Christin Reilly

Prof. Bost

English Comp. 1

September 24, 2018

Ignorant Bliss and The Dream

There is an ancient debate that questions whether ignorance is bliss or not. We as both

individuals and as a society are living in a state of ignorance when it come to oppressed classes

of people. We often do not see or maybe even shut out the truth, which is that people who are

different, people who have been deemed as ​other,​ have been trampled on so that other people,

their oppressors can thrive and reach status. So, is ignorance bliss? The answer is that it depends

on whose perspective you consider. Those who are not aware of the situation of these classes of

people are indeed blissfully ignorant. But for those who have to face oppression, it is a different

story. Those who are ignorant are stuck in a dream that shields them from horrors. It is a dream

in which everything is okay and everyone is happy. I hope that after reading this essay, you

become awake and can see the effects of oppression.

As Coates explains in his book, “Between the World and Me,” “the Dream” is not enjoyed by

everyone. Is is a privilege for those who are unaffected. Coates mentions being hesitant to speak

to a journalist about his experiences with oppression as it would “awaken her from the most

gorgeous dream.” By sharing his experiences, it would shatter her worldview and reveal to her a

painful truth that she must face. This is similar to the state of our society. It is shrouded in a

dream which protects it from harsh truths. Unaffected people are able to believe life is all

“perfect houses with nice lawns” and ignore the reality.

 ​The Dream is portrayed on television more often than you might think. One example that came

to mind is from my favorite TV series “Supernatural”. It may seem a bit nerdy, but trust me, you

can find examples of “The Dream just about anywhere. In this series, the two main characters,

Sam and Dean risk their lives everyday for people. They hunt down supernatural beings and save

people, most of the time, these people have absolutely no idea who they are and what they have

been through to get where they are. In this example, the ones living this ‘blissful ignorance’ are

those who live everyday happy, not even knowing what is out there in the dark. Sam and Dean

are out hunting with every strength they have, and because of that they lose everything. They

don’t even have a home. “The dreamers” are going about their day with a family and a beautiful

home. They have no clue that there are people risking everything so that they can live safely in

their own neighborhood.

​Since the mid twentieth century, minorities, whether the poor, a non white race or ethnicity, or

some other minority, have been forced to group together in unfavored areas so that the majority

could establish communities where they can live with people who are exactly the same as they

are. The effects of this systematic persecution continue even today. The established communities

remain inhabited by those who fit the ideal image of people who live there. The minorities who

were forced out lived generations in areas that became run down and undeveloped. Those who

are fortunate enough to live in the favorable areas may not know or understand the suffering and

persecution that minorities lived through which is responsible for these “favored” areas. These

people are ignorant to the others’ experiences and instead live in “the Dream” in which

everything is ideal, where they see no suffering, and most dangerous of all, where they become
accustomed to associating with similar people. This creates in them a learned hatred of others

that stems from their ignorance to the situation

​ In my own experience and also in Judith Butler’s, I have been on the unlucky side. Being

oppressed and longing that one day people might soon be aware of what is going on outside of

their white picket fence life. In my opinion, everyone has been oppressed at some point. Not

everybody even knows it but there is always something about you that others find unsettling.

Most often, the oppressor doesn’t even realize that they are even doing it. In my personal life, I

have received discrimination towards my sexuality. I am glad to say that through that, not a

single person has meant to be rude towards me. I feel that most people think of not being straight

as abnormal. That word most often is the first word to pop into your head when you think of the

word “Gay”. In my eyes, the word “minority” comes to mind. You see, no one means to be

discriminative toward a minority of people. Most of the time, it just accidently happens. People

are unaware that words such as “abnormal, unusual, and out of the ordinary” can actually hurt.

There are also the ones who do go out of their way to make people feel bad about themself. It

could be their sexuality, the color of their skin, or even what they like to wear. I would be lying

to you if I said that the world is perfect. The sad truth is that this “Dream” what everyone strives

for will never happen. There is no such thing as “The dream”, It is just ignorant bliss. People

who lock up the idea that the world isn’t just sunshine and rainbows. They lock this up and put it

deep down in the basement of their mind, somewhere they don’t have to see it, ever. These

people unknowingly put themselves into a world where no one gets hurt and in that process, they

push this “minority” away, so that they don’t even know it is there.
 ​What I urge you to do, is to wake up from “the Dream.” Understand that there is suffering and

oppression in the world. This is not cynical. This is the first step in being aware and starting on

the path toward raising awareness.