through the centuries, blindly categorizing first the Indians; second the African-Americans – of whom have carried the national economy as well as performed the grunt work – to the Middle Eastern community, many of which have become productive law-abiding citizens and now are experiencing post-September 11 discrimination. Otherness, in effect serves only the oppressor by justifying the removal of a group of people.

            Otherness is defined as “different in nature or kind” (Webster 1007); none exhibit its need more than the Puritans. At first glance one would infer that the Puritans only wanted a community where it was free to practice the faith; however, their faith is the sole religion permitted. As a result, they aimed to purify the faith by eliminating tradition and trinkets in favor of God’s spoken word through ministers. They was also chastised by the Pilgrims saying that the Puritans were not strict enough, especially after Thomas Morton’s Merrymount village was established and handled by the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In an even earlier time period, Shakespeare did pen an epic about the very concept of otherness:  Othello.

            Another Puritan idea of otherness pertains to their attitudes toward the Indians. Seen as savages, the Indians were actually the ones who helped the colonists survive the first tough winters at Plymouth. They taught them how to hunt for meat in addition to what crops grow well in the rocky northeast. Unfortunately, the Indians were perceived as an inhumane bunch of rogues who only wanted the women and land. While the Indians did waste very little, it was ironically the Puritans who would eat anything, as Mary White Rowlandson proved in her narrative by eating horses’ feet and guts (Rowlandson 129). Moreover, many of the new residents were extremely bigoted, particularly one Cotton Mather who thinks each and every Indian is out to get him;  his ideology is the only good Indian is a dead Indian, with few exceptions.

            However, otherness is not limited to just the Indians; the close-minded Puritan society did not sit well with change nor were residents allowed to become excessively wealthy. For example, Robert Keaine was sentenced to no jail time, yet he had to pay a $600,000 fine for the crime of making a profit. Imagine what the late Sam Walton would have to give up if he were charged with such an offense; then what would Wal-Mart possibly do today? Profiteering in those days was simply illegal; today it is now known as monopolizing one facet of the business market.

            Consequently, sexual crimes were aggressively tried and convicted; such was the case with Mary Latham and her adulterous ways. She and James Britton were hanged for the then-heinous crime of adultery; at the time of her death, over twelve other (all married) men were fingered as having relations with Latham. People had premarital sex all day long, but as long as the couple married eventually everything seemed to be all right. However, a child without a father was often placed into an orphanage and the mother sent out of town to prevent any further embarrassment to the families involved. Another fact that arises from their doctrine is those who consistently go against the grain shall lose their lives, meaning all citizens must play for the same team – no bench time exists.

            The Puritans seemed so comfortable within their private bubbles that it was generally accepted that they could go and butcher Indians, blacks, Frenchmen, etc. solely because they neither looked nor acted like the predominant Anglo society; to this very day, when a nonwhite person dies unnaturally, he or she may get a brief footnote on the local evening news while the deceased white person – especially killed by a minority – brings in the FBI, local and state police, and for not one second do people think the suspect will only receive a slap on the wrist. Within the bubbles, they could classify anyone as “other” even if the victim happened to be the governor.

            Several consequences derived from being an other, including the usual death by hanging; ostracization; endless discrimination; and of course, ignorance. To counter the Puritans’ overzealous ways, the Indians began raiding villages to kidnap child-bearing women and children in order for them to be homogenized into their culture. Many women and children physically joined them; others became Indians by spirit. This led to the newly converted Indians to start over with new lives as now second-class citizens of the European domination. Another consequence was the rising number of out-of-wedlock pregnancies. Both parties actually had to marry before the child was born, or at least the mother had to confess the father’s name during her labor. Otherwise, those stillborn babies were buried at birth, likely to cultivate the next year’s garden crops. This also made the number of children sometimes difficult to keep up with. The final consequence from otherness is that numerous Indian tribes were annihilated, justifying not only Indian crimes but also allowing excess value upon white life. For example, Hannah Dustan is labeled a hero for scalping ten Indians, while O.J. Simpson (whom we may never know the truth about) is crucified for slaying his white ex-wife and her friend. Although he was proven not guilty, Simpson still carries a certain amount of guilt with him and has been blackballed by Hollywood not to mention has lost much of his livelihood as a free man.

            The ideas of otherness have existed for thousands of years, ranging from the days of Cain and Abel to the present-day war on terrorism. Any one minority (or in South Africa, the majority) can be subjected to otherness for any reason ranging from the popular skin color to religious practice to even something as petty as the t-shirt’s logo! In the early American era, the newly displaced Puritans also brought their prejudiced ideas by describing the natives as “savage beasts”. Their narrow definition of “good” and “civil” has carried over through the centuries, blindly categorizing first the Indians; second the African-Americans – of whom have carried the national economy as well as performed the grunt work – to the Middle Eastern community, many of which have become productive law-abiding citizens and now are experiencing post-September 11 discrimination. Otherness, in effect serves only the oppressor by justifying the removal of a group of people. However, by eliminating otherness, we can all win the battle of life: Getting along with others.

Works Cited

Guraluik, David B. Webster’s New World Dictionary of the American Language. New York City:  William Collins Publishers, Inc.1980. 2^nd ed. 1007.

Perkins, George and Barbara, ed. The American Tradition in Literature, Vol.1. Boston:  McGraw-Hill College, 1999. 9^th ed.