University of San Jose- Recoletos Main Campus

Magallanes Street, Cebu City, Philippines

A.Y. 2022 – 2023

School of Arts and Sciences

Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy

The Contemporary World

Midterms Performance Task 1

By

Morden, Jester G.

November 2022
Read and analyze the essay entitled “Apocalypse” written by Junot Diaz
https://www.bostonreview.net/articles/junot-diaz-apocalypse-haiti-earthquake/

2. Discuss the salient points or ideas conveyed in the essay.

- According to David Brooks, apocalyptic calamities "wipe away the surface of
society, the established way things have been done." [Citation needed] These calamities
"sweep away the surface of civilization" in addition to obliterating cities and
inundating coasts, both of which they do. They cast light on the power structures that were
already there, as well as injustices, practices of corruption, and inconsistencies that were
previously undetected.
3. The following are the guide questions in writing your analysis:
1. What is the essay all about?

- This article examines the natural disaster that struck Haiti in 2010, during which
many people lost their lives, endured great suffering, and saw the destruction of their
government and popular tourist destinations.

2. What is/are the core idea/s expressed in the essay?

- Diaz investigates the ideas of natural and societal calamities, global inequity, our
methods of avoidance, and the significance of not turning away from the problem.
According to his line of reasoning, there is no such thing as a natural catastrophe;
rather, these events are the result of the irresponsible decisions that we make as a
society. Despite the fact that mankind has always been materialistic, always want the
best for themselves while paying little attention to the consequences of their choices,
he nevertheless clings to the minuscule shred of hope that they are capable of evolving
into more moral beings in the future. Being born into a world is a complete and utter
coincidence; you may be a royal baby, a nepotistic baby, or a nobody at all. The world
is unjust in many different ways; some people may remark that "being born poor is not
your fault, but dying as one is yours," which is an insensitive and tone-deaf outlook on
life. The world is unfair in many different ways. Having opportunities open to you is a
luxury that not everyone can afford. Your place in society is determined by the status
of your life and the choices you've made. Denying the existence of a problem or
attempting to avoid it will hinder us from comprehending it and finding a solution to it,
and avoiding it will only result in bad effects.
 3. What is/are the relevance of the essay “Apocalypse” in the aspects of Global
Security and Global Governance ?
- The help that nations such as the United States provide to nations such as Haiti, who are
on the verge of collapsing altogether, is very important. Instead, industrialized nations are
just as selfish as they are, and they also lack compassion; instead, they operate logically,
never delivering assistance without receiving anything in return. In the fifth section of his
essay, he wrote that "the world's goodies are basically getting gobbled up by a tiny group
of gluttons while the rest of us—by which I mean billions of people—are being deprived
of even the crumbs' crumbs." Nevertheless, in spite of these stark disparities, the
economic powers-that-be continue to insist that what the world needs more of is—wait for it
— economic freedom and market-friendly policies, which is to say more inequality. The
wealthy are able to amass even more wealth under a capitalist society by exploiting and
exploiting the lower class, as well as by manipulating them and squeezing them for what
little they have left. There is an establishment of security and government. Global
institutions are required in every nation that is incapable of self-governance and
protecting its citizens from outside damage and danger. It is of the utmost significance to
protect a state from hostile forces from the outside, but it is as essential to look out for the
welfare of the citizens who live inside that state.